One year later … and many of us are still working from home. And it looks like we will continue to do so for a bit (or a lot) longer. What started as a temporary arrangement has become the norm. So, we might as well embrace it and make the most of work (and life) in our home office. So this week, I have another major tip for my community – and it’s all about: ENERGY. 

I hear from so many friends and clients (and I have experienced myself) that our energy levels when working from home can dip. Or sag. Or just vanish. Who knew that working in a corporate office would actually keep our energy up?

Energy robbers in the home office

But it’s true that there are a lot of ways that the home office can rob us of energy, in many subtle and hard-to-perceive ways. To start with, it can turn our nutrition upside down. We snack too much, or we eat too much sugar, or our nourishment simply gets messed up. We also move too little. And we scarcely get outside the house, into fresh air, into the light. And we miss the energy we get from meeting others. These are just a few of the ways that the home office can be an energy drag.

Balance your nutrition

So, we need to take deliberate and conscious measures to keep our energy up. One of the most important ways is through BALANCED NUTRITION – specifically through balanced macro-nutrients. Balance your complex carbs with protein and healthy fats, and make sure you’re getting fiber and enough hydration in there. Simple. This will keep your blood sugar stable. And your energy levels stable. And as a nice little bonus – it will help keep your mood stable. 

SIMPLE solutions – key nutrition hacks to achieve these goals easily at home:

Here are a few go-to solutions that hit all these marks.

Make hydration part of your home office set up

Firstly, make a cute stainless steel water-bottle (like the Optimum You one!) or a bigger glass jar, a pretty mason jar with a stainless steel straw or something else you LOVE part of your home office set up. Always refill it and make sure to drink a certain amount a day. It reminds you to drink – and it is a nice piece in your work space.

Eat fresh, colourful and balanced snacks

Secondly, ditch the comfortable but empty carb snacks and turn to veggie- and protein-forward snacks. Hummus with veggies. Apples with nut butter (if you tolerate nuts). A nice-looking salami, cheese and veggie plate. Boiled eggs. You can get each of those snacks ready in under three minutes.

…my favourite nutrition hacks for home office days full of energy!

Thirdly, try out one or both of my favourite quick nutrition solutions for a balanced, colourful, fiber and protein rich easy meal – BOWLS (who doesn’t love them!) and/or SMOOTHIES.
For BOWLS – hop over to this recent post that walks you through the concept and gives you and easy bowls-assembly-guide to download.
For SMOOTHIES – for a mid-day meal, look no further than the smoothie. Yes, I am talking about Smoothies again 😉 I’m attaching my Smoothie-making guide once more for your reference. But the protein- and healthy-fat rich, veggie and fruit forward, hydrating smoothie is deliciously addictive once it’s woven into your routine. If you turn your smoothie into the centre-piece of your daily nourish routine, everything else falls into place easier. And … your home office day suddenly has more: ENERGY.

• Smoothies are simple to assemble and a great way to make sure to get a balance of protein, some healthy fat and tons of colour!
• You can easily hide tons of greens, cauliflower or herbs and sprouts – and ensure to not overdo the sweetness. Too many smoothies around are heavy on fruit, dates and sweet – and don’t have enough fiber, protein and veggies – so make sure to watch that balance.
• As you are blending and not juicing, you get the goodness of the whole fruit or vegetable – versus juicing out the fiber – which is a huge advantage!
• You can add flaxseed, hempseed, chia (careful with consistency!) for added healthy fat and fiber.
• Little bits of healthy fat like a spoon of nut-butter or some avocado make the meal complete (and more filling).
• A high quality protein powder as well as extra green powder and/or extra fiber and gut superfood turn your Smoothie into a super healthy treat. Check out the Optimum You Shop Smoothie Favourites for inspiration.
• There are so many yummy variations – follow the Optimum You Smoothie assembly guide to build your own variation – and for recipe inspiration, hop over to pinterest.