HEALTHY EATING TIPS: NOURISHING YOUR BODY EVEN WHEN YOU ARE BUSY

Written By: Vivian Benjamin

Eating Behaviour in Modern Times
Presently, poor diet and sedentary lifestyle are the primary risk factors for obesity and non-communicable diseases such as diabetes, cardiovascular disease and cancer around the world. Consuming highly processed food and the use of excessive salt and sugar intake has all contributed to millions of death yearly. Initially, non-communicable diseases have only been happening at a later stage in life, however; young adults are now contracting chronic diseases.



Young people, particularly university students have developed unhealthy eating behaviours. Apart from that, life gets so busy these days, when we have to juggle between personal, work, family and social commitments, eating healthily can be challenging. As a result, many people even families with young children choose to eat out, order a takeaway and rely on ready meals.



Traditional food, lack of availability of healthy food, financial factors, personal preferences, lack of knowledge, social pressure, time- management and a lack of interest in changing dietary preferences are all barriers to eating healthily. Nevertheless, only you have the power to change your lifestyle and eating behaviour to continue living healthily and happily.




10 simple tips you can incorporate to eat healthily.

1. Take a step back to acknowledge your eating behaviour
Most people do realize that they are eating unhealthy food but tend to continue the practice either because they are preoccupied with other priorities or they assume that healthy eating or healthy cooking takes time – it doesn’t. Changing your mindset or behaviour does not happen instantly instead it takes time.



Presently, we are all so busy in our lives that we tend to stop nourishing ourselves. Consequently, when we get ill or develop a certain disease, we tend to get unhappy and question where it all went wrong. There is only so much any healthcare professional can do to help you or advice to take care of your health. Nevertheless, the change can only start within you.



Firstly, you must take a step back to acknowledge that you are not nourishing your body properly.


Secondly, you must decide whether you would like to continue being the same or take the initiative to reverse unhealthy eating to healthy eating. We all live only once and there are plenty of things to do and experience in this world. Ask yourself – would you want to get ill, lie in a hospital bed and undergo treatments that are painful and costly? Why waste money on medical treatments when you can use that money for nourishing your body, travelling and doing what makes you happy?



Lastly, decide and stick to your decision all the way through. Every road in life will have obstacles therefore; only you have the power to change your mindset to continue walking on that path. In my years of experience, I have discovered that being physically strong is not as powerful as being mentally strong. So, taking a step back to acknowledge your eating behaviour, in addition to deciding what is best for your mind, soul, body and heart and finally persisting in that path is the only way to achieve success.




2. Your unique way of eating healthily
Every human is unique in their way as a consequence; your eating behaviour or patterns will also differ. Presently, social media such as Facebook, Instagram, Twitter and many more is all famous to showcase recipes or ways to make food.


You can use them as examples however; you don’t have to follow the same. For instance, many people use high-quality photos or videos to show different kinds of smoothies that you can consume for your health and well-being.


Another example is that there are many different kinds of ways to consume chia seeds – you can either put them in puddings or milk and then adds fruits. But all these method takes time and sometimes going plain or simple is the best way. There is no harm in just cutting fruits and eating them as a snack instead of making smoothies. Moreover, you could also just add chia seeds to warm milk and consume it. Do what works best for you with the time you have. 

3. Prepare meals and freeze them
Another technique you can practice to eat healthily even when you are busy is to prepare meals and freeze them. During your off day, the first thing you can do in the morning is to cook your food and freeze them. Plan and cook a big batch so it could be sufficient for the rest of the week. Aside from that, you could also chop some fruits and place them in a container to be frozen.



4. Utilize fermented foods
Fermented food dates back to the ancient civilization as far as the 6000B.C. and has been passed down to the next generations. It is a process where microorganism breaks down sugar into alcohol or organic acids. During ancient times, it was used for preservation but studies have shown it provides benefits for the human body.


If prepared safely, fermented food can be kept inside the refrigerator for 3-18 months. As a result, if you don’t have enough food for the week or if you are too packed with schedules you could always consume fermented food.




