Many of us are trapped in the busy city or even suburban life, where time is tight, everything is rushed and there is little to no time for you to give your body all the essential nutrients it needs.
Having lived in London and other large city’s I can relate, I hope you can too , but it doesn’t have to be an unhealthy.
Without a doubt, daily life-induced stress, combined with malnutrition can lead to a serious downfall in performance, both mental and physical.
This daily life-induced stress inevitably leads to burnouts and one of my best steps to avoid or overcome this, is for you to learn how to feed your body correctly on a day to day basis.
Is Nutrition Really Everything?
Now, nutrition isn’t really everything there is to managing stress from daily life, but it can be a powerful tool to do so for a couple of reasons.
First off, food is not just nutrients.
Though the common belief about food nowadays is mainly related to the caloric and macronutrient content, that is not all there is to nutrition.
Besides being the body’s fuel for performance and recovery, nutrition is a form of art, enjoyment and pleasure.
As a side note I personally label nutrition as ‘food’, after all that’s what we eat, you can find more insight on this and some great recipes on my other site sleepeatexercise.com. Now…
Thinking in this way can bring about a more relaxed, content state of mind which will have a positive impact on your perception of daily-life stress.
So how can you take care of your nutrition consistently, without having to spend countless hours in the kitchen, or all your money on ordered food?
Read my best practices below, they’ll give you insight on easy, seamless, efficient meal-prep that you can use on a busy schedule!
#1 Pick Food Sources
Nutrition isn’t all that hard and its main purpose is to give the body all the essential nutrient it needs to sustain optimal functioning of all bodily systems and processes.
The two essential nutrients for the body are protein and fats, as they play major roles in all internal processes.
Besides protein and fats, you have carbohydrates, which are not essential, but are very good to consume, especially if you are mentally and physically active.
Here’s a short list of whole foods that are easily accessible, which you can place at the core of your daily menu:
- Beef
- Pork
- Dairy products
- Eggs
- Sweet potatoes
- Potatoes
- White/brown rice
- Broccoli
- Carrots
- Kiwis
- Bananas
- Mangoes
- Coconuts
- Oats
#2 Cook in Bulk!
If you are looking to save as much time as possible and be efficient with your nutrition and food budget, cooking your own food is your best bet.
I’ve been cooking all my own food for the last 25 year’s, even when traveling or working 16 hour days. Believe me If I can do it you can too. And it was a process by the way, it still is a process.
Having recently relocated to Norway I’ve had to adapt and find new ways that work for me in my new situation. But these 3 principles are keys to stay successful.
So to catch up with a busy schedule, you have to think ahead of time and prepare your food for the next couple of days, a whole would be better.
Preparing your main products in bigger amounts (meats, grains and potatoes) is your best bet, and you can then use those as core products for different meals, where you add side foods such as vegetables, sauces and other side products which can enrich the meal.
#3 Pack It Up!
Once you’ve established the core products of your daily menu and cooked them, all you have to do is pack them up and put them in the fridge for later use.
Whenever you’re going out and about, all you need to do is take a food box with you and then, you can consume that any time, anywhere, without having to order food.
Home-cooked food is the best and least expensive option! It’s also safer as you have washed, cooked and handled the food yourself. So you know it’s fresh and with less likelihood of becoming ill.
Don’t Forget Though
In the beginning, preparing your own food may seem time-consuming, especially if you are not used to cooking.
However, once you establish a concrete system, cooking all your food for the week will take just a couple of cooking sessions.
This in turn will save you time, money and on top of that, will allow you to consistently provide your body with all the essential nutrients that it needs.
And so, are you ready to make a change for the better?
If need some help getting started remember I can be in your kitchen via zoom anytime – just contact me.
Looking for more skills and knowledge about food and cooking? Visit sleepeatexercise.com.
