24 MINUTES in 24 HOURS FOR SELF

For many individuals, passion and commitment are constantly equated to always being available for work/family/school tasks and it is common that work stretches to weekend and night hours. There are often no time boundaries between work and personal time. We often feel physically and mentally exhausted with the work deadlines and yet we set weight loss and health deadlines (lose weight this month, lower blood glucose this week) that add to the emotional exhaustion when not accomplished in expected time.

SERVICE YOUR BODY WITH PROPER NUTRITION AT EACH MEAL SINCE YOU EXPECT HIGH PERFORMANCE AT WORK DAILY.

RegisDietitian

Health (diet and exercise) then gets added to the list of unmet life demands. We set the health goals, then worry about the additional time demands that exercise and healthy meal prepping will come with. Many feel overwhelmed each day with a missed gym session, failure to pass by the grocery shop for food items in your meal plan or getting home so late to eat dinner in time. We then come to a false conclusion that we are too busy to exercise or eat healthy meals. The truth is a lack of time for self.

Set realistic time sensitive health goals to avoid stress associated with unmet goals. In 24hours a day, you deserve to spare at least 24minutes for self. With the minimum of 24minutes you can gradually adopt healthy diet for your health goals.

1. 24 minute Diet Routines:
   1. Buy fresh produce for a week, include longer lasting items for end of week.
   2. Cook a healthy dinner or breakfast in 24minutes for example potato omelet with a tomato salad. Pan roasted chicken breast and steamed mixed vegetables served with unseived pineapple juice.
   3. Prep meals for the next day for example make a smoothie, par-boil the fish or beans.
   4. Lunch at the same eating places to avoid getting anxious about finding a health food restaurant in the middle of a busy day. Most Ugandan menus can be modified to suit your nutrient needs, you may most commonly only need to order an extra vegetable side dish or carry it from home.
2. Fitness: 24minutes daily exercise, when you have time go longer for 1, 2 or even 3 hours of exercise. On some days; Exercising 24minutes after work near your offices/home is better than arriving so late to join the gym session. His would even keep you in shape your next gym session.
3. Family and friends: combine your health goals with social event; run to a friend’s home, choose active leisure hangouts like swimming and dance class, meet at a restaurant not a bar to avoid having alcohol as the only menu item.
4. Public holidays; use these days to rest not work. Rest will increase productivity over the next days. A long exercise session is a good idea.

REGINA NANTEGE _DIETITIAN/ NUTRITIONIST, IMPACT NUTRITION COMPANY @regisdietitian   @wellnesshero_ug

If you need help mastering a healthy routine, join the me-time project.