Busy People are Healthy Too!

"If you want to get something done give it to a busy person"

-Anonymous

Busy people get more done!  Why? Because they have better time management skills, they find ways to fit more into their schedule.  So...if you are busy and that is your excuse for poor health I'm here to tell you-THAT'S EXACTLY WHY YOU SHOULD BE HEALTHY!  You need energy and you need to be well, after all-you're busy, you don't have time to be sick, injured or sluggish because you're not eating well, exercising or taking some down time for your mental health.

My best friend Kate is in her busy time of year at her job and asked me to put together some ideas for how to eat well and workout efficiently around a busy schedule.  And when I say busy I mean days that start at 7am and end at 10-11pm sometimes.  As I gathered my thoughts I realized I could write a whole book on this subject so this will be the first in a series of posts to address this topic.

THIS WEEKS TIPS:

DIET

*Please eat breakfast.  I get it, I was a busy District Manager like Kate in my past life.  I know that extra 15 minutes of sleep instead of eating breakfast seems like a good choice but it's really not.

The benefits:

-get your metabolism up and running

-give your body what it needs to function at a high level, fuel!  You wouldn't leave for a road trip without filling up your gas tank would you?  Think of your stomach as your gas tank :)

-You won't be starving at lunch time which will prevent you from over-eating

Suggestions:

-whole wheat english muffin with almond butter (or any other nut butter just make sure you aren't using Jiffy and you pick something organic and raw)

-egg whites in a wheat wrap, on wheat toast, or on their own and a piece of fruit or a bowl of oatmeal

-oatmeal with some kind of nut butter or nuts mixed in (fruit is also an option for more flavor)

-cottage cheese and fruit (I suggest peaches, strawberries or pineapple...yum!)

-hard-boiled eggs, fruit, toast or an english muffin

-protein shake

-protein bar

(be careful with these last two that they're not overloaded with sugar)

You get the idea...a quick, balanced breakfast that has some protein, fat and carbs in it to get your metabolism up and running and give you some energy to get your day started.

*bonus tip: I can't take credit for this, another trainer mentioned it in conversation the other day but it's worth sharing.  In terms of eating-try to stick to things that are either produced from the earth or were once living.  Pretty much do your best to avoid foods manufactured and processed by man.

EXERCISE

If you work 10-12 hours a day how can you possibly find time for exercise?  I'll show you...

1.Pick a goal-how many days a week can you commit to exercising? (it can vary depending on the week)

ex: my goal is 3 days/wk

2. Sit down on Sunday night with your calendar/planner/ whatever you use to keep track of your daily activities and find 3 time slots of 30-90 minutes for exercise.  When you write them in consider them etched in stone!

-Think outside of the box on this one, the morning and the evening are not the only times of day when you can workout.  what about lunchtime? if you have a flexible schedule or have time between functions at work why not skip out for a workout and head back to the office later?

*bonus tip, why not pick a 4th time slot as a back up? this way if you have to skip one you still got in your 3...and say you make it to all 4-you surpassed your goal, yesssss!

3. Plan what you will do for each workout-this will save you time during your busy week-you won't even have to think-just do!  Have you ever heard someone say "fail to plan, plan to fail"? It's a true statement.

4. FOLLOW THE PLAN! It's easy and sometimes fun to make a plan, the crucial part is having the discipline to follow it.  

MENTAL HEALTH

It's easy to get caught up in a busy schedule and forget how important it is to take some time to yourself.  Do you have a journal? do you meditate or pray? what do you do to calm your mind and reflect throughout the course of the week?

Suggestions:

*Journal...I like to write down goals, steps I need to take to reach them, things in my life that I appreciate (always a good practice to focus on what you have and what's going well vs. what you don't have and what's not going well), how I feel, what I can do to feel better, when I read I write down quotes or thoughts I like in my journal...the options for what you can express in a private journal for no one's eyes but your own are endless and very comforting/helpful

*Spend some quality time with yourself...take a bath, go for a walk, watch a movie, make a solo shopping trip to the grocery store or the mall...etc.  Many of our lives involve constantly being surrounded by people-there's nothing wrong or selfish about finding some time for just you! (this is something else you can put into your schedule when you're planning your workout times on Sunday night :) )

As always, I'd love your questions, comments and feedback.

You're always welcome to reach out to me personally at elizabeth.dialto@gmail.com if you don't want your questions on the blog for everyone to see.

In Fitness and In Health,

Liz