Good Lifestyle

Start your day with ahearty breakfast And make dinner plans tend to be on the daily list of most people. But then there isbreakfast. The often forgotten meal of the day that some might even go completely. It happened to the best of us where the snack between breakfast and dinner ends up being the case.

But skipping lunch is not ideal.

"Lunch is a key element of our diets constituting a third party or more of our daily food consumption, and it's the meal feeding us through the majority of our work day," saidETNT Expert in medical consulting,Dr. Brooke Scheller, DCN, CNS. "Unfortunately, with the trend of" Sad Desk Donier ", we joke on the sacred brown dishes like remnants we make back up to Tupperware, a boring sandwich, or even something we take to go from (salads of $ 16 ). But even worse is that we lead them to sit immediately at our offices to continue working.Not recognizing the importance of the break for lunch can sabotage your productivity in the afternoon and even be the cause of the nickname or stress to eat later in the day. "

For those who are lucky to have a job where they have pivoted working in an office to work from home during the pandemic,Practicing healthy lunch habits was not at the top of the list of priorities.

"Working from the house creates a new challenge in our schedules. What once felt routine-alarm at the same time, getting to work, planned breaks, etc. is now replaced by an increase in time behind The screen and less of the structure around our day and our meals, "explains Dr. Scheller."Freshly interviewed 2,000 Americans in August 2020 on how their productivity concerns and their eating habits have evolved while working from home during the pandemic. In the end, [work of the house] is not as glamorous as perceived and people want to eat healthier, nutrition often takes a back of these days. "

So, what's going on exactly when you skip lunch? And how can you break these habits? Read to discover the insight of Dr. Scheller and give you some ideas about the foods you should add to your diet, discoverThe 7 healthiest foods to eat right now.

"While lunch is often minimized by the idea that it must be fast, precipitated and thrown into our day, the fuel consumed at lunch time is extremely important to prepare for an evening of the afternoon Productive and relaxed, "said Dr. Scheller," Have you ever lived only 14 h. Trails? Tanking, Energy crash and desires to pick you up soon? (Think: Coffee, Chips, Candy.) This feeling is directly related to this that you have consumed for lunch. "

If you do not feed yourself properly at lunch, you may face a major afternoon crisis in which you can not focus on your work.

"There are several important things to consider when it comes to nutrition and productivity or concentration. Although the two do not necessarily appear, what you have eaten at breakfast, lunch and snacks Throughout the day plays a huge role in your ability to focus and focus during the day, "says Dr. Scheller.

Simply put: If you skip lunch, you might have more problems later in the evening.

"If we do not eat enough throughout the day, we tend to compensate later in the day by exceeding them during evening snacks, and there is a biochemical reason why this happens" Scheller said. "Concentrate on your meals throughout the day and you will be less likely to happen at night."

You may notice that when you ignore lunch, you eventually turn to lower options for something to look for something to eat. And this can lead to your blood glucose to be especially on the map.

"When we consume high sugar and carbohydrate foods, we tend to experience fluctuations of blood sugar that can cause fatigue, lack of concentration and make us horn (or have more sweetening fuel foods "," Dr. Scheller said. "Low blood glucose also reduces our self-control, making it more difficult to say no to these more indulgent foods."

You can avoid that from that, as long as you eat good foods.

"To fight against that, it is ideal to focus on a source of protein and / or healthy fats at each meal and at each snack," recommends Dr. Scheller. "It means to be part of your fruits with nuts, cheese,lawyer, Or otherFood rich in protein. Or including fish, chicken or even beans with lunch. This helps reduce the response of our body's blood glucose, to keep us fully and concentrated longer. "

As you want to make sure to eat a nutritious lunch to keep you focused and that your sugar level in stable blood, there is nothing wrong with nibble when hunger strikes. Once again, as long as you make the right choices!

"My general rule is that you should eat every 3-4 hours to maintain blood sugar levels. This means that for some, a small snack in the afternoon can be useful for avoiding energy decreases and productivity to pass through the afternoon, "Dr. Scheller said. "Snacks should always be focused on the incorporation of healthy proteins and fats to stabilize energy. Consume candies and high carb will probably cause a crash later in the day."

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Now it's clear that when you skip lunch, there is a good chance that you will probably finishChoose bad foods later in the day. Even if you think you are too busy working to take the time to prepare a solid lunch, this can be detrimental.

"According to a study published in theAMERICAN JOURNAL OF HEALTH BEHAVIORLong and irregular hours of work have been studied as one of the main obstacles to a healthy diet. Unsurprisingly, those who worked longer have found that they were more likely to eat, being too rushed to sit down and eat a meal, and with lower nutrient foods such as fruit and Vegetables, says Dr. Scheller. "Many nutrients are essential forSuitable brain function andenergy levels. Vitamins B, such as those found in many fruits and vegetables, dairy and protein sources, are essential to our energy production systems. Other nutrients, likeOmega 3 Fatty acids, vitamin C and vitamin D can be important for proper brain function and are important to gain through the diet. "

Now that you are aware of why you should not jump lunch, you may be wondering what are the best foods.

"The best lunch is composed of some different components: protein, healthy greases, fibers and vegetables, "Dr. Scheller explains." Remember to help roasted vegetables with chicken breast and lawyer, a large salad with green greens, salmon and an olive oil vinaigrette, or a bowl based on grains rich in fiber, vegetables and chicken. "

Need some meal ideas? Dr. Scheller has simple options so you can start your good lunch trip.

• Prepared meals: "Meals like those ofFreshly Can help support the workforce at home with a Grab-and-go option that you can eat at your desk, "she says." With most meals focusing onIngredients with high proteinAnd a generous portion of vegetables and food with a high plant, all in a controlled part, it is an excellent solution for a healthy lunch on lunch without the work of preparation. The meals are fresh (never frozen) and everything you need is a microwave and a fork for lunch in 3 minutes. "
• Unique lunches: "I am a big fan of the method" define it and forgetting ", likethe pan. Corna sheet of sheet Lunch can be a great way to get your protein and vegetable fill without having to stand on the hob, "she suggests." Preheat the oven to 400 degrees and fill a saucepan with a chicken breast or a fish and a range of vegetables (I love to make sweet potatoes and Brussels sprouts), mix with olive oil and Spices, and roasted for about 30 minutes. Configure it before taking your break for lunch, so you have time to grab an outdoor walk before returning to the computer. "
• Chopped salad"Cut everything in advance at night before or above the weekend, so you can simply launch together, add proteins and garnish with vinaigrette," she says. "Alternatively, you can buy pre-chopped salad mixtures to save more time. My favorite is a fast cloakroom of olive oil, apple cider vinegar, a hint of mustard, from salt and pepper of Dijon. "

All you have to do is a minor planning! Take a break from your work for a little bit to stretch your legs and eat a good lunch is overall good for your health. It's much easier than you will not think of avoiding jumping lunch, according to Dr. Scheller's suggestions.

• Breaks schedule: "Block an hour of lunch (or at least 30 minutes) on your work schedule every day. Without that, you can often find yourself with a day full of back meetings that simply leaves you on zero time for a lunch Break, "she says. "Even if it just moves in your kitchen or dining room table, sitting outside, something out of your work area that requires you to disconnect and pause."
• Have a match plan"That it may have meals prepared in advance that is ready to eat or have quick meals and easy to assemble, it will leave you without excuses to jump the lunch," she says. "The less time you spend time preparing during your breakfast itself, the more time you will for yourself. I recommend using an extra time to take an outdoor walk, do a session D fast online training, or even meditation. Outdoor exposureIncreases positivity and improves well-being and can even increase job satisfaction. "