One of the many advantages of being an online entrepreneur is that you can do it in your pajamas! It is so much easier to go to work in the morning when you can get a cup of coffee and a muffin then pad across the house to your home office in your robe and slippers to start your workday. Of course if you are going to use your webcam, you may want to take a moment to run a brush through your hair.
The problem is, you can get too much of a good thing. Unfortunately, too many online entrepreneurs become so involved in their business that they forget the essentials of good health, i.e., good nutrition, exercise, sleep and work/life balance. If you want to be be healthy enough to enjoy the wealth you are creating online, you need to take care of yourself and avoid falling prey to some of the special problems of working online from home. In Part II of our healthy roadmap article series, we will discuss the problems of eating well when you work from home.
Good Nutrition
For many people, it is easier on the pocketbook to work from home. No pressure to join people for lunches that can be expensive, no need to buy coffee from a vendor or a machine and far fewer client dinners with too much too eat and drink. However, working from home can be nutritionally perilous as well. It is just so easy to amble over to the fridge and get a nosh every time you want a break. Plus, you have that whole pot of coffee to yourself so you can multiply your caffeine consumption very quickly. And of course, when there is no one watching, it is much easier to eat four cookies instead of two or have chips and dip for lunch instead of that healthy salad you had order if you were out with your skinny office friends.
Tips
To avoid the working from home is making me as big as a house syndrome, try these tips:
Plan your working meals just like you plan your kids lunchbox meals or family dinners. Make a schedule of what you will eat then shop for those items so you have what you need on hand.
Create nutritious choices for yourself. Learn something about the primary food groups if you need to but you probably already know enough to eat right whole grains, five servings of fruits or vegetables, some dairy, limit animal protein and fat consumption and so on.
Take a page from your kindergarteners playbook and try eating by color. Label each day a color and try to eat some foods of that color. For example, orange day might bring orange juice, carrots and paprika on broiled chicken in your salad; blue day might mean blueberries and eggplant (close enough). This technique will give you the variety to get the vitamins and minerals your body needs.
Just make half a pot of coffee! Or, if you just need the ability to consume warm beverages, try slowly changing from all caffeine to a blend of caffeinated and decaffeinated coffee. Do not switch too quickly or you will get a caffeine withdrawal headache. See if you can be satisfied by sipping a hot beverage that is better for you try herbal or green teas.
Speaking of drinking, here is an advantage of working from home you can get all the water you need very easily. One pleasant way to stay hydrated is to place a pitcher of ice water (throw some lemon in if you want to feel pampered!) and a glass on your desk. You can sip all day long and feel proud of yourself for doing something good for your health
If you are like most people who sit at a computer, you will need to get up every one to two hours and take a break. Those are often the times that people head for the fridge. Prepare for these periods by planning snacks that you can grab without fussing. Keep carrot sticks in the fridge or a put jar of pretzel rods on the counter. It is true that the cookies may be more appealing than the carrots but at least if the carrots are all ready to eat, you have a fighting chance of making the better choice.
Take a multivitamin just to be safe.
A final thought: if you want a real eye opener about your eating, register at one of the many online food diary sites (Fitday.com is free) and spend a few weeks keeping track of your food intake. You will be amazed at how fast the calories add up and how few vitamins and minerals you consume. Use what you have learned to make a better eating plan.
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