Five nutrition tips for working from home

While a healthy lifestyle (involving swimming!) and healthy eating go hand-in-hand, sometimes it can be hard to stay on top of both.

It can be particularly difficult when our routines are changed, for example when we’re having to work from home for long periods of time.

British Swimming performance nutritionist Richard Chessor has provided five nutrition tips for us all help stay healthy while working from home.

Five nutrition tips for working from home

  1. Control your environment
    Our environment is a major driver of our behaviour. If you find yourself regularly reaching for the biscuit jar, then move it out of sight in the kitchen and bring the fruit bowl to the front. Consider taking some fruit to your desk so it’s the easiest thing to reach for when you need a snack.
  2. Don’t forget to drink
    We often mistake thirst for hunger so get your water bottle filled at the start of the day and have it with you at your work station. This is particularly important in the afternoon and late in the evening when we can often go longer periods without drinking.
  3. Break the cycle
    Consider this time an opportunity to break from your normal eating routine, particularly breakfast. Often we eat breakfast shortly after waking, despite not feeling particularly hungry and maybe because we have been frequently told “breakfast is the most important meal of the day”. But during a time of reduced activity, why not consider a delayed breakfast? Perhaps a cup of tea or coffee in the morning and some light physical activity before a mid-morning breakfast, extending your overnight fast. This form of ‘time-restricted feeding’ can be very useful for controlling your overall energy intake and developing more sensitivity to your hunger cues.
  4. Move before you eat
    Following exercise, our body is in a more receptive state to some of the nutrients in our food (particularly carbohydrates), so consider a brisk walk before lunch or a cardio session before dinner to maximise the efficiency of our metabolism.
  5. Get creative
    With more time on our hands, it’s a perfect opportunity to upskill yourself in the kitchen. So ditch any freezer meals and try cooking a meal from scratch. Challenge yourself to a new recipe every few days or think of a way to replace your favourite meal out or takeaway with a homemade alternative. There are also plenty of live cook-along shows on Instagram and YouTube so if you are short on kitchen confidence you can walk through a dish step-by-step with a top chef!
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