Five Ways To Eat Healthy At Your Workplace

LIKE IT OR not, one ends up having at least one heavy meal in office. When deadlines hang like a noose around the neck, who can help dig into the fried snack or reach out for an extra cup of coffee? There’s an inherent warning in these choices, though: Doctors say they can add to body weight and create long-term health complications, hamper concentration and productivity. Writankar Mukherjee outlines some tips on how to cultivate healthy eating habits in office 

 
Practise Moderation People tend to eat in larger quantities in office due to pressure and tension; there is a direct co-relation between food intake and stress, say doctors. And more so, since office canteens are moving to the buffett system where people tend to overeat. “Don’t eat large portions. Also, avoid the excess intake of sweets. It will increase body weight significantly,” says Dr Rachna Singh, lifestyle management consultant at Gurgaon’s Artemis Health Institute.

Avoid Junk Food Executives in office tend to eat multiple times. And if one has to maintain moderation in lunch intake, one surely gets hungry through the day. Also, several office campuses now have snack counters which mostly serve fried food, high in calories. A recent study shows that while convenience food or snacks may help to maintain overall calorie intake, it is best to limit the intake of fried food. “Executives should not have more than two to three servings of junk food per week,” says Dr Singh.

Avoid Temptation Stress increases consumption of junk and high-calorie food like chocolates, ice cream and soft drinks. Substitute these with homemade snacks or seasonal fruits. “The best way to fill your stomach is to eat vegetable, salad, fresh fruit or puffed rice with chickpeas,” says Dr Sushum Sharma, director (preventive healthcare) at Max Healthcare Institute. 

Avoid a Lot of Caffeine 
Heavy daily intake of caffeine may induce insomnia, nervousness, restlessness, irritability, stomach upset, fast heartbeat and muscle tremor. The Mayo Clinic of the US advises herbal or green tea, which does not contain caffeine. Also, shorten the brewing time. For most healthy adults, 200 to 300 mg of caffeine, or two to four cups of coffee or tea a day is not harmful, says Mayo Clinic.

Maintain Diet Hygiene Executives should not skip lunch due to work; eat at the same time everyday and not talk or think about work while having lunch. They should eat a heavy breakfast before leaving home. “The total intake after leaving home and till one returns should not be more than 600 calories. A heavy breakfast will help. Also, avoid eating heavy snacks in the evening before dinner,” says Dr Sharma.

(The Economic Times, Mumbai, 20-12-2011)