Eating nutritiously and at the right times can greatly benefit your attitude and capability at work. For many of us, however, heeding need for balanced meals is yesterday’s news and yesterday’s discipline. Since Ray Kroc opened the first McDonald’s in 1955, society has become a “fast food culture” ad nauseam. Family and work demands on our time have kept fast food restaurants in business and despite all the scary headlines in recent years, too many people still have poor diets and poor eating habits.

To get back on track, start with a good breakfast. Studies show that people who skip breakfast are missing out on an important source of energy for their day — and therefore have less energy than those who eat breakfast. People who skip their morning meal also tend to have a higher proportion of fat to other substances in the body, are not as mentally sharp, and have less physical energy. So take the extra 10 minutes, and fuel your body in the morning. Your body will thank you. Also take a multi-vitamin every day to reduce feelings of lethargy and to ensure that you’re getting most of the basic nutrients.

While we’re at it, don’t skip any meals. If you skip a meal, the ensuing hunger and lowered blood sugar can make you tired. It can also make you want to eat a huge meal later, and you will end up downing a large quantity of unhealthy food to satisfy your hunger instead of eating two smaller, more reasonable meals. This will have the effect of making you feel tired and sluggish afterward and, if you make a habit of it, to gain weight.

Food Choices Make all the Difference

You already know that fruit and vegetables are far more beneficial to you than sugary or salty snacks. The graphical representation of diet recommendations that you see changes often — it may be a square with four food groups, a food pyramid, or some other colorful diagram. More important than the diagram, however, is the idea it’s getting at; experts recommend eating a balanced diet that includes plenty of fruits and vegetables — fiber-rich foods — also sufficient carbohydrates, a measure of meat and dairy, and limited fats and sugars. So, stroll the produce section.

Fiber, the indigestible part of grains, fruits and vegetables, has been proven to decrease the risk of developing cancer, especially of the colon. Researchers think that the reason Swedish people have very low cancer rates despite their high-fat diet is that they consume a lot of rye bread, which is high in fiber. Reap the benefits of a diet high in fiber by eating plenty of whole grains, beans, and vegetables.

The key to eating multiple servings of fruits and vegetables per day is to spend ten minutes in the produce section of your local supermarket, and buy a bunch of colorful fruits and vegetables. By filling up on these healthy foods, you’ll be less likely to eat nutritionally-deficient foods.

Reading the labels on the foods you eat plays a big part in nutrition awareness. When you glance at the label and realize that there are 10 grams of fat and 300 calories in every cookie, and you just ate 5, you’ll realize where that extra weight is coming from. It doesn’t take a genius to understand what the numbers mean.

Also your body will draw more nutrients from the food if you take your time. As a general rule, the way you eat is almost as important as what you eat, and in some cases more so. For example, if you eat fresh fruits and vegetables in a rapid manner, feeling stressed and hardly digesting them, you won’t get anywhere near the full benefit those foods would normally provide. Eat slowly, chew well, and enjoy your meal.

Eating on the Road

If you can, eat before you dine! If you eat healthy snacks before venturing out to a restaurant, you’ll ensure you eat balanced meals, and since you’ll be less hungry, you may save money on expensive restaurant food! Also, take control of your food. Trim the visible fat off meats, pull off chicken skins, scrape off breading, and drain excess sauce. In restaurants, don’t be afraid to order things the way you want them – after all, you are paying for your meal!

Keep an eye on limiting your food portions. The larger the servings we’re given, the more we tend to eat! So, order a la carte to get just what you want. Request a doggie bag and put half of your meal in it before you begin eating. To avoid the temptation to nibble once you have finished, drown the leftovers in salt or hot sauce.

If you order pizza, request thin crust which has one-third the calories of pan-crust. Then use a napkin to blot excess oil off the top of your slice. Also, eat about three weekly servings of tomato sauce. Evidence is looming that it’s highly beneficial to you.

Achiever Heal Thyself

When you need help, don’t ask your doctor about nutrition. Medical schools teach precious little about nutrition, and you will receive better information if you consult a registered dietitian or nutritional doctor (N.D.). You may also want to read magazines such as Rodale’s Prevention, Vegetarian Times, The New Age Journal, American Health, and Health.

It’s worth giving up 5 minutes of extra sleep to pack a healthy lunch. A good lunch will be enjoyable and leave you energized for the afternoon, and it will most likely contain fewer calories and better nutrition than packaged or cafeteria-prepared food — plus, it’s usually less expensive.

While eating at your desk may seem more productive, don’t be fooled. Lunch is a good time to take a break midway through the day to eat, collect your thoughts, and observe the scenery beyond the walls of your cubicle. If you can come back from lunch feeling refreshed, you will be much more focused and productive in the afternoon, not to mention less stressed.

Ingest all things in moderation. Allow yourself one bowl of ice cream per week or one mixed drink every other Saturday night. The earlier you have dinner, and the lighter you keep it, the better you’ll look and feel.

Believe it or not, old-fashioned chicken soup is as good for you as anything. Medical science corroborates the conventional wisdom that chicken soup can help to relieve colds and sinusitis. According to Dr. Irwin Ziment, formerly at UCLA’s medical center, the more boiled down, hot, and pungent the soup, the better. As it’s cooking, get a good sniff of the vapor.

The soup provides your body with a rich supply of antioxidants from cysteine, a component of chicken meat, and from garlic, black pepper and other vegetable ingredients. These elements both stimulate mucus secretion and increase the sinus’s ability to fight infection. Some other spicy substances that can help clean out your sinuses are hot chili peppers, mustard, and horseradish.