Eating Healthy at the Salon: Tips for Salon Professionals

The foods you eat at work impact the way you eat at home and this is never truer than for salon professionals. As you know, working in a salon means that scheduled breaks are a luxury that you likely don’t get to enjoy and finding the time to eat can be difficult to say the least.

Unfortunately, this busy pace can be super-stressful and when you combine stress and a busy schedule, it’s a recipe for disaster in terms of your diet and your overall health. Not getting enough food at work has been proven to lead to poor food choices and a tendency to overeat when you do finally get home. This is why getting the right nutrition while at work is so important. To help those of you who work in this unique environment, I’ve come up with a few tips to help you eat right no matter how busy your day gets.

Pack Your Own Meals and Snacks

Between regular clients that bring in goodies and having coffee in the salon or close by, reaching for what’s on hand while at work is likely your biggest mistake. Packing your own foods and snacks gives you options when you’re hungry so that you don’t have to resort to gulping coffees or reaching for a candy bar to satisfy your hunger.

Pack Satisfying Finger-Friendly Foods

If you work in a salon, you’re lucky if you get a chance to sit and rest your feet for a second, let alone time to enjoy a hot sit-down meal! Pack foods that you can grab and eat in a pinch and choose healthy foods that will actually satisfy your hunger and keep you feeling full longer, unlike sweets and processed foods that spike blood sugar levels and lead to a “crash” shortly after so that you’re not just hungry again, but also sluggish. The key is to choose foods that are high-volume and low-calorie as well as easy to eat, such as:

• Veggie sticks with hummus for dipping
• Fruit slices
• A fruit and vegetable smoothie
• Low-fat cheese
• Unsalted nuts

These snacks are easily left at or near your work station so that you can nosh between clients. And they’re high in fiber and nutrients which will help keep your energy levels up and your body regular. And since they’ll also help to satisfy hunger for longer periods of time than processed foods, you’ll be less likely to overeat which can also help keep your weight in check.

Keep Water at Your Workstation

Even if you have a water cooler at the salon that you can hit up every time you’re feeling thirsty, chances are that you’ll put of drinking water because you’re too busy to step away. Keep a large bottle of water at your work station and aim to finish it twice before the end of the day even if you’re not thirsty. According to the Institute of Medicine, the daily adequate intake for healthy adults is approximately 3 liters (13 cups) for men and 2.2 liters (9 cups) for women.

It may seem strange to drink when you’re not thirsty, but when you consider that water plays a role in every single function of your body like flushing toxins out of your organs and carrying nutrients to cells, it’s worth it. Besides, drinking enough water during your workday helps to control hunger and keep your energy up for a more productive day. You can click here for more information on nutrition and your health.

About the Writer Adrienne is a freelance writer and author who has written extensively on all things health and beauty for more than a decade. When she's not holed-up in her writing shed researching an article or off interviewing health professionals, she can be found frolicking around her beach town with husband and dogs in tow or splashing about the lake trying to master the stand-up paddle board. You can connect with Adrienne on Facebook at https://www.facebook.com/writeradrienne.

References

• Eating Well at Work. Providence Health Plan. Retrieved on April 25, 2014, from https://healthplans.providence.org/fit-together/find-your-fit/at-work/healthy-eating/eat-well-at-work/pages/default.aspx
• Mayo Clinic Staff. (November 2012). Dietary fiber: Essential for a healthy diet. Mayo Clinic. Retrieved on April 25, 2014, from http://www.mayoclinic.org/healthy-living/nutrition-and-healthy-eating/in-depth/fiber/art-20043983?footprints=mine
• Mayo Clinic Staff. (October 2011). Water: How much should you drink every day? Mayo Clinic. Retrieved on April 25, 2014, from http://www.mayoclinic.org/healthy-living/nutrition-and-healthy-eating/in-depth/water/art-20044256