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February Quick Links 

Celynn Erasmus

 

Eat for Energy


There are many things that are out of your personal control, your health and the ability to renew your energy, is not one of them. Due to a demanding, stressful on-the-go lifestyle, you could be giving up your health to build your wealth. Why not do a things a little differently this year and leverage your health and energy to generate more wealth? Did you know that practicing a few simple lifestyle behaviours can give you the equivalent of an extra two productive hours of energy in your day!
Here are 3 top tips to help you manage your energy, not your time so that you can do more in less time. None of this list involves celery and all of it is great for energy!

 

  • Get a jump start

Think about it, mobile phones and laptops need to be charged…so do you! You need to charge yourself, with the right fuel,  at the start of each day. The right breakfast will give you increased energy, improve your mental performance, boost your metabolism and help you to manage or lose weight. Breakfast is vital to starting your day on a firm footing and getting the competitive edge!
So what’s holding you back from a sunny side up start....?
Having no time is no excuse. Sure you may not have time to make scrambled eggs on toast but  making a smoothie, for example, can take less than 2 minutes and it can easily be consumed in the car while on your way to the office or your first meeting.
TOP TIP: Keep a blender and fresh fruit close at hand in your office.

 

No, a balanced breakfast would not be a biscuit in each hand, it would ideally consist of …

  • Slow release carbohydrate such as high fibre cereal, oats, muesli, seed loaf bread or fresh fruit.
  • Protein such as low fat dairy, lean cold meat or egg.

 

  • Graze, don’t gorge

To graze rather than to gorge implies having smaller more frequent meals or snacks and not skipping meals.  Many of us skip breakfast, grab a toasted sandwich for lunch then are so famished by the time supper is served we tend to overeat in the evenings. Beware of waiting too long. Most of us only think of food once our stomach gives a loud groan of dissatisfaction. At this point you’ll be tempted to buy high sugar rocket fuel snacks. Eat regularly (every three hours or so) to prevent reaching a stage where it's difficult to make healthy choices. Eating strategically can help you optimise your physical, mental and emotional engagement!


Portable strategic snack ideas:

  • Fresh fruit is best, no more than 2 medium pieces at a time.
  • Dried fruit (no sugar) in small serving sizes of about 40g or pure fruit bars.
  • Raw nuts or seeds (keep servings to one small handful).
  • Mini carrots or other crudités (cherry tomatoes, snap peas, baby corn) with a low fat dip.

  • Kick the caffeine

 

Most of us take several (4 to 6) hours to process caffeine, so if you have your first cuppa or energy drink at 6am and the last at 11pm, your body is basically a one stop caffeine shop.  Consuming excess caffeine (found in coffee, energy drinks, tea, chocolate, medications, some soda drinks) increases anxiety, triggers headaches, disturbs sleep, heightens your blood pressure and interferes with your adrenal glands from functioning at their best. Sure, caffeine may give you a short term energy boost but more is not better. In short, caffeine increases, not decreases, your stress levels. Keep caffeine to less than 300mg per day (2-3 cups coffee) and avoid caffeine towards the end of the day if you want to sleep better.


Eating on-the-go tips:

  • Keep ‘desk drawer and cubby hole delights’. Stock up on non-perishable smart snack (ideas below) options once a month.
  • Can’t make it to the shops? Try Internet on-line shopping. The delivery fee is often well worth the convenience of having all your groceries arrive on your doorstep.
  • Make sure you have a variety of containers, Tupperware and zip-lock plastic bags for easy food storage and transport.
  • Take advantage of the time on weekends to cook a bunch of meals ahead of time or to purchase and package smart snacks.

 

Rest assured that by implementing these simple yet strategic tips, you can continue through 2010 in style, without compromising your health for wealth.