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The average manager spends at least nine hours in the office. Often he does not notice what food and how much he eats in the office during the working day. At the same time, both lunch and snacks in the office deserve special attention.
It’s not just that an unbalanced diet during “hours of work” can lead to overeating. As well as toexcess weight, health problems, stress, weakness, anger and other problems. Our brains need food to function at peak efficiency all day.
With the help of top nutritionists, we’ve rounded up the best ideas for a healthy snack in the office. But first, let’s try to determine how many meals a working person should have.
Meal schedule
It is important to remember that the breaks between meals should not exceed 4 – 5 hours in adults. So that there is no stagnation of bile. It follows from this that you need to eat in the office more often. However, what does it mean more often? 5 times a day, or maybe 8? You must admit that it is rather difficult to imagine a person working in an office constantly chewing; carrying lunch boxes with food.
The most acceptable for an ordinary office worker will be meals 4-5 times a day. That is, 2-3 main meals and about the same amount of snacks. “This approach will save your body from a drop in blood sugar levels, which causes that” brutal “appetite and stagnation of bile in the bile ducts,” explains the nutritionist. In addition, the body will get used to being cared for and “fed” on a regular basis. So it will simply stop putting aside every bun and chocolate bar.
You will also notice that when you come home from work. You do not feel acute hunger, which means that you will not empty the refrigerator.
Following a correct and balanced diet, the lap between times when you eat in the office should not less than 2.5 hours. Staying in the office for 8-9 hours, you need to have lunch and have at least two snacks. The first is between breakfast and lunch, and the second is between lunch and dinner. With an early start to the working day, the number of snacks can be increased to 3-4. While reducing the weight of the portion.
Excess weight
Indian and American scientists have been doing research on diet for some time. Their conclusions are simple and straightforward: regular meals, that is, at the same time, reduce the likelihood of excess weight. The researchers divided the subjects into two groups and all were given the same calorie food.
The difference was that one group adhered to the schedule and received food rationally and on schedule; while the other ate randomly and spontaneously throughout the day. Excess weight at the end of the experiment was found in subjects from the second group.
According to scientists, the body of people from the first group is accustomed to receiving food at a certain time. Thanks to this, has formed stable mechanisms for its assimilation. Plus, he lost the need to accumulate fat in order to provide himself with the so-called “strategic reserve”.
How to prepare the lunch box to eat in office
In practice, the easiest and most economical way to eat in the office is to collect your office snacks in today’s trendy lunch boxes. That is, to put everything that you have planned to take with you to the office in separate containers and cells.
Put several ingredients in your lunchbox at once. Complex carbohydrates that will keep you from getting hungry quickly (vegetables, whole grains); fats (different types of vegetable oils, avocados, nuts, seeds); fiber for healthy digestion (legumes, again vegetables, unsweetened fruits, bran).
A great option: a piece of boiled meat (beef, turkey, or chicken); plus vegetables like cucumber, bell peppers, carrots, or even a cabbage leaf. Add low-fat cheese, take a bottle of drinking yogurt. Alternatively, a sandwich made from whole grain bread and a slice of fish or cheese; cottage cheese with herbs or vegetables.
Fresh vegetables will also help to prevent or satisfy the feeling of hunger. Cucumbers, young juicy carrots, radishes, smart bell peppers, ripe tomatoes, herbs, etc. These are not only “live” vitamins, enzymes, and antioxidants with carbohydrates, but also useful fiber that will support the feeling of satiety and performance. “Just plan in advance what to bring with you to work.
If you are a lover of dairy products, use a glass of natural yogurt or kefir. Instead of sausage sandwiches, opt for cereal bread with cheese and herbs. Well, if you traditionally did not have enough time to buy something fresh and healthy for yourself, your beloved. Eat a handful of unroasted nuts and some dry fruits that may be waiting for you on your office desk.
Foods and sweets to eat in office
Almost every office worker has one more “weak point” – sweet. There is always something tasty on your table (in a dresser) or at a neighbor’s – chocolate, sweets, cookies, buns and other sweets. It seems impossible to refuse them and a cup of tea or coffee during the working day, when there are constant deadlines, meetings, calls, reports.
But, according to doctors, this must be done once and for all. The first step towards this should be regular main meals – breakfast, lunch, dinner. Then the body will not experience additional stress, which it wants to eat with a croissant or donut.
The paradox is that many people overuse black tea, coffee, and sweets as a stress reliever to raise serotonin levels. However, the caffeine in these drinks, excess chocolate, and soda quickly depletes adrenaline, only exacerbating stress.
You will not find kind words about sweets, the excess of which will not only lead to caries, premature old age, excess weight, but also other negative consequences. Seasonal berries and a couple of fruits for a snack are great to cheer up. And instead of sweets, give preference to a muesli bar or a piece of dark chocolate with tea.
Other goodies at work can be replaced with a small amount of honey for mint tea or a handful of dried fruit. These snacks will benefit your body by maintaining your mood.
Why are sweets so bad at work? “If you like to snack on sweets, your adrenal glands will be in a state of constant tension (hyperfunction). It can eventually lead to wear, exhaustion, and, finally, failure. Worn adrenal glands are one of the causes of muscle atrophy and the appearance of fatty deposits and aging. This is not counting the sharp jumps in blood sugar, which is transformed into fat, leading to obesity and diabetes.
You should leave only the following options: a variety of mixtures of dried fruits – dried apricots, prunes, raisins, apples, dates; figs with Adyghe cheese or low-fat cottage cheese; sugar-free applesauce; low-fat yogurt with any fruit; dark chocolate with almonds. “However, it is worth remembering that everything is good in moderation!
Coonclusion
Following the rules of how to eat in the office in a healthy and proper diet throughout the day is not as difficult as it might seem at first glance. For those people who are not ready to make homemade preparations for themselves. Or for those who do not want to carry snacks with them, there are special services for the delivery of healthy food (usually already prepared) to the office.
