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We asked Dale Barr, a personal trainer and nutrition coach in Severna Park, for his advice on eating at home while working from home. Working at home is uncommon for many people and may be extra challenging if you also are parenting children. Under stress, some people turn to food. These eating and drinking tips can help you stay healthy while spending extended time at home.
1. Over-snacking or eating “comfort” foods will not alleviate the COVID-19 issues. All that does is make you feel miserable afterwards and all the COVID anxiety you had before is still present. Instead keep your snacks to fruit, veggies, nuts, and jerky.
2. Do not eat while working on your computer. Those new to working-from-home may think they can eat while they work. What typically happens though is we’re not consciously paying attention to how much we’re eating. If it’s something like chips, oftentimes you’ll find you’ve eaten the whole bag. Limit eating to your normal mealtimes: morning, noon, and evening.
3. When eating, put your work away. Take the time to sit at your table every time you eat, including snacking. It will help you pay attention and even enjoy your food more.
4. Preserve the ritual of the family meal when possible. A family meal can help you slow down, appreciate your food and your connections. (Note: Avoid undermining your meal together with bitter arguments.)
5). Make the bad sweet stuff a pain to get to. At my home, when we leave cookies on the counter, I can find an excuse to eat one anytime I walk by. However, if I put them in a high cabinet behind something, for example, I have that extra barrier to go through which may help minimize the amount of time I’m mindlessly grabbing them.
6). Every day is not a weekend. If you drink alcohol, try to keep your drinking habits the same as before. Or confine drinking only to weekends or a “happy hour”.
Dale Barr is Certified Personal Trainer through the American Council on Exercise (ACE), a Certified Venice Nutrition Coach, CrossFit Level I & CrossFit Endurance Coach, and USAW Sports Performance coach. www.d3fitness.com
For information on Annapolis Home Magazine or The Faces of Annapolis, contact Robert Haywood, robert@annapolishomemag.com 443-942-3927