We’ve all been there — grabbing a bag of chips during the ten minutes between meetings even when the fridge is full of more wholesome alternatives.
Avoid the carrots in the crisper drawer as we may, but a healthier lifestyle is proven to encourage higher employee engagement and lower turnover.
Incorporating more nutritious food into our day is a challenge, since it typically means investing more time in the kitchen, AKA less time for other priorities.
There’s a way to have your cake and eat it too — with literal cake in moderation, of course. Hacking a more wholesome lifestyle starts by creating habits, so keep these tips in mind.
Most studies suggest that it takes 21 days to form a habit, but the key to forming habits that last isn’t just doing them for 21 days straight — take them on one at a time.
Nearly 80% of working Americans admit they don’t drink enough water. Proper hydration can increase productivity by over 14% since water expands the brain’s gray matter.
But what is the right amount of water? Answers are mixed, but it’s generally recommended that women drink 11.5 cups per day. Set reminders — we recommend every 90 minutes at most.
According to the National Sleep Foundation, adult women should obtain between seven to nine hours of sleep each night and should try to wake up between 4am and 7am.
Don’t let your sleep schedule slip on weekends! Long nights on weekends could be to blame for uncomfortable sleep during the workweek. Sleep meditation, soothing music, a dark bedroom, and avoiding carbs or sugar before bed can all contribute to uninterrupted sleep.
Instead of fighting the urge to rest, embrace it. Whether it’s to let your eyes and brain look at anything other than a screen or to perform a mindfulness minute, our brains need multiple focus breaks throughout the day to stay productive.
Split your workday into 90-minute high-focus intervals with short, screen-free breaks in between, or with longer breaks after longer periods of work.
Ten minutes maximum — that’s all it takes to make a nutritious, energy-sustaining snack.
The below recipes are substitution-friendly and ultra customizable, so switch it up! With these recipes in your roster, you’ll create another wholesome habit in no time.
- 1 1/2 C rolled oats
- 1 C nut butter (we like cashew)
- 1/4 C maple syrup
- 2 scoops of your favorite protein powder (we prefer plant-based vanilla)
- 2 T raisins
- 2 T chopped nuts (we like walnuts — brain food!)
- 1/4 t cinnamon
- 1/4 t turmeric
Recommended add-ins & substitutions: White chocolate chips, dried blueberries, almond extract, coconut flakes
- Stir ingredients to combine.
- Spray hands with nonstick spray and roll out 2” balls of the mixture.
- Place protein balls in a container and store in the fridge or freezer.
- That’s it! They’ll last up to two weeks in the fridge and a month in the freezer.
- 2 T cocoa powder
- 1/2 T maple syrup
- 1/4 t cinnamon
- 3/4 C coconut milk or your favorite milk/alt-milk
- 1/4 t vanilla extract
- 1/4 C chia seeds
Recommended add-ins & substitutions: Strawberries, half a banana, 1/2 T almond butter or nut butter powder, protein powder
- Mix cocoa powder, maple syrup, cinnamon, milk, and vanilla in a jar.
- Add chia seeds and stir to combine.
- Refrigerate overnight.
Pro tip: Put all ingredients in the blender container and refrigerate for quick assembly in the morning.
- 1/2 avocado, fresh or frozen chunks
- 1 C strawberries, fresh or frozen
- 2 T unsweetened matcha powder
- 1 t ginger
- 1 t turmeric
- 1 C coconut milk or your favorite milk/alt-milk
- 1 t honey
- 1 scoop of your favorite protein powder (we prefer plant-based vanilla)
Recommended add-ins & substitutions: Switch your berries up based on what’s in season! Try adding half an apple instead of honey for sweetness.
- Add all solid ingredients to a blender.
- Pour in milk and honey.
- Blend until smooth.
