Don’t get us wrong, WFH comes with its benefits: you only have to look presentable from the top up, you can send emails from your bed and you have unlimited access to the fridge.
All wins, until you realise you’ve been non-stop snacking since the announcement of lockdown. “It can be all too easy to mindlessly snack and graze at our desks, but this can wreak havoc on our waist lines and productivity,” says nutritionist, Lily Soutter.
So, how do we stop the around-the-clock snacking? Luckily for you, nutritionist and Linwoods Health Foods ambassador, Jenna Hope is on-hand to help you navigate the food pitfalls of working from home.
Eating out of boredom
This is common when you’re working from home. Try to tune into your hunger to prevent boredom eating. Before reaching for your next snack, stop and rate your hunger between one to 10. A seven upwards indicates you’re possibly eating out of boredom. Picking up a hobby, learning a language or a skill is a great way to replace boredom with something a little more productive.
Not consuming enough protein
Protein-rich foods are a great way to curb your hunger levels and stabilise your blood sugar to provide you with long lasting sustained energy. Try adding Linwoods Milled Flaxseeds to your breakfast or opt for nuts as a snack to help ensure you’re consuming adequate amounts of protein.
Not having set mealtimes
This can have an effect on your grazing throughout the day. Ensuring regular mealtimes helps to maintain balanced blood sugar levels across throughout the day which in turn can prevent you constantly opening the fridge. Try to keep your eating patterns as similar as they were before lockdown to maintain routine and prevent constant grazing.
Over-consumption of coffee
You may find that working from home means coffee on tap but for those who are particularly stressed or anxious, a high caffeine consumption may contribute to increased stress and anxiety. Caffeine increases the stress hormone cortisol and binds to the neurotransmitter, Adenosine. Usually Adenosine would leave you feeling calm and sleepy and consequently a lack of it can leave you feeling wired.
Lacking healthy snacks
Being stocked up on healthy snacks is essential to staying healthy in lockdown. If you can’t get hold of fresh fruit take advantage of frozen fruit which you can combine hemp seeds for added boost of protein and healthy fats. Alternatively, opt for oatcakes with nut butter, carrots with hummus or a handful of Linwoods Active Nuts as a healthy alternative.
