Healthy eating habits for 9 to 5 working professionals

Do you feel energy-deprived for most part of the day? Does your day begins with restlessness and ends with fatigue? If your answer to these questions is yes then it’s high time to take an action.

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A big reason behind restlessness, fatigue and irritability throughout the day is a poor diet intake. Due to a busy routine, most of the working professionals neglect the importance of a healthy diet plan. A usual busy day begins without a breakfast followed by an unhealthy lunch which keeps the energy levels on toss. Our diet includes less of fruits, green leafy vegetables, milk and more of carbs, sugars and lower-energy giving foods.

As a result of this, we have poor energy levels and feel tired even at the beginning of the day. Poor eating habits not just lead to lower energy levels but also invite diseases to our body. Slowly as age advances, people tend to lose enthusiasm towards their work leading to low productivity and poor results.

But the point is that we can’t afford to lose our health to diseases and poor eating habits. We can’t compromise on our work schedule and deliver poor performance. Another surprising part is that despite knowing about the ill consequences of poor eating habits, we are too busy to make a change.

But if you are willing to change and looking for ways to boost productivity at work then here’s the first step for you. Changing your eating patterns can change the game for you. Here are some easy-to-follow eating habits for busy professionals which will help you maintain the energy levels from 9 am to 5 pm.

Never, Ever Skip Breakfast

Undoubtedly, morning is the busiest time of the day as you are struggling with your sleep and daily routines to make it to the office on time. And this is the main reason many people miss out their breakfast.

But breakfast is crucial for a bright beginning of the day. The word itself says break the fast and if you don’t, be ready to face an energy crisis. A healthy breakfast comprising of complex carbohydrates like cereals, fruits, vegetables, high-fiber like whole grain cereals and breads, ground flax and chia and protein rich foods like nuts, seeds, organic cow's milk and yogurt can help you to start your day right. It will keep you energized and ready for work.

So, make sure you intake a healthy breakfast before you leave for office tomorrow.

Keep a Water Bottle Along

Drinking at least eight glasses of water in a day helps to keep hunger levels down, energy levels high, and digestion levels intact. Water intake helps to keep diseases and infections at bay.

But make sure you don’t drink water in between the meals. It is recommended to drink room temperature water 20 minutes before or 60 minutes after the meals in order to facilitate smooth digestion.

So, all you need to do is to carry a stainless steel or copper bottle along with you and drink every now and then. If you think you still are going to forget it then download an app from the store which would remind you to drink water at fixed intervals.

Replace Snacks with Fruits

Remember! Junk Food is Just Junk! And it won’t ever energize your body and your mind.

If you spend a lot of time in office canteen always looking for snacks or sugary stuff then curb the practice right away. Foods with high sugar, trans and saturated fats are poor in nutrition value. They tend to make you feel full in the beginning but ultimate make you feel sluggish.

A better idea is to replace your snack cravings with fruits and salads. Make sure you carry a fruit and salad bowl along with you to the office. This would not just save you calories but also a lot of money which you spend on snacks.

Switch to Healthy Caffeine

Most of the working professionals are addicted to coffee and don’t keep a check over their caffeine consumption throughout the day. Caffeine like high sugar foods seem to spike your energy but eventually result into an energy crash.

A good idea is to consume caffeine in small and healthy amounts like a cup of green tea so that it doesn’t bring you bad consequences.

Space Meals Equally

The secret ingredient to stay hydrated at work is to eat at frequent intervals. Many people overeat during lunch or breakfast and then go on without eating for next 4-5 hours. This is the biggest energy-killer. If you want to stay enthusiastic and productive for the entire day then it is important to eat at fixed intervals to balance energy levels.

Dinner not after 8 pm

Yes, you read it right! It is recommended to eat a light dinner before the clock strikes 8. This gives your body enough time to detoxify and digest the food before you get into your bed.

Also, having dinner at the right time keeps a check on unnecessary weight and helps you take a fulfilling sleep.

Be Choosy at the Parties

Team lunches and office parties are a great time to refresh oneself. But many people tend to overeat and grab a lot of alcohol in lieu of enjoyment. Overeating puts a load on your digestive system in the same way as overworking on fridays.

Therefore, it is good to be choosy while you dine out with your colleagues and friends. While you eat out remember that it doesn’t matter what you eat but how much you eat. This will help you keep a check over calorie intake and eat the right quantity of food.

Sticking to a healthy lifestyle is always a challenge. But the bigger challenge is handling high work pressure with low energy levels.

So, choose wisely and eat well.

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?Vartika Kashyap runs the marketing team at ProofHub — a project management software for teams of all sizes. She is a seasoned marketing professional who is an expert in digital marketing and entrepreneurship. She’s been featured among LinkedIn’s Top Voices for the year 2016. Connect with Vartika on LinkedIn, Medium and Twitter.

Also follow our company page @ProofHub to get the recent updates about our tool, published articles, motivational quotes & presentations.

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Originally published at YourStory.