It was so nice meeting you at the Virtual Communications Summit!
Here is your Remote Working Health Guide! Watch the video for a quick tutorial. In good health, Noreen at Food Sitch
BODY
MOVE YOUR BODY: If you are working from home, carve out time to exercise (schedule your time if you need to). 30 minutes to 2 hours per day is sufficient. Exercise can be a full workout, but it can also be walking around the house, climbing your stairs or going for a stroll in your neighborhood. The goal is to avoid sitting for prolonged periods of time.
WORKOUT FROM HOME: Maybe going to the gym is not in your plans anytime soon. Check out this resource for 125 free (yes, please!) workouts that you can do from home!
FIND A FUN GO-TO WORKOUT: Exercise is best when it’s fun and you look forward to it. Find a go-to workout that puts a smile on your face! It can be walking, running, a virtual ballet class, really anything that you can do 3+ days a week without getting bored. When you have a go-to workout that you enjoy, you’ll be more motivated to complete it!
DON’T FORGET YOUR CARDIO: Weight lifting, yoga, and resistance training are great! But cardio is excellent way to manage your weight while working from home. Try walking (an underrated form for exercise!), HIIT intervals, jogging or dancing! It’s amazing what 30 minutes of cardio can do for your body. Check with your doctor to make sure cardio is okay for you.
ENERGIZE YOUR BODY: Food can help give your body the energy it needs to work from home. Try these foods that are high in B1, B6 or B12: green and leafy vegetables, whole-wheat, brussel sprouts, chicken, fish, eggs, brussels sprouts.
EXTRA TIME FOR SKINCARE: Remote working means that you could have facial mask on during a conference call…unless you have to be on camera, of course! Use your precious hours at home to take good care of your skin. Do a facial in between your meetings. Check out these DIY facials!
DRINK WATER: “How much water should I drink everyday?” I get this question a lot. Take your weight and divide it in half. This is an estimate of the number of ounces to drink per day. Here’s an example: If you weigh 150 pounds, divide in half to get 75 ounces. 75 ounces is about 2.2 liters or about 0.6 gallons. Drink more if you exercise a lot, drink caffeine or live in a hot climate. And try drinking 20 ounces (1-2 glasses of water) when you wake up.
REACHING YOUR WATER GOAL: To ensure you drink the water you need to, you can fill a jar of water that will last you the rest of the day. The goal is to finish the jar of water before going to bed.
POSTURE MATTERS: Maintain proper sitting posture to have reduce the chances of back pain. Follow these sitting posture tips!
SET A BODY INTENTION: At the start of your remote working day, ask yourself, “How do I want to my body to feel today?” Write down your word and keep that word at a place where you’ll set it throughout the day. Potential words can include: strong, light or capable. Then take the action that’s necessary for making your word a reality!
MIND
START THE MORNING WITH A MORNING BREATHING EXERCISE: Some call a morning breathing exercise meditation; others call it deep breathing exercises. Whatever terminology you wish to apply, taking deep breaths is a great way to check in with yourself at the beginning of your day and to get your mind energized for the day ahead.
EAT BRAIN FOOD: You can use food to improve your memory and brain power. Try these foods that are high in omega-3s (good fat), antioxidants and other brain-boosting nutrients: blueberries, caffeine (think coffee or green tea), fish like salmon, tumeric and broccoli.
DRESS WELL TO PUT YOUR MIND IN POWER MODE: You are more likely to feel like a boss when you’re dressed up - even at home! While comfy, sweatpants can put a damper on your mood. Check out some of these celeb styles that are stylish and Zoom-call worthy.
AND DON’T FORGET MAKEUP: Check out these clean beauty finds!
WALK IT OUT: In addition to exercise, taking a walk can clear your mind and energize you. Taking a walk mid-day and can get your ready for the 2nd half of your work day and ready to crush your afternoon meetings.
