One of the biggest perceived challenges people I speak to have to their overall wellness is time. When I surveyed city employees, most people responded that lack of time either had a moderate or severe impact on their health. I can understand that, although each of us has the same amount of time in the day. So what’s the difference in one person’s life that eats clean and trains consistently? I think it comes down to having a plan and managing your time.
I get the same response from people about their eating. They say they don’t have time to pack a lunch or prepare a healthy dinner because of work, running kids around, and other obligations. What you eat is the single most significant thing that will impact your overall health and your gene expression (how the genes you are born with express themselves- such as disease vs. health, weight, shape, lifespan).
Here are some tips that help me manage my time and food prep.
• PLAN, plan, plan. Most people that say they don’t have the time for eating clean, don’t actually have a meal plan. They have a vague idea that they “want to eat healthy,” or “want to lose weight.”
o You need to write out (or print out) what your general meal plan will be so you know ahead of time what you will be eating. If you are able, meeting with a dietician can be a great idea.
o You can also find recipes and meal plan ideas on my website at: www.lizjones.co, or go to the American Diabetes Association website http://www.diabetes.org/mfa-recipes/meal-plans/meal-plans.html, which has an amazing resource for a lot of different meal plans. You don’t have to be diabetic to benefit from their free resource.
o Body for Life, Tosca Reno.com, and the Engine 2 Diet are also books and websites that are among my favorites for meal plan ideas. Your individual meal plan will depend on your own preferences, food sensitivities, goals and resources.
• Cook ahead of time. I usually use Sundays as my food prep day. Most weeks we cook chicken breasts or make shredded chicken in a crockpot that we can use in our recipes throughout the week. We boil a dozen eggs and even peel them and store them in a ziplock bag so they are grab and go either as a quick breakfast or lunch, or to pack in my cooler as I head out for work. We have a large container of mixed greens that we can always throw in a bowl and add to. We have baby carrots, sugar snap peas ready to eat in containers. We keep nuts out on the counter. We always have apples and bananas that are ready to go.
• Shop for health and ease. I keep a running grocery list of anything we need to restock that we use on a regular basis. Keep your list as you get low on items rather than trying to figure out what you need when you have to go to the store or worse yet, as you are walking through the store.
• Have 3-5 favorite meals that you have for dinner that can be your healthy, easy go-to.
• Keep healthy foods in sight. It drives me crazy when I walk around a worksite and see donuts, cupcakes, candy dishes, garbage vending machines. Keep healthy snacks such as fruits, nuts, teas (AND YOUR WATER) all in site at home and work. I even keep the vitamins that I want others to take each day out on the counter so that they are not forgotten.
Feel free to email me at [email protected] with your wellness questions.
Liz Jones is the Wellness Coordinator for the City of Mesquite and a wellness professional in Rockwall, Mesquite, Wylie and surrounding areas. She is a writer, certified yoga instructor, personal trainer and wellness coach. She holds a Master’s Degree in Organizational Leadership and Strategic Management, with a graduate certificate in Ethics and Leadership. Her undergraduate studies included communication, business, writing, art, fitness, and dance. Liz Jones can be reached at: [email protected].