Keto, Paleo, Vegan, low-carb, Mediterrania, HIIT workouts, weight lifting, cardio, cycle classes and the hundred to thousands of other options for starting to live a healthier life can be overwhelming for anyone, even a seasoned veteran.
So, why is it so difficult to start eating healthier? This is due to science and engineered food. Our bodies have been modified throughout the years to crave foods with high-fat and high-calorie. These foods can be found in every town, with a McDonalds everywhere to being able to PostMate fatty foods when you are home.
Research shows that food can be addictive as well. What is the first thought for you when life or work is stressful? Oftentimes it isn’t that you need to hit the gym. It is reaching for candy, stopping at fast food for lunch or dinner and overeating.
Whether a driver is a long-haul driver or one who is home each and every night, it doesn’t matter because both could have unhealthy lifestyles.
This is why and how to start eating healthy.
The trucking industry, just like many other industries around the U.S., is not prone to diseases and common health issues. With a career that is mainly sedentary, here are common health problems:
- Obesity
- Sleep apnea
- High blood pressure
- Heart attacks
- Skin cancer
Yikes! All of this due to a sedentary career, but skin cancer is not caused by this. This is due to the constant sun exposure through the windows of the truck. It is imperative to understand that the road to how to start eating healthy should be slowly done. Do not completely switch out your current diet, change everything and go back to old ways in a couple of months.
Find healthier options
The first step is to find healthier options whether you are at a restaurant, vending machines or at home. Oftentimes, in most restaurants there are healthier options on menus that have lower calories or better sides. Instead of those delicious french fries, switch it out for a side salad. This is one easy step to start slowly switching to healthier eating habits.
When at home, it is important to switch out meats high in fat for a leaner meat option. Eat lots of vegetables that are high in fiber and eat as much fruit as possible. What one keeps in their space is what they will consume, so keep healthier options at all times. If there isn’t cookies in the cab or home, then you will not consume them!
A vending machine does pose some harder challenges due to the lack of variety but always go for nuts, trail mixes and snacks that are low in trans fats!
Yes, this is a blog about how to start eating healthy, but drinking water is critical to eating healthier. Major health issues that many people are unaware of is dehydration. When you are thirsty, you are dehydrated. Always keep a reusable bottle with you or a plastic bottle on hand.
Stop the caffeine addiction
A common fizzy drink with lots of caffeine inside of it can cause more harm than good! More than likely, everyone has experienced a caffeine crash. This causes fatigue and makes the driver less alert and the cycle continues with the more caffeine that is consumed.
This is where water helps! It not only keeps you hydrated, eat less in one sitting but a cold glass of water helps to wake up senses! So, instead of opening the gas station cooler for a soda or grabbing a coffee, stop and get a cold water bottle!
Keep a log or find an app
Just like there are thousands of different exercises, programs and diets out there, there are also thousands of fitness apps that help to track calories and exercise. The most common one on the market is Under Armor’s Fitness Pal app. This does all the work of understanding macros, it can scan barcodes and even more. Keep it simple.
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