Throughout the last year, we have highlighted the importance of healthy habits. We want to promote a more active, productive, and effective way of life to achieve much-appreciated well-being.
The three highlighted backbones of healthy habits are physical activity, nutrition, and well-rest. We cannot understand any of them separately; each complements the others.
Today we will focus on food and, specifically, on how to prepare a good meal. It is crucial to notice what you eat, as it will affect your development for the rest of the day. Having this in mind is useful for those with a split working schedule.
It is evident that at the end of the working day we do not have the freshness of the beginning. Feeling more tired is common. Nonetheless, some meals alleviate these symptoms of tiredness and increase the productive and enjoyable time at work.
After eating, the body performs digestion automatically. To do this, it concentrates a good amount of energy in the digestive system, so the energy is removed from the rest of the vital functions. If we have eaten a heavy meal that requires long and costly digestion, the rest of our functions will be affected: it will be difficult for us to concentrate, we will feel drowsy, and we will feel more tired than usual.
On the other hand, if we do not give the body the necessary energy, we will not feel strong enough to carry out the rest of the day.
Therefore, what we need is to find the balance.
Every meal must be complete and balanced, which does not mean copious. There is a receipt of the aliments we should cook to have the necessary balance to obtain the needed energy. We must prepare a dish that contains carbohydrates (pasta, rice, potato, sweet potato, legumes, cereals – always better whole grains – etc.); protein, whether of animal origin or vegetable (meat, fish, eggs, legumes – which are halfway between carbohydrates and protein – soy, etc.), and fruits or vegetables.
Increasingly, what is called "the spread plate technique" is being used, which is very graphic and helps to maintain a good balance between nutrients and quantities:
We must imagine a plate that is divided through the middle. One part is filled with vegetables and/or greens. Then, we split the other half into two parts and fill one with carbohydrates and the other with protein. YOU CAN DOWNLOAD A GRAPHIC EXAMPLE AT THE END OF THE ARTICLE.
If our work is very active, we can exchange the number of carbohydrates for vegetables: half a plate with carbohydrates, a quarter with vegetables, and the other quarter with protein.
It is also crucial to avoid heavy sauces or cooking methods such as frying, stews, etc. Everything that makes digestion difficult will work against us when it comes to having a productive and pleasant second part of the day.
Therefore, we opt for raw salads, steamed grilled or grilled vegetables. Other options are grilled proteins, carbohydrates with few sauces, and a touch of olive oil and spices.
If we prepare the lunch box ourselves, it will always be easier to control what and how we cook it. If we have to go to the menu or a work meal, we will always find lighter options that help us.
Bon Appetite!
