What you eat, everything from your meals to snacks, can have a huge effect on how your day goes. Here are some tips from Men’s Health Magazine to eat and sip your way to a successful day!
Breakfast
Eat This: Bacon or ham and fried eggs (Protein that will leave you feeling satisfied)
Benefit 1: Fullness and energy
Benefit 2: Relaxed blood vessel (i.e. lower blood pressure)
Not That: Pancakes, or a bagel with cream cheese
These carbohydrate-loaded options will send your blood glucose skyward and then crash! Leaving you hungry too soon.
Extra tip: Eat now at home, not later on the road.
A University of Massachusetts study found that eating breakfast out instead of at home more than doubles your odds of obesity.
Dealing with Stress:
Try This: Chewing gum
Benefit: Stress relief
Not That: Coffee
Caffeine can trigger a spike in the stress hormone cortisol.
Having Trouble Concentrating at Work
Drink This: Peppermint tea
Periodic whiffs of peppermint increase people’s concentration and performance on tasks requiring sustained attention.
Not That: Soda
Sugary drinks have proven to make people drowsy
Lunchtime
Eat This: Grilled salmon
Benefit: Alertness
Add This: Spinach or arugula salad
Benefit: Improved mood and memory
Not That: Tea with milk (Mixing milk (protein) with tea cancels out the health benefits)
Continue to complete your perfect day of eating menu.
It may sound too good to be true, but it isn’t. There are so many things that we can change in our day to easily get in more exercise. With a few simple moves, you can burn more calories, improve strength and flexibility, and get healthier all day long.
Here are some ideas from Shape.com
At work
-Window-shop at lunch. Brown-bag a healthy lunch, and spend the time you would’ve spent waiting to be served at a restaurant window-shopping or running errands instead.
-Stretch. Hamstring muscles get especially tight while sitting at your desk, and can lead to lower backache. Do this hamstring stretch: Stand, bend your right knee and shift your weight as if to sit back, straightening your left leg, heel on the ground, and lifting your toes. Hold for 20 seconds; switch legs.
At home
-Clean your home. If a grungy floor doesn’t move you to do some weekend cleaning, maybe this will: You’ll burn about 215 calories* cleaning (vacuuming, mopping, etc.) for just an hour.
-Go for a sunset stroll. Walk off some of your dinner: Even a leisurely, 30-minute walk burns approximately 140 calories.
On the commute
-Pump your own gas. Forget full service. Get out of the car to pay, pump and wash your windows down.
Continue for more great ideas!
Calories can be tricky and they add up very quickly! You can sweat for hours to lose calories that you will add right back on when you reach for the candy in your purse. The good news is that when you know what you’re eating you can avoid the bad and enjoy the good.
Here are some great and easy ways to cut extra calories from your meals and snacks without cutting out food.
Breakfast:
Ditch the Pop-Tart for a slice of high-fiber toast with strawberry jam.
Gotta have carbs? Split a bagel with a coworker.
Drink your two cups of joe black. Or order a single espresso instead of your usual latte.
Lunch:
Leave the Swiss cheese out of your sandwich.
Slather your bread with mustard rather than mayo and save 80 calories per tablespoon.
Pass up croutons at the salad bar.
At the Drive-Thru:
Pass up a Wendy’s baked potato with sour cream and chives and chow down on value fries instead. Amazing but true.
Have a McDonald’s cheeseburger instead of a Quarter Pounder with cheese.
Downsize your drink: Trade a large fountain soda (with ice) for a medium.
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