Every time I step into a Corporate firm, it takes me back in time, reminding me of those good old days spent among busy work cabins, short break pantries, fun filled teams, frequent cafe visits and more. The last time I was at a company for a Corporate Nutrition Programme, I was reminiscing and living those nostalgic memories, while the HR person welcomed me heartily to address their employees on practical nutrition strategies to follow at their workplace. As I got ready to present, she came close to me and requested “When you leave, can you please give me a sample diet plan to lose 5 kilos? “. I smiled and told her that she may not need any sample diet chart after the workshop.

As the employees were keen to know the nutritional strategies, I began with showcasing the challenges a typical corporate employee faces. The top challenges included lack of time, no fixed schedule, not getting aligned to the body clock, no healthy snacking options, sleeplessness, stressed and anxious most of the time and more. No Corporate nutrition programme will have an impact unless this awareness is created and for them to move to the next segment where it was all about making sure we eat right, in spite of all these challenges. Here are the top 3 strategies that left them in introspection and pushed them to make a healthier transformation.

This is the most important mindset that one needs, as we set ourselves towards a transformation. In this busy world, where each one is filled with more than 24 hours worth work to do, we honestly should not be expecting someone else to take care of us. We in India, are taught to take care of everybody else, but ourselves. However, if you constantly remind yourself and say to yourself “MY HEALTH IS MY RESPONSIBILITY”, then you will begin making the time to pack some healthy options, to exercise regularly, to meditate, to pick the wisest choice of foods, to create a work-life balance and most importantly, you will stop abusing your body by giving unhealthy foods and erratic schedules.

In this segment, we asked employees about their craving for specific foods and it was a fun interaction as there were people who craved for foods like pastries, pasta, chips, aerated drinks and more while they were upset, emotionally down or for no reason. Interestingly, according to scientific studies, each kind of food craving can reflect an underlying emotional problem. For example, if someone is craving for aerated drinks, deep inside it may mean that person needs more excitement in life. So, the next time you come across a strong food craving, understand the root cause and try to work on that issue, rather than suppressing the emotion by a huge slice of pizza or a pack of chips. The moment you address the deeper need, the cravings will automatically fade away.

Never mix food with work or entertainment. Eating while working or watching TV, eating while chit-chatting or while on phone etc are a strict NO-NO!!! Eating food needs focus, concentration & involvement. Eating is an activity where one needs to involve all the senses and enjoy the flavour, aroma, taste, smell, consistency and texture. Chew every morsel well till you digest at least 50% in the mouth and eat slower. Focus on the nourishment entering your body. The moment you focus on connecting with your body and nourishing it with focus, you will see a healthier you. While we all work, struggle and earn to have good food, it’s an absolute irony that when the food is placed in front of us, we choose to give the least respect. When we eat mindfully, we eat lesser, we eat healthier and we eat happier. 

Few of the other strategies include regulating your body clock, cutting down on your calorie load, the teamwork among nutrients and more. It’s always easy to eat healthy when the thought is fixed in the mind. The moment this is fixed, we identify multiple options to make healthy choices.However, with a self-pity or an excuse mindset, we can never work towards progress.

As the workshop ended, while a couple of employees walked up to me to share some key takeaways from the Corporate nutrition program, the HR person walked up to me and said “Now I know its all about practical strategies that can be followed for a longer period of time and NOT a short term diet chart” – I gently patted her back because I knew she realized its all about a transformation, it’s all about small steps taken each day and it’s all about making up the mind, wherever you are!!!