Food Choices

Top 5 Healthy Room Service Meals

January 11, 2012 by Edwin

Introduction

Just got off a long flight, tired, thirsty and craving comfort foods? We’ve all been there and we’ve all been tempted by the pizza or fast food burger that will quickly fill up our empty stomachs. But, eating these unhealthy foods are the easiest way to prolong those feelings of jet lag.

Top 5 Healthy Room Service Meals

Here is a sampling of the healthiest items that I’ve seen frequently on room service menus and will help you eat right while on the road.

1) Chicken Caeser Salad: A staple that’s on nearly every room service menu I’ve ever seen. I ask for the dressing on the side to control the amount because some recipes are too creamy using raw eggs or yogurt.

2) Soup/Congee: French Onion soup is often on the menu, but watch out for the excess cheese or salt. A simple tomato soup or chicken-based soup is even better. For breakfast in Asian hotels, try the congee.

3) Pasta: Spaghetti Bolognese is frequently seen on room service menus and not a bad choice. A simpler marinara sauce is even better. Avoid the cream-based sauces which are typically high in fat and cholesterol.

4) Grilled Chicken Burger: For a hearty meal, try this healthier alternative to the beef burger. It’s a great balance of proteins and carbs and won’t leave you feeling as heavy and sluggish as it’s fatty sibling.

5) Egg-White Omelette: A great way to start the day. Eat it with a side plate of wheat toast and fresh fruit. Wash it down with a fresh fruit juice, herbal tea or water.

As mentioned in my previous article (Top 5 Tips for Healthy Air Travel), minimize the effects of jet lag by drinking lots of water and minimizing your consumption of alcohol and caffeine.

Top 5 Tips for Healthy Air Travel

November 19, 2011 by Edwin

Introduction

No matter how healthy you are we’ve all experienced the negative effects of jetlag, from trouble sleeping to pounding headaches. In most cases, air travelers experience milder effects of jetlag such as dehydration and lack of energy.

Small changes to your flight habits can have a significant positive impact on preventing jetlag. Here are our top 5 tips for healthy and comfortable air travel.

Top 5 Tips for Healthy Air Travel

1) Hydrate: Keeping yourself hydrated in the dry airplane cabin is the easiest way to mitigate the impact of jetlag. Avoid alcohol during, before or immediately after the flight and drink water throughout the flight by keeping a bottle at your seat. If necessary, bring your own empty bottle and have the flight attendants fill it up as soon as you board.

2) Block the Noise: The high decibel constant buzz of the airplane is a big cause of jetlag and the poor quality earphones in cattle class seats are the fastest way to send a headache straight to your head. Instead, bring your own pair of noise cancellation headsets or wear ear plugs when sleeping or reading.

3) Maintain Blood Flow: How many people actually sit in their office in one chair for an entire 10 hours? Probably none of us. Then why sit in a plane seat for that long? Instead, sit in the aisle seat, stand up frequently and walk around, or at the very least shake your legs out and do simple upper body stretches in your seat.

4) Reduce stress: Give yourself plenty of time before your flight to reduce stress of unpredictable queues for security or immigration. If you want to remain productive, then schedule a phone call right before your flight or bring along 30 minutes of work to do after you’re sitting comfortably in the frequent flyer lounge or at your gate.

5) Treat Your Body Well: Sitting in a small seat or carrying a heavy messenger bag is the perfect way to get your body twisted like a pretzel. We suggest that you use luggage carts for your heavy luggage and even for your carry-on when wandering around the departure hall. If you can spare the time, get yourself a massage when you land to relax your muscles and get your spine back in-line.

Cravings: The Secret Language of Bio-Machines

November 18, 2011 by Edwin

Introduction

Human bodies are self-healing machines that have very specific responses to stimuli. If we pay close attention to these responses, then we would realize that our bodies are telling us what nutrients it needs and how to heal ourselves.

Even though our bodies talk to us all the time, the vast majority of people do not understand the language, let alone know that the body is trying to tell us something at all. A dry throat tells us that we’re already dehydrated and a growling stomach tells us that our body needs nutrients. These are easy signals that we all learn as children. However, food cravings are much more difficult vocabulary to learn.

Cravings

Food cravings tell you that your body is lacking key nutrients or that there is an imbalance with your tandem foods. Here are a few examples of common food cravings and perhaps what your body really is trying to say to you:

1) Sweet cravings: You eat too much refined sugar or processed foods which are digested quickly in your mouth. Your body is telling you it needs more sugar or complex carbohydrates. Solution: Eat low GI foods such as whole grains and leafy greens and your cravings for the simple sugars will decrease.

2) Salty cravings: You may be dehydrated, your electrolyte balance is off because of excessive perspiration, or you may not be getting enough minerals in your diet. Solution: Drink water, drink coconut water or sports drinks after exercise, or add mineral supplements to your diet.

3) Ice Cream cravings: Ice cream is very often an emotional comfort food which you eat when you are stressed, exhausted or sad. Solution: Sometimes all you need is to write down how you’re feeling in a diary or talk to a friend. Sometimes all you need is a hug.

4) Crunchy, Dry, Potato Chip cravings: You are angry and don’t have another outlet for your aggressions. Solution: Eat healthy crunchy snacks like whole-grain pretzels or plain popcorn. Alternatively, you can find a friend to vent with or a boxing gym to punch your stress away.

Top 5 Snacks for the Office

November 18, 2011 by Edwin

Introduction

With busy schedules, back-to-back meetings, and tight deadlines it’s no surprise that busy executives eat at odd times or forget to eat at all. It’s also no surprise that the need for quick energy drives most people in this situation to grab the fast-burning simple sugars at the local fast food joint or convenience store.

The better alternative is to keep a stash of low GI (glycemic index) snacks at your desk which you can eat throughout the day between proper meals. Low GI foods burn slowly and will greatly reduce the desire to binge on simple sugars or caffeine.

Top 5 Snacks for the Office

1) Fruit: Bananas are a great source of carbohydrates and are easy on the stomach to digest. Other whole fruits or vegetables such as grapes, carrots and apples are also easy to eat and will provide you energy as it digests slowly throughout the day.

2) Whole Grains: Make yourself a mix of nuts, granola, or dried fruit. Keeping a box of breakfast muesli in your desk works just as well.

3) Popcorn or Pretzels: Ditch the Pringles and grab a bag of whole wheat pretzels. It gives you the same crunch but is a much healthier option. Plain popcorn is one of the healthiest snacks as long as you avoid the excess salt and butter.

4) Leftover dinner: If you had a well-balanced dinner of brown rice, leafy green vegetables and protein, save yourself an extra portion for the next workday and eat it in the late afternoon.

5) Water: When you experience ‘hunger’ pains in your stomach, sometimes what your body is telling you is that you’re dehydrated. Before grabbing the solid snacks, have a full glass of water and see if the hunger persists.