Up before dawn? Home after dark? We want to help you stay healthy when time is (quite literally) of the essence.
Staying healthy when you’ve got all the time in the world is important, but when you’re time-poor, it’s essential! Granted, you won’t be making pretty smoothie bowls every morning, but that doesn’t exclude you from living a life of good health!
Avoid mindless snacking, and ideally, eat three solid meals.
Sorry, but carrot sticks and french onion dip don’t count as a meal! So whether you spend your days at work or home, make sure that you’re (mindfully) eating three solid meals and consider giving snacks the flick. For some people, constant snacking can increase the risk of bacterial overgrowth in the intestines, which leads to conditions like SIBO. Our intestines produce a “wave of motion” when the body is in a fasted state that effectively “sweeps” the intestines so that bacteria can’t set up camp. However, there needs to be at least 90 consecutive minutes food-free for this to happen. The answer: three solid meals a day! Find out how to build the perfect (and satisfying) plate here.
Take some time to stand up at work.
Do you drive to the train station, sit on the train, sit at work, sit for lunch, sit at your desk some more, sit on the train, drive home, sit at the dinner table, veg out in front of the TV and then go to bed? We don’t mean to point the finger, but sitting all day is doing you no favours. Sedentary behaviour, like sitting, may reduce your life span and spur on a host of other serious issues. In fact, this study suggested that those who spend a lifetime average of 6 hours a day watching TV can expect to live 4.8 years less! So, what can you do to combat the confines of your desk job? Switch up your position at work. Try standing at your desk, sitting on an exercise ball or kneeling on a cushion – and alternate regularly. If you take public transport, try walking to or from your stop, rather than driving. Stand up on the train or bus, at least part of the way. Take a walk at lunch time and make it a priority. Given that the fourth leading risk factor for global mortality is physical inactivity, the benefits of standing and moving are seriously life-saving
Eat real food for breakfast.
How many people wolf down their breakfast at home, or on the way to work, only to find that they’re hungry half an hour after eating? Not us! That’s because we embrace protein and healthy fats for our morning meals, not sugar and refined carbs. Don’t fret, breakfast doesn’t have to be a big Sunday-style cook-up to keep you going. Try making this Omelette in a Jar ahead of time and then popping it in the microwave when you get to work. Not a fan of eggs? Opt for a smoothie. You’ll feel so good that you’ll wonder why you didn’t ditch the muffin and vanilla latte sooner.
Be sensible about alcohol.
Avoid sloshing down sugary drinks after work to wind down, or having one-too-many glasses of wine when you finally get home. We’re not anti-alcohol at IQS, but we do encourage mindful consumption. This is because alcohol has been linked to a number of different health-related issues, when consumed in excess. But hey, if you’ve got time to go for drinks, perhaps you’re not as time-poor as you thought!
Prep meals in advance.
If you know you’re up for a busy week, then get your meals in order now. Batch cook on the weekends so that at least one meal a day is already done and dusted. Cook double or triple (or quadruple) portions and learn to love your freezer. That way, when you get home from a big day, that delicious dish you made on Sunday will only need to be defrosted. If you don’t know where to start, our Kickstarter Program will give you all the skills and knowledge you need – and a week’s worth of uber-healthy recipes!
Take some deep breaths.
Take a deep breath, right now. Did you suddenly just become aware of your body again? Feels good, doesn’t it?! Taking the time out to breathe deeply, and with intention, is the only known way to activate your calming parasympathetic nervous system. When we’re stressed, the parasympathetic nervous system (calm) hands over the reigns to our sympathetic nervous system (stress), which is responsible for the “flight or fight” response. We don’t want to spend a lot of time with our sympathetic nervous system “switched on”, as this communicates to our bodies that we’re constantly in danger. As a result, adrenaline is pumped around the body, which can impact your weight, sleep and mood. So, deep breaths in and deep breaths out.
Don’t reach for caffeine.
Or energy drinks. Or soft drinks, for that matter. The toxic combination of sugar and caffeine found in energy drinks, in particular, does not bode well for the body. Energy drinks have been linked to a plethora of concerning health problems, like obesity, depression, type 2 diabetes and tooth decay. A sugary drink every day will even lower your chance of falling pregnant. There are plenty of good-for-you foods that you can reach for when you need an energy boost, as well as plenty of other activities that will pep you up, naturally. Did we mention walking?
Work out why you’re so time poor.
Being “so busy” all the time is not a badge of honour, and multitasking is not as productive as you might think! What can you do to free up some more time for yourself? Start by making the above suggestions a priority right now, because your health is worth more than a bunch of emails, no?
How do you stay healthy when you’re time-poor? Let us know!
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