With all the hours we spend at work — whether that means time in an office, at home, or on the road — it’s important to examine the challenges that your career poses to eating well and living a healthy lifestyle.
For example, is your job extremely stressful? Fatiguing? Fast-paced? Boring? Any of these situations could push you toward eating as a way to cope. Instead, try the following tips:
* Practice stress management. When the pressure mounts, instead of turning to a high-calorie, high-fat trigger food to calm your nerves, try healthy, stress-relieving techniques like deep breathing, visualization, and mindful meditation.
* Learn to communicate what you want and need in an assertive way. Bottling up your frustration or lashing out in anger doesn’t work — on the job or off. While it may seem scary or uncomfortable at first, as you practice communicating your needs, it will become easier.
* Work in some active “me time” into your workday. Instead of using eating as an excuse to take a break, bring your walking shoes along and hit the road instead. The quick walk will get you out of the office, let you blow off some steam, and burn calories to boot! Likewise, if you travel for your job, walk in the airport rather than pass time in the bar or food court.
* Save some energy for you. If your job often leaves you feeling too exhausted to do anything but collapse on the couch at the end of the day, something’s wrong. Remember that while giving your all at work is admirable and important, you’ve got to strike a balance that allows you some get-up-and-go during your personal time too.
* Evaluate your job satisfaction. Do you feel ownership of and satisfaction in your work? Do you feel that your job utilizes your natural talents and skills to the fullest? That it challenges you and stimulates your creativity? That it’s fulfilling? If you answered no to any of these questions, perhaps it’s time to consider a career change or other adjustments to your job situation that will help you meet these emotional needs.
A shocking 30 per cent of us suffer from allergies, whether it’s hay fever, eczema or food intolerances with resulting allergic reactions, such as bloating and rashes. Tony is one of these and as we can’t turn on and off what time of year it is and the natural progress of the seasons, I have found myself introducing an eating plan which helps the body to curb reactions and reduce symptoms, which leaves him feeling healthier and more energised, (plus he sheds a few surplus pounds too.)
I have been testing the theory that eating the right foods and, perhaps more importantly, eliminating the wrong ones, can prevent allergic reactions since before Christmas. For over a year I have had serious breathing difficulties. My visits to doctor’s saw the prescription of a variety of “puffers/inhalers” and corticosteroids which dealt well with the symptoms while I took them but did not eliminate or fix whatever was causing these problems. While I had two weeks off work over the Christmas period I explored the fact these symptoms might be eased or mended by a more diligent attention to what I ate.
Whatever the culprit, my natural defence system needed to be boosted if I was to overcome any allergy
When your immune system works effectively, it protects you from invading micro-organisms - without going into overdrive. An allergic reaction takes place when your immune system misinterprets a normally harmless substance, such as grass, cat fur or shampoo, as an invader. It responds by producing antibodies, which stimulate the release of saliva and histamine, causing inflammation and constriction of the airways. In the case of a real infection (such as flu), histamine provides vital protection for your body. However, in a false allergic reaction (such as hay fever or a food allergy), the body overreacts to a non-toxic agent, causing unnecessary inflammation and discomfort. In this case, the liver usually comes to the rescue by metabolising the histamine - but if your liver is under stress, it won’t be able to function efficiently and the allergic reaction will persist.
Allergic reactions are becoming more and more common, possibly due to an increase in environmental pollution - we’re now each exposed to about 3,000 chemicals every year. These can cause a wide range of reactions in the form of asthma, eczema, hay fever, psoriasis, tonsillitis, sinusitis, mouth ulcers, irritable bowel symptoms, period problems, bloating, fluid retention, blood sugar fluctuations, weight gain, skin rashes, joint pain, poor concentration, depression and emotional disturbances. So what can do you about it?
Onee solution lies in following a diet that encourages healthy liver and bowel function and a strong defence system, as well as weight loss and increased vitality. Certain foods can support your body and help reduce inflammation, such as flax oil, hemp oil, rapeseed oil, tahini or pulped sesame seeds, pumpkin seeds, garlic, red onions, ginger, turmeric, pineapple and low-fat bioactive plain yoghurt. However, other foods can actually trigger histamine release and should be avoided. These include the yeasts and moulds found in alcohol, bread, cheese, mushrooms, processed meats, soy sauce and vinegar.
This 14-day eating plan eliminates the foods that exacerbate the production of histamine and is rich in the foods that will boost your liver and natural defences, so helping to keep allergies at bay and leaving you feeling fresher, healthier and ready to face each day. And, as a bonus, it will help you shift up to half a stone!
For the best results, stick to these basic rules while following the diet:
● Drink at least two litres of room temperature water every day.
● Have six cups of herbal tea every day (try nettle, dandelion, chamomile, peppermint or detox tea).
● Eliminate wheat, soya, sugar, caffeine, dairy produce (except yoghurt), eggs, nuts, strawberries, soft fruit with stones (plums, peaches etc) and citrus fruit.
