Healthy meals in a flash
In this rush-rush world it is hard to take the time to have a proper meal. When kids call and work calls, we usually grab what we can get our hands on just to keep the hunger pains at bay. But today is a new day. We are going to give you some suggestions for healthy meals that won’t take up too much time and energy.
The first tenet of eating healthy is planning. With a plan in place, you’ll begin to see how healthy eating can be easier for you and your family.
Prepare your breakfast and lunch the night before. When you oversleep that blows all your well meant healthy food ideas. There is no time to fix your breakfast or lunch so you grab something on the way with less nutritional value.
Taking a little time at night to get everything together goes a long way. You’ll be glad you did when you are in a rush the next morning. Here are some ideas for healthy meals in a flash.
Toast with add-ins – Toast is just the beginning. Try choosing whole grain and multi-grain breads. From here, you can add a little protein to help feed your hunger and also stop mid-morning cravings. Add a piece of sliced turkey, cheese, peanut butter or scrambled egg. The eggs can be scrambled ahead of time and reheated in the morning for a few seconds.
Smoothies – These look just like glorified shakes but they are power packed with good stuff. You don’t just have to add fruits (banana, strawberry, mango, pineapple). You can also put in a cup of low-fat yogurt, flaxseed, wheat germ and other good things to boost your vitamin intake. Mix your ingredients together in a bowl. In the morning, put them in the waiting blender and in a minute or two, you’re ready to go.
Eggs – Eggs are quite versatile. If you are in a hurry and most of you are, boil them. You can boil them the night before and have them ready to go. Eat one as you drive to work or cut it up on toast for a quick sandwich.
Who says that bag lunches are dead? They just have fancier packaging. Get your lunch ready at night so all you have to do is line up the boxes on the counter for everyone to grab as they leave.
With microwave ovens in school and office cafeterias, you can enjoy hot and cold healthy fare. Leftovers from dinner are usually better the next day anyway.
Are you looking for healthy solutions to your quick meal dilemma? Use the suggestions above to help get you moving on the right track even if you are already moving fast.
Drink Up
If you were stranded in a desert, would you want something to eat or drink? That rumbling says eat but did you know that the human body can’t go more than a day or two at the most without water? It is important to stay hydrated.
Water is the most abundant fluid in the body. Over half of our body weight is represented by water. It is an understatement to say that water is vital to life.
So why do we need to stay hydrated? Water is used to keep our bodies going. Every system needs water to operate properly.
Do you exercise? When you do, your body perspires. That is water you are losing through your skin as well as some electrolytes. The body uses water as a cooling system. But, that water you lose needs to be put back so water isn’t stolen from other systems.
How about digestion? When you eat food, the body breaks it down into nutrients that are transported to the cells where it is used for repair, daily functioning and building new cells. It can’t do that without water to give volume to your blood to help carry these nutrients.
What about excretion? Whatever the body can’t use is excreted from the kidneys. Water is needed to transport these nutrients so they can then be filtered from the blood to form urine.
Without proper water volume your body becomes dehydrated. Severe dehydration can lead to dizziness. Your body doesn’t have enough water to keep its systems functioning. In extreme cases, body systems can begin to shut down. You will get sluggish also. Intravenous fluids may be used at this point to increase your blood volume and the amount of water in your system.
So, how do you get that water? The obvious way is by drinking water. Tap, mineral, purified, spring, flavored and carbonated are all ways that water comes to us. But what if you are not the kind that likes water? For some, water is hard to consume because they don’t particularly like the taste.
There are other sources of water. If you like tea or coffee you are also getting water in your system. Go easy on the sweeteners so that you don’t get empty calories mixed in with your water. Also try drink mix packets. They can be added to bottled water and are a substitute for soft drinks or sugary punch.
Consume water throughout the day to spread out your consumption. Before, during and after exercise, drink plenty of water to replenish what is lost. Electrolyte drinks will also replenish the salt that you lose. When you are hungry, drink a glass of water. It partially fills your stomach so you eat less and sometimes those pains signify thirst and not hunger.
Got water? If not, get some now to keep that body hydrated.
