Working late hours to meet that deadline? If you are a woman you could be eating less at regular mealtimes and snacking more because of it.
Dr. Daryl O’Connor, Ph D, a senior lecturer in health psychology and his colleagues at England’s University of Leeds conducted a study of about 400 participants who kept detailed information about their age, height, weight, gender and what they ate for a period of 4 weeks, and at the end of the study it was determined that, especially for women, certain negative patterns emerged.
Because of increased stress or workloads, women in particular tended to:
- eat less at regular mealtime
- snack more on high-fat/sugar foods
- increase smoking
- reduce exercise
- increase caffeine intake
While the good news is that both men and women reduced their alcohol intake, it could just be because they didn’t have the after-hours to do so!
-Via WebMD
WebMD’s article concludes with this useful tip:
There’s nothing inherently wrong with snacking. But you probably don’t want to wreck your calorie budget every time your workday goes a little haywire. Fruit, low-fat yogurt, or a bit of natural-style peanut butter on lower-fat, higher-fiber crackers are good workplace alternatives to fatty, sugary fare.
While it is not always possible to predict working hours, it’s a good idea to keep some snacks in your desk-drawers or office fridge for exactly these situations. Here are some good ideas:
- trail mix packets (avoid the salted nuts)
- low-fat yogurt with some nut toppings like almonds/walnuts
- low-fat/skim milk (straight up!)
- regular oatmeal
- dry fruits like figs, dates mixed with unsalted nuts
- granola bars
- low-fat cottage cheese
- peanut-butter sandwiches with whole wheat bread
- fresh fruits (apples/bananas) or vegetables (carrot sticks)
When you control your snacks (and not your vending machine), you are more likely to make the right choices.
Technorati Tags: health, fitness, nutrition
