Day One Hundred and Fifty One!!!!!!

Lunch bag!


People today are working more and longer hours. As such, people are spending more time at work then being at home, compared to working the 9 to 5 of the 1980’s days. Generally, these days, people work not only longer than 9-5 but are working 6-7 days a week and are so “plugged in”, that work can take place anywhere at anytime. 


This presents unique food challenges, because if you are always on the go not only are you being inundated by outside food influencers, food cues, and just plain stress. It is so easy to think and feel like you are actually doing physical labour, when the truth is ,you might just be sitting at a computer. Because you are taxing your brain, it feels like a work out. It is so easy to confuse this type of stress with physical stress. This is actually really just emotional stress. 


The day can be filled with anxiety, disappointment, frustration, and that can just be happening when you are pulling into the parking lot and trying to find a parking space! Never mind having  a boss that is a micro manager who looks over your shoulder constantly.


There are actually, two types of stress. Eustress and distress. Eustress, or positive stress, has the following characteristics:
Motivates, focuses energy.
Is short-term.
Is perceived as within our coping abilities.
Feels exciting.
Improves performance.


Still stress though!


On the other hand, Distress, or negative stress, has the following characteristics:


Causes anxiety or concern.
Can be short- or long-term.
Is perceived as outside of our coping abilities.
Feels unpleasant.
Decreases performance.
Can lead to mental and physical problems.  


We under plan in regards to the amount of stress that we are going to come across during our day. It is so easy to stop in at a fast food place, have someone stop in at a fast food place for you, go to a vending machine, or nibble somebodies candies from the bowl on their desk. 


Right outside my office door there is a coffee bistro and not only does it smell DELICIOUS but the woman that runs it puts out free treats! Cutting up brownies and cake and cookies in a bowl and placing on the counter as a promotion to buy her food. Which is way too easy to grab when I am on your way to the washroom…It is important to have a plan and stick to it during your workday!


So talking about Jennifer Hudson, apparently she loves enormous, oversized purses, probably because she travels a lot. So, in order to help Jennifer to stop struggling with all of the temptations of room service and airport goodies and all of that free food that famous people seem to get in the green room, something had to be done! 


So, her food coach (Liz Josefsberg) suggested that her purse was actually her travelling home environment and as such she needed to prepare that oversized purse as a lunch bag. Stalking it with water, almonds, gum, banana, cheeses, and single servings of food such as popcorn, and nutrition bars. All she had to do was reach down into her purse to grab a snack or drink whenever stressed, and as such she could relax, not having to think twice about making a decision of what to eat when at work.


I must admit, that I have a picnic bag which I got from Chapters that I take to work with me everyday, and in it I have my water, my diet pop, and I have my hard boiled eggs. Sometimes I add cheese, and sometimes I add my leftovers from my food from the night before. Every single morning I pack it, that is my routine, no matter what. 


Every weekend, I make sure I have a bowl full of hard boiled eggs in my fridge to pick from and when I grocery shop every Saturday, I buy a large selection of cheese so that I know I have some good eats all week long. 

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