SLEEP ON IT: Getting adequate sleep not only prevents you from eating unclean food, it also helps to maintain your mental stamina and memory. Do your sleep math! Backtrack into your proper sleeping time by thinking about when you need to wake up and how many hours of sleep you need. Then give yourself time to wind down before sleeping. As an example, if you need to be up at 6am and require 8 hours of sleep, you’ll need to start sleeping at 10pm. Start winding down for the day at 9pm so that you will fall asleep at 10pm.
KEEP THE NEWS IN CHECK: It’s important that we keep up with current events, but try not to let fear-driven news damper your mood. Decide how much news your able to take in (e.g. 15 min, 20 min, etc.).
TALK TO YOUR LOVED ONES: Communicate your work schedule and needs to your partner and family. Doing so will relieve some of the worry that things will go wrong during the day and may create a shared understanding of the time and attention you are available to offer. Communicate your schedule and needs prior to the start of the workday.
CLEAR THE CLUTTER: Create a clean working environment, trying to match how it would look if you were in an office. Having an organized, clutter-free environment will enable you to focus better on work.
THE POWER OF VISUALIZATION: Create a clean working environment, trying to match how it would look if you were in an office. Having an organized, clutter-free environment will enable you to focus better on work.
CONGRATULATE YOURSELF: Virtual working can be an adjustment and can change even if you’ve been doing it for years. At the end of the work day (or the work week), take inventory of what you’ve been able to accomplish and congratulate yourself!
SOUL
WRITE AN AFFIRMATION: Writing an affirmation can give yourself encouragement and allow yourself to step into the person you want to be. Try writing your affirmation everyday for a week. By writing the affirmation everyday, you will know what tweaks to make and receive more clarity on what your true desires really are.
EXPRESS GRATITUDE: A gratitude journal is, of course, a wonderful to record your blessings. There are even simpler ways to express gratitude. Try saying thank you more often and to more people, incorporating the phrase “I’m so grateful (or thankful) for" into your everyday speech or writing thank you in more emails to your colleagues. Expressing gratitude can help you feel more positive by focusing on what you have in your life.
WHAT YOU WANT + NEED: Check in with yourself throughout the day and ask yourself, “What do I want and what do I need?” Doing so will enable you to tap into your deepest desires and what your soul really needs at any given moment. You may be surprised to discover what your true needs and desires are.
TAKE A BREAK: In a world filled with Zoom calls and back-to-back appointments, give yourself moments of rest to relieve yourself from any burdens and lift yourself to better spirits - even if it’s just temporarily. Schedule breaks into your day the same way that you would a meeting with your boss or colleagues.
SCHEDULE TIME FOR PEOPLE: Yes, we are working from home, but we are not isolated robots. Pick up the phone or send that email to set up a time to connect with others - whether it’s a Zoom coffee chat with a colleague or a phone call with a friend. Our souls need connection, and the more positive connection we get it, the more happy we’re likely to be.
OFFER TO HELP: You might be going through some tough times, but there’s always someone who is going through worse than you are. Look around to see who might need your help. Taking brief moments to put someone else’s needs above your own could make your heart sing.
HAVE THE CONVERSATION: Having deep conversations with people, ones in which we express our feelings, can do wonders for our soul. These conversations can rid of us toxic feelings and allow our happy hearts to shine through.
REMEMBER YOUR HOBBIES: Hobbies can help you connect to yourself. Make time for them even if it’s just 5 minutes a day.
FOOD + COOKING
DESSERT RECIPE: Desserts can be delicious, quick to make and healthy!
Baked Apple Recipe:
Core 3 Apples
2 tsp Cinnamon
1 tsp vanilla
Preheat oven to 350 degrees. Blend a few tbsp water with the vanilla. Drizzle into and over the apple in a baking dish. Sprinkle with cinnamon. Bake for 20 minutes.
DON’T EAT YOUR FEELINGS: When work stress happens, avoid the instinct to soothe it with food. Instead, identify what’s causing your stress and take an action step to tackle the issue head on.