● Include essential oils from foods such as flax oil, fish oil, crushed seeds and tahini.
● Eat plenty of vegetables, pulses, quinoa, millet and short grain brown rice.
● Include a small portion of low-fat protein (grilled chicken, fish) at each meal.
● Exercise daily, preferably a minimum of 30 minutes of aerobic exercise.
● Include fresh herbs with lunch and dinner - they are powerhouses of nutrients.
Five key anti-allergy nutrients
● Betacarotene and vitamin A - found in cantaloupe melon, tomatoes, red peppers, carrots, spinach and oily fish.
● Vitamin C - found in broccoli, green leafy vegetables, kiwi fruit, blackcurrants, blueberries and raspberries.
● Vitamin E - found in avocados, olives, tahini, sunflower seeds and pumpkin seeds.
● Selenium - found in chicken, turkey, lentils, short grain brown rice, onions and seeds.
● Zinc - found in chicken, turkey, guinea fowl, quinoa and short grain brown rice.
Slice chicken thigh fillets into 1 inch slices and marinate in a little cornflour and chinese rice wine.
While this is happening dry roast schezwan peppers with sea salt and pound them in a mortar and pestle.
Splash oil into a wok and put in some schezwan dried chilis. Stand and watch these slowly blacken and then remove them immediately. This leaves you with a beautiful chili flavoured oil.
Put the marinated chicken thighs into this flavoured oil and the chicken will soon take on a lovely gloss. Add ginger, finely sliced and a sprinkle of sugar building layers of flavour, followed by a splash of chinese cooking wine, soy sauce ( to balance the sweetness of the sugar, some black vinegar ( sour, acidic to cut through the richness).
Then add freshly roasted peanuts for flavour and crunch, finally returning the roasted chilis and tip the whole stir fry onto a serving platter. Sprinkle with szchwan peppers and serve with steamed rice.
At the end of a Monday while waiting for Tony to finish setting up a client network and hence being absent, I decided after my workout to prepare my meals for the next few days. I have taken chicken breast ( skinless) and placed 4 x 4 ounce pieces in an oven proof baking dish with 5 chopped small tomatoes, a small chopped onions and two crushed cloves of garlic, 1 cup of sliced mushrooms, 1 cup sliced zucchini. Over this I poured a sauce made of 2 tablespoons of low sodium tomato paste diluted with 1 cup warm water. I added a crush of black pepper and a sprinkle of oregano and rosemary. I covered all this with foil and it is baking as I type in a 350 F oven for 30-40 minutes. This will give me four servings.
I have prepared three marinades; orange and garlic 9 into which I have rolled and left 4 slices of turkey breast; and indian style marinade which had some tuna pieces marinating and a lemon /cumin marinade with more chicken. These will keep well int he frige and I shall have a choice of high grade protein without much effort.
Each day I will prepare my meals for the following day.
My commitment here is nourishing myself and optimising my strength and health.
Breakfast each morning is either a three egg white omelette with asparagus or wilted spinach or a serving of my home made turkey patties with half a cup of berries.
Lunch is a serve of high grade protein with salad green and cucumber vinaigrette.
Dinner will be vegetables plus more protein and a cup of my vegetable soup ( when coolish) and a berries based lemon enhanced frappe with ice.
I am happy to share my program and any of my recipe with anyone interested.
Most New Year’s health resolutions and diets disappeared beneath a weight of meringue torte to welcome a new director. I am the sole person who chose not to put the sugary treat into myself. I have committed to this program. I made an agreement with myself for a specific reason. I matter.
It seems around an office of 22 heads that fully 12 of said heads are determined to lose weight/ tone up/do penance for Christmas and New Year over indulgence, so it tickled me to check out their individuals plans and I will monitor the motivation and progress and critique their methods and plans. You never know, I might observe something and learn something I have not seen or experienced before.
Rudi ( Accounts 3 days a week) is embarking on Atkins. So far she has trialed the foods listed to see if she might stick to it and as she loves eggs and meat it seems right up her alley. that said however her first false start was a bowl of Kelloggs Special K, which blew her carb count way out of the water.
Aga, website coordinator who is going through a marriage breakup and numerous games associated with that went through a terrible week and went several days without any food and bounced of walls. I have been reminding her to nourish herself with at least some protein based smoothies, to fuel her while she processes this sadness.
Zoe, EA, was given a gift of a bootcamp session by her beau. And they are both attending these outdoor beach based 6am sessions each morning 6 times a week for 6 weeks. And aside from aching in amazing places she is thrilled. She is being careful with what she east as well.
That is just the first sampling.
It was Leisle’s birthday today so pecan pie was on for all. I can honestly say I was the only person there who did not indulge and although i KNOW it was delicious am committed to 6 days of nourishing my body and I want to see if it works.
The CEO also is determined to melt away a few extra pounds that have crept on with all the socialising she does ( she is currently in USA doing just that!!) .
Who will stick to it?
Who will succeed?
What works?
Why are they doing this and why now?
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maggie jay