How to make your desk the healthiest one in the office
(Stock up on some bottled water to keep yourself from the pitfalls of energy drinks and sugary sodas)
By Brittany Anas
We have an idea of what an unhealthy desk looks like: It’s accessorized with a candy dish, perhaps. Maybe a few empty cans of soda serve as a reminder that you need a sugar or caffeine buzz during the 2 o’clock hour when your energy level dwindles.
But what does a healthy desk look like? If you’re on a journey to lose weight or just want to achieve a healthier lifestyle, you’ve got to form around-the-clock habits that, yes, follow you to the office.
While it may be easy to eat right and get to bed on time during the weekends, the work week — with its unexpected deadlines and sometimes impromptu late meetings — can throw a wrench in our diet plans. A few tweaks to your office set-up can help you strategically plan ahead and avoid the pitfalls — like those nights the office decides to order pizza to fuel a late work session.
- Healthy snacks: Make room in a drawer for some healthy snacks that can be a good substitute if you rushed out of the house without eating breakfast or your tummy starts to growl mid conference call. Having a stash of high-fiber snacks will also keep you away from the vending machines. At Staples (www.shopathome.com/staples-coupons.html), you can find a whole section of healthy snacks perfect for your desk drawer — from nuts to Popchips to granola bars. Make a point to bring in some fresh fruit or veggies every day to snack on as well. If your office has a refrigerator, consider keeping some “just-in-case” frozen meals in there so you can avoid the group Chinese take-out buffet or pizza dinner. Looking for some healthy frozen dinner options? Check out our finds.
- Go for walking meetings: A lot of brainstorming meetings happen over coffee or lunch. Suggest going for a “walking meeting” instead. Studies have shown that outdoor exercise make people more productive. When you get back to the office, jot down the ideas while they are still fresh in your mind.
- Bottles of water: Having water stocked at a fridge near your desk will certainly help you get in your recommended eight servings a day. But it will also help deter you from those sugary drinks that cause the sugar spike-then-burn cycle. Stock up at Staples (www.shopathome.com/staples-coupons.html), where you can get a 24-bottle case for under $6 plus earn Cash Back at ShopAtHome.com.
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