Food is something that we eat, which nourishes our bodies to carry out our daily activities smoothly. We often hear these sayings that we are what we eat, and health is wealth, etc. But do we follow these mottos in our daily life? Food and a healthy lifestyle are interconnected. The food we eat mainly depends upon the lives we lead. Food as fuel boosts our body’s immunity and keeps it ready to fight any foreign agents causing harm.
Good food is fuel; eat to live.
If someone leads a sedentary lifestyle, it means the person goes to work in the office, has meals on time, continues working, and goes home without any form of exercise. And it’s not like we would eat healthy food while we are outside our homes anyway, right? We are likely to eat unhealthy food because it is easy and faster to digest, and we usually find restaurants or fast food centers near our schools, colleges, and workplaces.
Since we are tempted to have fast food because it’s more delicious than homemade food, we wouldn’t hesitate and indulge in eating a packet of chips or burgers with some fries or some dessert-like chocolates even if we have a healthy and home-cooked meal.
Sedentary Lifestyle And Its Impact
A sedentary lifestyle is a lifestyle where most time is spent working or spending time sitting at one place and not engaging in exercise. There could be many reasons: increased workload; increased stress. It could be the current scenario that includes attending online lectures and doing assignments. It could be spending excessive time watching TV or using the mobile or playing video games.
Besides a sedentary lifestyle, stress is another factor that influences our choice of food. When we are stressed, the brain releases hormones called cortisol and ghrelin; cortisol prepares the body for a fight or flight response, and ghrelin is the hormone that influences hunger. When ghrelin releases in excessive amounts, it increases hunger.
Since we are desperate to curb hunger, we eat whatever is there in the kitchen pantry. It includes sugary biscuits, salted peanuts, wafers, and readymade foods like readymade noodles, sugary and aerated drinks. The list of unhealthy food goes on. We are stressed most of the time, and we resort to eating to calm ourselves down. It is known as emotional eating, and this is quite common nowadays.
Food As Fuel
Our body is like a machine that carries out activities daily. From where do we get the strength to do daily activities? It is from food that acts as fuel to our body. If we eat healthy food, we perform many activities at a time without feeling lethargic. Just the way we give fuel to a car or a vehicle so that it runs smoothly, in the same way, we have to make sure that the food that we eat acts as a helpful fuel for our body.
Consume fruits after lunch or dinner or whenever you have a craving for sweets. If having fruits isn’t possible, it’s all right, because there are dried fruits. Some of the dried fruits are dates, dried apricots, prunes, dried cranberries. Dried fruits may not have the same amount of nutritional value as fruits in their original form, but dried fruits are way healthier than eating chocolates or other unhealthy foods.
Another advantage of having fruits is the fact that they are easily digestible. So, if you have them for breakfast or as a mid-morning snack, or in the evenings, fruits will be digested quickly, giving healthy energy for our daily activities.
Besides fruits, we can also have nuts like almonds, walnuts, pistachios, cashews, and other nuts-rich and hearty protein sources. If changing our diet entirely seems challenging, start small by adding nuts to our diet, by adding them in our breakfast. For example, adding almonds to muesli.
Productivity-boosting foods also provide the necessary nutrients for our body’s needs. Our body needs essential nutrients, such as fat, protein, carbohydrates, and vitamins, to function correctly. So, it’s important to eat nutrient-rich foods to bring out our productive best.
Foods For A Productive Day
Below are some foods that are the fuel on long productive days:
- Eggs are an excellent way to start our day for several reasons. Egg yolk contains choline, a fat-like B-vitamin that supports energy levels, brain development, and nerve function.
- Many whole grains like brown rice help you stay mentally alert throughout the day. Unlike refined carbs like white bread and white rice, whole grains provide nutrients and sustainable energy.
- A banana is a healthier choice to increase the glucose intake that our body needs. It’s also a great snack that helps prevent any hunger pains until your next meal, leaving you focused on your work.
- Fruits and vegetables offer a tremendous amount of vital nutrients and antioxidants. They promote brain function by enhancing your mood and improving memory.
- Dark chocolate, spinach, salmon, nuts like almonds and walnuts, and avocado are healthy options for nourishing our bodies and minds.
Conclusion
Change doesn’t happen overnight! Don’t expect it to be quick for great things in life take time, and that’s what makes the difference worth it. We don’t have to make significant changes, but we can start by trying and following an easy and healthy diet. Food is fuel, no doubt about it. But we should choose the fuel that nourishes us, not depletes our energy. If we want the world to change, we should change our habits, especially eating habits. Let’s be the change that we want to see in this world, and the time starts now.
Nice write up.
Keep it up