“The most important form of
selfishness involves spending time on your fitness, eating right, pursuing your
career, and still spending quality time with your family and friends.”
-
Scott Adams
While many serious topics of debate
encircle a discussion on those with whom you associate, one of the pleasures of
any relationship is sharing a good meal with interesting people. There’s
nothing quite like spirited banter over food and drink that add a sense of
civilized decorum to any gathering. However, the most difficult challenge in
these circumstances is to prevent oneself from regular overindulgence,
insisting that every meal with friends is a “special occasion.” While you
definitely should realize the value and importance of enjoying regular
fellowship with people in your life, when the meal ends, you still have to live
in the body that you just filled with excess delicacies. Practicing moderation
and coming prepared with a plan is crucial to maintaining your eating habits as
well as sustaining a healthy lifestyle. Becoming familiar with the healthier
menu options at restaurants you frequent will assist you in making better
nutrition choices regarding impromptu gatherings in the future. Another
important consideration is the quality of the food choices at these inevitable upcoming
meeting of the minds. While the commercials for fast food options may have some
very creative and entertaining advertising, these are definitely not the type
of places that you want to be consuming food on a regular basis. Ensure that
your endeavors to educate yourself on menu options in advance and choosing
quality over quantity remain the focus of your eating habits when connecting
with your associations at your next luncheon.
Educate yourself
“Fast food is popular because
it’s convenient, it’s cheap, and it tastes good. But the real cost of eating
fast food never appears on the menu.”
-
Eric Schlosser
Once impossible decades ago,
nowadays you can look up specific nutritional information on menu items at most
chain restaurants simply by visiting their website. Even if you do not have
time to take this important step each restaurant visit, you can still make
healthier choices based on certain criteria. Typically, if you order something
that is grilled rather than fried, then there should be less calories,
cholesterol and carbohydrates associated with that alternative. However, just
because something sounds healthy in a menu description does not necessarily
mean that it is actually offering you a nutritious meal. That’s why it’s so
important to do your homework and educate yourself on which choices are more
nutritious than the others. Condiments, sauces, dressings and extra helpings of
cheese can accumulate calories fairly quickly. An often overlooked category to
consider is your beverage of choice. Whenever possible, skip the soda as its
nutritional value is virtually nonexistent and diet versions are simply not a
healthy source of nutrition. Ask for bottled water or perhaps mix it up with a
spritz of lemon or other natural flavorings in a seltzer. Many times, people
may feel awkward ordering what appears to be a super healthy food choice among
friends and colleagues. You may be concerned that someone will ask if you are
going on a crash diet or joking that you need to lose weight. However, most
times those who tease others about their healthy eating are just looking to
take the attention off of their own poor food choices. By researching your menu
options beforehand, you will give yourself the best possible opportunity to
affect positive change in your nutritional choices when enjoying meals among
those with whom you associate.
Quality over quantity
“One cannot think well, love
well, sleep well, if one has not dined well.”
-
Virginia Woolf
Our bodies are a physical
machine. The food we eat is the fuel that keeps that machine running. The
quality of that fuel determines how well that machine runs. Unlike a space
shuttle or a race car, when our physical machines are damaged, we cannot simply
build a new one. There are times when medical intervention can keep us alive
for years after discovering a disease, injury or other harmful physical
conditions. Even so, many times the damage, while manageable, is not always reversible.
The quality of the food we eat affects every aspect of our lives. From our
mental focus, the way we relate to others or our quality of sleep, our eating
and nutrition habits affect far more than our waistline or the numbers we read on
the scale.
An important aspect of
interpersonal relationships is being able to maintain proper mental focus.
While anyone may become distracted by environmental stimuli, upcoming events or
physical discomfort, you may notice that some people seem consistently more
distracted than others. Did you know that you can make positive changes to your
eating habits to increase levels of mental focus in your daily life? Low to
moderate levels of caffeine consumption within the first few hours after waking
have been shown to increase alertness and mental focus. Along the same vein,
dark chocolate not only has caffeine, but adds a potent antioxidant punch that
can help kick your focus up a notch. While best consumed from natural sources,
sugars from berries and oranges can increase alertness as well. The type of
foods you are consuming can either positively or negatively affect your mental
focus. With increased mental focus comes the ability to communicate more
effectively with those whom you associate. Your increased awareness and mental
focus provides a much higher quality interaction. Your associations will notice
your increased focus on what they do and say and will feel as though their
conversation is important to you. Positive interaction and communication are
vital to maintaining and adding to your network of associations.
An often overlooked aspect of
nutrition is how proper eating habits affect our mental state regarding social
interactions. For instance, getting enough nutrients such as omega 3’s and zinc
has been found to have a positive impact on the very brain proteins that
compose our physical minds. Eating a diet rich in fermented foods and “good
bacteria,” or probiotics, has also been linked to a reduced risk of mood
disorders, such as anxiety and depression. Regularly ingesting a sufficient
amount of probiotics can have a positive impact on your body’s ability to
produce “feel good” chemicals known as neurotransmitters, such as serotonin and
dopamine. Basically, eating well directly affects our brain function. The
healthier our minds are, the better we interact with those with whom we
associate. The higher our quality of interactions with our associations, the
more social opportunities arise and the more successful we ultimately become in
life.
Your food and drink choices
can also affect your quality of sleep. While caffeine or dark chocolate can
increase mental alertness during the first few waking hours, these substances
can also have disastrous effects consumed too closely to bedtime. While wine or
other alcoholic beverages can cause you to fall asleep more quickly, these same
libations imbibed immediately preceding bedtime can disrupt your sleep
patterns. Once your body begins to process the alcohol several hours into your
unconscious state, REM sleep is interrupted and your body does not get the
restorative effects that you require to function properly the next day. Be careful not to eat an extremely high fat
or high protein meal right before you fall asleep. Your body takes longer to
break down these substances and your sleep suffers as a result. Regular
sleeplessness due to poor eating habits begins to affect your relationships and
social interactions. People who experience regular insomnia begin to exhibit
symptoms similar to social anxiety. With increased insomnia, your appearance
also begins to change as your eyes become red with ugly dark circles
underneath. Sleeplessness also negatively impacts the appearance and health of
the skin on your face. First impressions become awkward and people wonder if
you are sick, tired or generally unwell. Such a change in appearance negatively
impacts your social interactions with those whom you associate. Making new
long-lasting connections becomes increasingly difficult and opportunities are
lost. In short, your eating habits affect your sleep and your sleep affects
your social interactions.
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