It's well known in my office that I like to eat healthy. I often get picked on by my boss when he walks by my office and eyes the carrot sticks, jerky or cinnamon apple slices on my desk. He claims he is a "fruit and bread guy himself"...meaning, he'll down a couple of Nutrigrain bars or Poptarts for breakfast and lunch.
It's also known in my building that I have the office to visit for a quick snack. Some offices have free coffee and water available to their employees-we have that and a supply of free m&ms-that just so happens to live on top of my filing cabinet. These sugar-loaded-taste-of-my-childhood treats are my boss' favorite candy. Hey, I'll do anything to make the boss man happy as it makes my life better!
So, what did I do to stay grounded amidst the ridicule and chocolate stash in my office?
I started bringing in alternative snacks. Beside the m&ms, I put a jar of raw almonds. I bring in extra fruit and offer it to coworkers headed for the chocolate. My favorite offering has been "Cotton Candy Grapes". That's right, grapes grown in CA that taste just like cotton candy; they're a great conversation starter and they often deter away from the junk. Offering healthy food rubs off. I smile when I see fresh blueberries in the place of ramen noodles in one coworkers office. I love when people visit my office to tell me of their farmers market finds. Rather than give into temptation, I found it better to inspire others and to eat what you want, not what others expect you to eat.
So, how do you do it? Have you ever been in a food crisis in which you were afraid of feeling rude because of your paleo lifestyle?
Definitely bring snacks that are Paleo Friendly, and are way too good to pass up. "Candied" almonds or walnuts, or lunches that look like normal food (curries, muffins etc) but are home made paleo stylleeeee. I am seriously a sucker for free food though, so when I am out of my goodies I can't even take a glance. I hang out with a lot of vegetarians at work and in my hippie town where I live, and they don't understand why chick peas, beans, veggie pizza and brown rice aren't really the best foods for you. I'll let them feel better when I tell them I only eat steak if its organic, free range, and grass fed (plus one if its local). It sounds easier to deal with than the boss who thinks a strawberry pop tart is a serving of fruit, though. Key to Paleo... BE PREPARED... always!
ReplyDeleteGreat topic/discussion! Katie brings up the key point of being prepared. Having food prepared ahead of time helps avoid caving and eat a less than optimal food choice. At my desk at work, I keep Lara Bars, Steve's Paleo Kits, and a variety of nuts/seeds. My biggest problem sometimes is serving size and not overdoing these small quick snacks add up to a full size meal haha.
ReplyDeleteI get pinged at work as the healthy, someone remarking that 'oh aren't you on some crazy diet...'. No paleo is not some crazy diet, we all know that, but I find now to just avoid getting into an argument about it. I just say well eat some good quality meats, lot of veggies, more than regular amount of fat, and some fruit. They usually then reply 'oh'. Whole9 just posted a great blurb on Paleo in 60 seconds, http://whole9life.com/2011/09/nutrition-in-60-seconds/.
One way to get out of a tough situation is just say you are sensitive to gluten and you'll get a gastro issue if you eat said food, usually that'll make people feel uncomfortable and drop it. Or if it is gluten free, if you are eating GF, it's a least better than totally caving. You can continue on the 80/20 rule that Mark Sisson preaches too. We would all love to be all paleo all the time but sometimes it's tough with people who hasn't 'found and eaten the light' haha :).
I have definitely used the Gluten causes issues topic... although it makes people look at you like you're "special".... I've gotten people who said "So you're one of the .5% of the population this effects?" when I truly believe we are all sensitive to gluten, we just don't know it yet! The 80/20 rule really helps in this situation, as it is easier to find GF than GF AND Paleo.
ReplyDeleteI am going to be googling Steve's Paleo Kits....
oh, and half an avocado with some red sea salt stops me from eating too much with snacks, by the way :)