Just How Busy Are You?

A friend of mine, a pretty smart and knowledgeable fella too (check him out here to see what I mean) , posted a note on Facebook the other day highlighting something, that as a fitness instructor and coach I preach like a scratched record to clients and friends. That is, having a busy lifestyle is no excuse not to eat healthily. He offered tips for the 'busy' lifestyle and though all aspects are applicable to any one, male or female, I am going to make this specific to the 'busy' woman.

Unlike the days of yesteryear when women were primary caregivers and housewives, today's modern woman is challenging the proverbial glass ceiling, to create a brand new standard, that of being more than wives and mothers. Today's woman is a career woman, from prime minister to small business entrepreneur, and she is a woman on the go. Whether by force or choice however, the drive to succeed and survive by today's modern woman often comes at a cost. In many cases, finding the time to exercise coupled with sensible eating habits are two such costs, much to our own detriment. 

The alarming increase in obesity rates in Jamaica is the result of more and more women becoming at risk of hypertension and diabetes, conditions that if not controlled can lead to heart attacks and strokes. And all caused by very busy lifestyles. In the case of the career mom, often times 'junk/fast food' finds its way onto the dinner table, and even into kid's lunch boxes! This can't be good right? Certainly not! 

So how then do we reverse and slow this down? It starts with us applying even just a small fraction of the same effort we put into planning our 'work' week, to our daily nutrition and physical activity and to that of our families. As a former corporate busy-bee, I made the commitment a few years go to make changes, and though difficult at first, they eventually became lifestyle habits; ones that have lead to benefits far beyond even my own simple expectation at the time of having a 'flat tummy'.

So how do you balance work and healthy nutrition? Preparation is key. Not the slaving-over-the-stove-for-hours kind of preparation, but the in-advance-work-smarter-not-harder kind of preparation. I’m talking about the kind of preparation that will save you not only time, but money in your pocket and the inches off your waistline as well. 

1. First things first, clean out your pantry, fridge and freezer of all things junk and highly processed foods. NOT by eating it. Give it away to the homeless or your neighbours, it doesn't matter so long as you get rid of them. Replace with healthy foods such as nuts, seeds, fruit, vegetables, herbs and seasonings, water, fresh eggs, lean meats and seafood. The lesson here is, if you keep clean foods in your home, you will do nothing but eat clean foods.
2. Choose a day out of the week, I like Sunday where most people don't go to work, and prepare and cook batches of meat, vegetables and fruits. Roast or bake meat and veggies all at once to save time and effort. Divide meals, including fruits, nuts & seeds and salads into individual ziploc containers or bags, then store in fridge or freeze. Defrost overnight for the next day. That's lunch for you, and your kids, for the week! And the lesson here is cook once, eat many times.
3. Prepare breakfast the night before to grab and go the next morning. Boil eggs or make scramble egg batter then store in fridge overnight. Next morning, pour in a hot skillet, mix and voila! Prefer a shake or smoothie? Then prep the dry ingredients like oats, cinnamon, protein powder in a container or a portable shaker/mixer and in the morning, add fruits and milk or liquid shake/blend and go. 
4. Always keep on hand, in your handbag, desk drawer, gym bag and even your glove compartment, ziplock bags of nuts and seeds, extra protein powder, bottled water, low-calorie sweetener for those times when your next meal is further than you planned. This is your backup plan.
5. No pre-packed lunch? Forget Fast food! Make your own deconstructed salad/lunch using items from the nearest supermarket, but only if it has these healthy options. Rotisserie chicken and pre-packaged salad mixes are sold in most supermarkets and is a quick way to get a healthy meal. No supermarket? Use one of the pop up 'healthy food/catering shops' that do lunches to order ensuring you ask for a preview of their menu and how accommodating they will be to your specific 'healthy' preferences.
6. Business/client meeting at a restaurant? Order any salads sans dressing or on the side. Order meats/seafood off the grill rather than sauce/cream laden entrees and request your veggies and tubers like sweet potato/yams roasted or steamed. What about drink? Order water or tonic water with a twist of lime/lemon juice rather than the blended fruit juices or sodas.
7. Tell others of your efforts to eat healthy and ask them to help you stay accountable. In doing so, they will strive to help your efforts by removing the unhealthy treats out of your way and even start doing the same for themselves. Make it an office or team effort and make a difference. You'll be glad you did.

This is by no means an exhaustive list, but it is a very simple one that any busy woman can utilize when needing to get a handle on eating well. It really only requires a little planning and is, dare I say, no different, yet probably easier, than trying to plan ahead how you are going to maneuver your way through rush hour traffic. So make the commitment, and as you go along, being busy will no longer stand in the way of eating healthy and living well.