Are we too busy to be healthy?

Fitness professional and nutritionist expert Zuzana Strbakova, Z-Energy, discusses how a healthy and nutritious lifestyle can exist even in a busy lifestyle.

“I’d like to be fitter and eat healthier, but I just don’t have the time”… Seriously, are we too busy to take care of our health; the single most important thing in the world?  We spend hundreds of pounds on medication, diets and other “quick fixes” to get us back on track when we get poorly. It’s silly and absolutely doesn’t have to be this way. Healthy, nutritious food and just a few small adjustments to our daily routine can make a HUGE difference. And as an employer or employee, everyone benefits: less absenteeism, more productivity and a healthier and happier workforce.

“Our office is always full of sweets, biscuits and chocolates, it’s too hard to resist,” I hear you say. Hide those “unhealthy” snacks in the cupboard, out of sight and out of mind. Instead have an apple or a few oat cakes and nuts in your drawer or on your desk for when you feel peckish. If you don’t see the temptation, you won’t give into it. Be original, start a new trend and go and buy fruit for your work-mates instead of chocolates, cake or biscuits and save these as a treat. Some forward-thinking companies already provide fruit and healthy products for their staff and for meetings, and I’m sure the resulting health and wellbeing of their staff is proof for all. And it’s good PR to show you’re looking after your visitors’ health too.

Planning and preparation is everything when it comes to food. Chicken, fish, rice, veggies, salads, pasta, nuts, spices…The average British person spends between two to four hours a day watching TV, well, you’ll only need one of those hours to prepare lunches for the whole week and your purse/wallet will thank you too.

And don’t just “wish” to be more active, become it: eat your lunch away from your desk, take a break from your computer every 30 minutes, walk to a colleague's desk rather than phoning or emailing them and use the stairs instead of the lift. Get off the bus a stop early and walk the rest of the way or take a brisk half-hour walk during your lunch break instead of shopping or glued to your mobile device. 

The bottom line is that we will never have more time to be healthy or do anything; we have to make time. 

Zuzana is running a Bite-sized Learning session on 5 August. For more information and to book your place visit here.

If you want to contribute to the Chamber blog, contact us on hannah@brightonchamber.co.uk