On the Road to Healthy Living

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Everyone can make small changes
Radical solutions rarely work – period. When people start out making positive lifestyle changes, they often tend to be overconfident. That’s not altogether their fault. Most commercial diets promise quick fixes. There is no shortage of stories about miraculous weight loss- and fitness successes over night and without deprivation, pain or effort. We all know that such things never happen. But it still sounds good.

For a more realistic approach, I invite you to make a number of small changes that you can easily incorporate into your existing daily routines. On the surface, you won’t see dramatic differences from the lifestyle patterns I described earlier. However, I guarantee you that making these small changes will add up and eventually produce significant results. Getting there may take longer and the process may not be as sexy as what you see on TV. But the approach works and, more importantly, the results last.

A new day
I once read in an old issue of The Farmers Almanac: “Never work before breakfast, unless you have to. In that case, eat something right away.” Although very few of us still follow the hearty lifestyle of farm folk, it is still good advice.

Don’t underestimate the importance of eating a healthy breakfast every day, especially when you’re trying to lose weight. If your last meal was dinner and you have been fasting for 10 or more hours, your energy level will be at its lowest. While there might not be enough time to prepare an elaborate dish, you can have a quick but nutritious breakfast that you know how to make even half asleep. Be sure that it contains a balance of protein, whole grains, vegetables and fruit.  If you like something warm in the morning, particularly when it’s cold or wet outside, heat up a cup of the soup you made the night before, but preferably not a creamy one.

Cut back on the “office supplies.” Coffee, pastries, cheese, fruit and sweets may be staples at your staff meetings, but that doesn’t mean you have to fall for them every time. If individual preferences are considered, you can request mini whole-wheat bagels (instead of the “monster tires”), nonfat yogurt, and fresh fruit. Perhaps you may even bring your own snacks, such as fruit or vegetable sticks with a little low-fat cream cheese. Watch what goes into your coffee. Three or four cups with creamer and sugar add up quickly. Since caffeine is a diuretic, make sure you stay hydrated by drinking sufficient amounts of water.

Lunch is an important event, not only for business and social life but also from a nutritional point of view. The human metabolism is at its fastest in the morning, slows down in the afternoon and comes to its lowest level at night. The earlier you eat in the day, the faster the food gets metabolized. That’s why they taught you as a kid to “eat breakfast like a king, lunch like a noble man and dinner like a pauper.”

Unfortunately, most people have a daytime schedule that doesn’t allow for long lunch breaks. Moreover, lunch is often a part of work. To balance both, it is crucial that you find ways to satisfy your nutritional needs and be able to retain enough energy to function.

I begin many of my corporate seminars with the slogan: “The first order of business is your health.” When you go to a lunch meeting or on an overnight trip, try to deviate from your dietary routine as little as possible. If your body is used to salads and vegetables, don’t switch to heavier foods just because you feel it is expected or will impress your clients. In fact, someone may notice that you pay attention to details, starting with your own health.

If you feel worn out later in the day, it is often a sign of low blood sugar, which can happen because you either ate too little or too much. Fruit is a natural source of sugar and a much better one than candy and chocolates. Plus it gives you the benefits from fiber, vitamins, minerals and important plant chemicals. A piece of green fruit (apple, pear, grapes, kiwi) orred fruit (strawberries, raspberries, plums, cherries) can get you through the dry spell and keep your fingers out of the cookie jar. Be careful, however, before you indulge in highly concentrated fruit juices and smoothies. They can easily become too much of a good thing.

If you work in an office, you probably have little physical activity throughout the day. After hours is the perfect time for working out at a gym, hiking, bicycling, swimming or whatever your game may be. The important thing is to give your body its dues. Exercise also reduces your mental stress. If you are not a self-starter, team up with your family or a group of friends to keep yourself motivated.

A lot of diet resolutions collapse when it comes to restaurant food. Admittedly, you don’t know what is going on behind the kitchen door. If possible, ask how the food is prepared. Read menus carefully. It does not hurt to request some special treatment, such as asking that no salt and oil is used or that salad dressings are served on the side. Most chefs will happily accommodate your wishes.

Be aware that restaurant food often comes in large portions and sometimes way beyond what is appropriate for one person. When that is the case, try to resist the temptation to clean your plate. In most eateries, it is acceptable to have leftovers packed up for you to take home. If not, leave the excess food behind. It is never a good idea to get sick and sabotage your diet just to get your money’s worth.

A little knowledge goes a long way
You may find it hard to believe that making these changes can be so easy. Perhaps you have tried in the past to quit smoking, manage your weight, or stick to a regular exercise routine, only to see your efforts fail. Now you’re too discouraged to try again, believing that you cannot muster enough willpower to make it work.

There can be plenty of reasons for failure. Lack of motivation may be one of them. However, stress at work, marital problems, financial concerns, loneliness or the death of a loved one usually plays a much bigger role. I have counseled many individuals who exhibited dysfunctional and self-destructive behavior patterns caused by psychological trauma. The majority of people, however, are plainly oblivious to the negative consequences of their actions. They realize that something is wrong only when their clothes don’t fit them anymore or when they get quickly out of breath. By then the damage is done.

Still, it can be hard to identify the specific source of the problem. It is not enough to blame it all on excessive food consumption or other addictions. All habits, good or bad, are formed over long periods of time and for multiple reasons. Understanding at least some of these can be a first great step in the right direction.

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