"It is vitally important to be mindful and conscious when we are snacking... "
Clair MacKenzie
With the UK entering it's third lockdown this week, the country has been told to stay at home, work from home, educate at home... Clair MacKenzie, a certified Life, Health & Weight Coach and Founder of TheBestYou.Coach (https://TheBestYou.Coach), shares with us her thoughts on snacking and 5 tips on how to have healthier working from home snacks.
Clair said; "It's important to understand why we are snacking, often it's not because we need the physical nutrients of fuel and nourishment, but because we want it to give us pleasure to nourish and comfort ourselves emotionally. I would normally encourage my clients to find non-food ways of creating that pleasure, comfort and nourishment in their life so that they don't have to turn to food... but, we find ourselves in a world where that is becoming increasingly difficult as we sit in front of a screen all day, with limited ability to leave the house to do things and connect with people, therefore, it's preferable to eat healthy snacks rather than processed snacks with added sugar, refined carbs and processed fats.
- Savour It - Regardless of the motive or reason behind the snacking, it vitally important to be mindful and conscious when we are snacking - it should be savored and we should avoid mindless snacking as this is what can lead to overeating, emotional eating, weight gain and/or health issues.
- Easy Access - Have things that are easy to access in the fridge and cupboard - it may be that you spend some time in one session creating mini pots of snacks such as; mixed fruits, carrot batons, boiled eggs, no sugar jellies, nuts, seeds and raisins... this way they are easy to grab and go when you're busy working.
Turn to Something Naturally Sweet - Turning to something that is long lasting, that tastes naturally sweet but that is also providing you with lots of good nutrients is a good way to go, such as a frozen, nutritionally rich smoothie. Take your favourite smoothie recipe and create a batch of personal ice cream tubs for you to have in your freezer that you can grab whenever you fancy.
My favourites are:
- almond milk with cocoa, cherries and half a banana
- almond milk with half banana and tablespoon of cashew butter
- blended watermelon and banana frozen sorbet style (keeping it light)
It's also good to experiment with what you have to hand - this makes it exciting.
- Be Prepared - try and ensure you include healthy snacks /ingredients on your shopping list so you don't forget to pick them up or order as part of your weekly shop.
- Don't Confuse Hunger for Thirst - research has shown that many people confuse thirst and hunger, ensuring you're having enough water throughout the day is also important. This is easier to forget when we are stuck at home rather than passing the water machine in the office or longing to get up from our desks or having that kitchen chat. Invest in a water bottle that monitors your intake or a flask that you can pop a nice herbal tea in. Mix it up and invest in some new flavoured teas to make it seem like a treat.
To find out more about Clair’s please visit her website – www.thebestyou.coach or connect via Facebook https://www.fb.com/thebestyoucoach/ you can also join Clair’s Free Facebook Group –https://www.fb.com/groups/loseweightlivelife
