Often we often spend more time at work than at home. It is important therefore to support ourselves and our commitment to healthy eating, even at work.
Take a moment and think about your staff room at work. Think about what is on the shelves, in the cupboards, or the fridge. When you are stressed, busy and reaching for something to drink or eat, what do you find? Healthy, whole foods and beverages that give you sustained energy and vitality or sweetened, refined processed foods that stress you more.
Many workplace staffrooms need a makeover. The foods and beverages stuffed in the refrigerator and falling off side counters often aren’t really foods – they are collections of ingredients with lots of additives, trans fats, simple carbs and sweeteners. They are processed, refined foods loaded with anti-nutrients – chemicals that actually make it harder for your body to absorb nutrient and cause cellular inflammation which is linked to premature aging and disease.
The staffroom is a perfect place to either support – or sabotage your efforts. A little planning and preparation will make all the difference. So, let’s get started and do a staffroom makeover.
There is no doubt that healthy eating takes some initial planning and preparation, but once you have a few things in place, it will be easier to eat well most of the time. Of course on special occasions, there is nothing wrong with celebrating with a cake or chocolate or lovely baked cookies. But choose quality over quantity – a small piece of something wonderful.
Health is a resource – energy to do all the things you really want to do. Like getting through the day with some energy and vitality – and having some left to exercise and connect with friends and family. If you feel lethargic after eating – you are not getting the right balance of foods for your body. If you are skipping lunch – you are stressing your kidneys, setting your body up for impaired glucose intolerance and mood swings.
Staff Room Supply Makeover
|
Out with the Old |
Reason |
New Supplies |
| White refined sugar
Artificial sweeteners |
Overly refined with toxic residues and no nutrients Artificial chemicals with no health benefits | Organic unrefined fair trade sugar Honey Stevia powder |
| Coffee whitener | Contain hydrogenated fats, artificial colour/flavour which is linked to premature aging/disease | Real milk, soy, rice beverage (fresh, tetra pack or canned) |
| Flavoured coffee mixes | Contains hydrogenated fats, artificial colour/flavour which is linked to premature aging/disease | Herbal tea, white tea, green tea, rooibos tea, organic fair trade coffee |
| Plastic water bottles | Chemicals in the plastic leach into the water | Stainless steel water bottles, mugs, glasses |
| Candy, cookies, pop, white flour | Refined sugar, high fructose corn syrup, artificial ingredient’s, refined white flour all contribute to cellular inflammation that is linked to premature aging and disease | Fresh fruit, dried fruit, raw veggies, protein bars, protein powder, nuts, seeds, nut butters, seed butters, tinned fish (mackerel, sardines, salmon) |
