Being fit and maintaining your health & weight when you have a to-do list a mile long, follow-up phone calls to make, deadlines to meet, and countless work conferences and client dinners to attend, is almost impossible!

I say almost, because there are actually some small, yet very powerful ways you can meet your health goals with little effort.

1. Eat Breakfast. Every Day!

A good breakfast dictates your energy levels and your eating behaviour for the whole day. Breakfasts high in dietary fibre promote positive bodily responses by reducing cholesterol, managing blood glucose levels, and forming a healthier gut lining, resulting in natural bowel regulation, remaining fuller for longer after a meal, and an overall better mood. Therefore, less excess weight!

Tip: Keep breakfast a simple routine:

a. Have a set time to eat daily, ideally before 9 am.

b. Keep it in stock. 

In your work cupboard or desk drawer:

A bowl, ½ cup wholegrain oats, 1 small piece of fruit (skin on), flaxseeds and/or and psyllium husk powder (toppings for added essential omega-3 fat content, contains phosphorous, iron, thiamine, magnesium, manganese and copper for bone health and to support your metabolism).

In the work fridge:

Milk and/or yoghurt. Combine all ingredients and enjoy.

2. Snack Every 3 Hours!

A snack rich in protein and complex carbohydrate curbs your desire to overeat during meals, by regulating your blood glucose levels.

Tip: Keep a bag of raw nuts and dried fruit in your handbag, the office cupboard/drawer or in the car!

3. Drink Water!

Swapping sugar-sweetened drinks or fruit juices with drinking water will reduce your chances of weight gain creeping up on you by 0.49 kilograms over 4 years! How? Water has no calories, it helps keep you full, and it hydrates your mind (read: thinking clearly to make the right food choices).

Tip: Replace just one sugar-sweetened drink or fruit juice, with one cup of water daily and you will automatically reduce your daily caloric intake.

4. Mindful Eating!

It is eating with the intention of caring for yourself and attention to your food; enjoying food and how it affects your body.

Tip: Ask yourself: “Am I actually hungry?” Or are you just bored or stressed? Chew each mouthful 20 times and put your knife and fork down in between each mouthful. You will eat up to 15%-25% less, and may actually enjoy the process of eating.

5. Exercise!

As we age, our muscle mass declines and can even reduce by up to 40% between the ages of 20-80 years! This decreases further if we do not make exercise a regular part of our day. The loss of muscle mass is typically offset by a gain in fat mass, and as this increases, we can find ourselves at risk for serious complications such as cardio-vascular disease and diabetes.

Tip: Take the stairs instead of the lift or escalator and/or go for a 10-minute walk every hour if you work long days at your desk and you have instantly added an extra 80 minutes of walking your day!