(HEALTHY) FAT IS YOUR FRIEND: Healthy fats can satiate you and keep your blood sugar levels stable, preventing you from getting hungry and consuming unwanted calories. Try eating unsaturated fats during the day: olive oil and avocados. You can also try eggs, almonds, fish, nuts and seeds if you’re not allergic or sensitive to them.
REMEMBER THAT FOOD IS YOUR FRIEND: Food is meant to nourish you and support you throughout your work day. Food is your friend! Some friends are much better for you than others, so choose your friends wisely!
IDENTIFY YOUR HUNGER EARLY ON: Identify your hunger and then take action immediately to prepare your food. Don’t wait until you’re very hungry to start eating because you may end up overrating or eating foods that are unhealthy for you.
TAKE YOUR TIME: You may have a deadline, but carve out time to enjoy your food. The more you enjoy your food, the better you’ll digest it and store it in your body, enabling you to work better during day. Take tiny bites and taste your food’s textures and flavors.
EVALUATE YOUR CAFFEINE: Having too much caffeine can may actually make you tired in the afternoon or prevent you from sleeping well at night. Evaluate whether you need as much caffeine in your diet or even challenge yourself to have one less cup of coffee or tea during the day.
THINK ABOUT REDUCING CHEMICALS INSTEAD OF CALORIES: Rather than focusing on decreasing the number of calories you eat per day, focus on increasing the percentage of natural foods that you eat. Examples of natural foods include fruits, vegetables and meats.
MEAL PREPPING CAN BE EFFECTIVE, EVEN AT HOME: Having go-to meals ready for you can prevent you from eating unhealthy food and save you time during your work day. Plan time over the weekend to meal prep for the work week.
FORGIVE YOURSELF: We all have a day during which we accidentally overrate or ate foods we know are not good for us. Put your shame away, take inventory of what went awry, and take action today to make tomorrow a better food day.
FOOD ALLERGIES + AUTOIMMUNE DISEASES
KNOW THE FDA’S NEW GUIDELINES ABOUT FOOD ALLERGEN LABELING: Read the May 2020 updates here!
KNOW WHICH BRANDS YOU CAN TRUST GIVEN THE NEW FDA FOOD LABELING GUIDELINE: Read this list of food brands from Spokin, a food allergy app, to know which foods you are safe to eat!
READ ALL LABELS 3 TIMES: As a standard practice, read labels three times to make sure you are safe to eat the food.
CARRY YOUR EPINEPHRINE AUTO-INJECTOR + MAKE SURE IT HAS NOT EXPIRED: Check the expiration date of your epinephrine auto-injector. Start the process of getting a prescription for your new epinephrine auto-injector at least 3 months before your old one expires.
HAVE AN EMERGENCY PLAN, EVEN AT HOME: If you were to have an allergic reaction, what hospital is nearby? Who is your emergency contact person? Make an emergency plan and communicate it to close family and friends.
TRY TO EAT SINGLE-INGREDIENT FOODS: With single-ingredient foods, there’s more transparency with the food you’re eating. An apple is an apple. A carrot is a carrot. No surprises. You can identify foods that are safe for you more easily. Plus single-ingredient foods tend to be real food, making them much healthier because they are full of nutrients. Single-ingredient food examples include fruits, vegetables and meats.
FIND GLUTEN-FREE BRANDS WITH FREE SHIPPING: Check out this list for companies that offer free shipping for gluten-free products!
IF YOU HAVEN’T ALREADY, LEARN HOW TO COOK ALLERGEN-FREE DELICIOUS MEALS: Cooking is a way to empower yourself and to take charge of eating safely and deliciously! Cook your favorite breakfast, lunch and dinner!
MAKE AN APPOINTMENT TO SEE YOUR ALLERGIST: You can even make a virtual appointment if you prefer to do it from home. See your allergist at least once per year!
IF YOU HAVE A FOOD ALLERGY, ATTEND A FOOD ALLERGY CONFERENCE: Check out FARE’s (Food Allergy Research & Education’s) upcoming virtual conference in October!