5. Organize your kitchen
When you are busy, it is understandable that you don’t have enough time to clean and tidy your home. However, most people don’t realize that only when things are organized, you don’t have to waste time looking for anything. Sometimes, it is also best to label cabinets in the kitchen to make life easier to find something.




6. Cook extra
At times, preparing food to freeze can get a little tiring. When I was working as a nurse, I had to work 6 days a week and only have 1 day off. So, cooking and freezing my meals on that 1 day off felt like a chore for me. As a result, I changed my technique to cooking extra a day before.



To illustrate, whenever I worked morning shifts, I tend to cook dinner extra and eat the same food the next day. Nonetheless, I alternate between cooking extra and cooking to freeze every few months. 



7. Always keep healthy snacks available
When you are at work, the list of things to do always piles up and at times you may not even have time to eat proper meals. The same goes for university students when they have to attend lectures. Always carry around healthy snacks such as fruits and nuts to keep you nourished.



​When you don’t have adequate time to eat meals at the proper time, eating snacks can help fuel your body. Besides fruits and nuts, you could also boil some sweet potatoes and cut them into small pieces. Sweet potatoes are highly nutritious and contain dietary fibre, which can provide you with energy for the day. 

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8. Invest in kitchen products that help you to cook healthily and store food safely
Eating healthily when you are busy doesn’t only rely on healthy food but also on your cooking skills and the products you use. Therefore, investing in good quality kitchen products is crucial in nourishing your body even when you are strapped for time.


For instance, this air fryer is great for healthily preparing food without the use of oil, consequently making your meals low in fat. Furthermore, if you would like assistance in preparing your meal in advance, this food processor has multifunctional use that can aid you in chopping, blending, shredding, and reversible slicing. Storing your cooked food safely is also vital in eating healthily when you are packed with work.



These large glass storage jars with airtight silicone seal is a great tool to store your food, especially food that needs to be fermented. Who said healthy eating is only about food?  This 3 in 1 stove top, microwave and dishwasher safe makes this glass teapot a smart use in any setting. So, if you would like to have a refreshing tea at any time, while you are working at home, this can be a quicker alternative. 

9. Start your day with food that fuels your mind and body
Why breakfast is called the most important meal of the day? It is because we need fuel to nourish our body after a long night fasting period.



During my years of working as a nurse, I have encountered that most people don’t come to work after having food (breakfast, lunch or dinner) depending on the shifts. For example, when I start a morning shift I normally have breakfast before leaving for work. However, my colleagues never practice this habit. Most of them have something to eat after a few hours of coming to work saying they don’t have time to eat at home.



Nonetheless, this may not be possible at times as we might need to change medication or send the patient to surgery. So, breakfast will become lunch for some of them or they might not even be able to have any food until they finish work, which is not healthy for the mind and body. For this reason, it is essential to start your day with food that supports your body as a whole.

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10. Eat everything
When you are strapped for time and you wish to eat healthily you may only choose to eat certain food that you assume is healthy. My advice – eat a wide variety of balanced meals. Try not to demonize certain food thinking it is not beneficial for your well-being. Just as your body acts as a whole/one unit all food provides a certain nourishment for the body.
 







All in All
At the moment, healthy eating is not actively practised by individuals despite all the health education given to the public. This increases the prevalence of developing chronic diseases around the world. Behavioural change doesn’t happen quickly but I hope you can apply these simple tips to cultivate healthy eating into your daily life. Share in the comments section below if you are already following any of the tips or if you have other methods that you already practice. 





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  REFERENCES
1.  Cristina Mora et al (2022); Strategies to Promote Healthy Eating Among University Students: A Qualitative Study Using the Nominal
    Group Technique; Frontiers in Nutrition; 9:821016.
2.  Doegah PT& Acquah E. (2022); Promoting healthy lifestyles among nurse trainees: Perceptions on enablers and barriers to dietary
     and physical activity behaviours; PLoS One; 17(6):e0270353. 
3.  Cynthia Sob et al (2023); The Positive Eating Scale: Associations with eating behaviour, food choice, and body mass index; Eating
     Behaviour; 48:101706.