Health & Wellness: Food As Fuel—A Healthy Relationship

Do you struggle at finding balance in your life with food? Do you have an unhealthy relationship with food? Does it control you or do your emotions play a role in what you eat? First and foremost, you are not alone. This is something with which many emergency responders—and Americans in general—struggle. So what can you do?

There several key steps that will help you find the right path with food:

• Create a healthy relationship with food.
• Determine what works and is right for you.
• Have a support system, like doctors, nutritionist, health coaches, and family and friends who support you and understand what your overall goal is.

Before we delve into these concepts below, it’s important to understand that food is fuel. That is truly its only purpose. That does not mean it cannot be enjoyable, but all the body understands is that it is fuel or storage for later use. What would happen if you overfill a truck? It would create a hazard. What would happen if you put the wrong fuel in the truck? It would not operate the way it was designed and could cause damage to the engine. With that in mind, let’s take a look at some good choices that will help you follow this type of mindset.

Macronutrients

Macronutrients are any nutrients that the body requires in large amounts—protein, carbohydrates and fats. Proteins include animal meats, dairy, eggs, beans. Some examples of carbs are rice, grains, oats and fruits. Fats include clean oils, nuts, avocados and similar items. The percentages of each that is right for you will differ greatly from person to person depending on overall goals, genetics, weight, activity level, etc. You should meet with a professional to understand what is right for you. 

A key to macronutrients is getting them as “close to the earth” as possible. The fewer hands that have touched it before you eat it the better. In other words, if it went from the farmer’s hand to packaging, then to the store, it is most likely a healthy choice. Avoid things that have been processed, boxed, prepared and frozen, or modified. 

Sugar

Sugar is essentially empty calories that contain no fiber, vitamins, minerals, and other nutrients. As such, try to keep your sugar counts lower throughout the day and make sure to read labels. If something has 20 or 30 grams of sugar per serving, that may not be the best option for you consistently. That does not mean you cannot eat it; just find something else to be a consistent in your daily intake.

Quick snacks

We are always on the go, so a raw chicken breast in the fridge is not always helpful. For life on the go, or for a firehouse that is consistently getting calls back to back, having quick healthy options will not only fuel your mind and body with what it needs but also make you feel better as we push our bodies to the requirements of the job. 

Some great options are almonds, fruits, vegetables, peanut butter, granola or oats (that are not high in sugar) and Greek yogurt (that is not high in sugar). The important thing about all these snacks is that none of them need to be prepared. They are all foods that do not have a lot of processing involved and can simply been opened and eaten. 

Food shopping

Most stores in the United States are designed the same and for very specific reasons. Some of the most common items, like milk, eggs and water, are near the back of the store so that you must pass by all the isles to get them. This is simply so that you purchase more products while you are there. The unfortunate part of this is that most of the highly processed, high-sugar items are found along those middle isles. The best way to go into a store is the same way we go into a primary search—with a plan. Stay on the perimeter of the store where you will find most of the fruits, vegetables, dairy, animal meats and other healthy options.   

Restaurant food

Eating out can always be a stressor if you are attempting to make healthy choices with your nutrition. That does not mean you cannot eat out. Find something on the menu that you know fits into your plan for yourself and customize it. Just because something is not on the menu does not mean they will not make it. Let’s say the restaurant has spinach salad and a grilled chicken sandwich with fries on the menu. Ask them to put the grilled sandwich (no bun, just the chicken) on top of the spinach salad. 

Hydration

Sometimes if we have not had enough water in the day, our brain can receive mixed signals that we can interpret as hunger when actually we are thirsty. This point is not often discussed  in the health industry, but fortunately, the solution is simple: Drink more water. How much you should drink is based on your weight, age and activity level, but a good rule of thumb is half an ounce to an ounce for every pound of bodyweight. Staying hydrated will definitely support you in improving and understanding the difference between hunger, which comes from below the neckline (your belly telling you you’re hungry), and appetite, which comes from above the neckline (your brain craving something.) 

Preparation

The term “meal prep” sometimes gets a bad rap. It is just the process of planning ahead what meals you will eat that day. The alternative to that is just eating when you are hungry—and therefore likely eating what is available. That typically means fast and easy, which unfortunately in our culture does not always mean good fuel for our body. In our line of work, our job sometimes requires us to work like a fighter jet—high performance, high output. What would happen if you put the gas you put in your lawnmower in a fighter jet? Could it do the job it needed to on the fuel you gave it? This is why taking a little time to plan or purchase good fuel is so important to you being successful.

Support team

Have qualified people you can go to with questions. This could be your doctor, a nutritionist, a health coach, a trainer, a friend or other resource. It is important to make sure they support you in what you believe for your body. Help is out there. Find support and education that helps you be you.

Positive experience

It’s important to have a positive experience. This is about you and you only. To have a healthy relationship with food, it must not be linked to emotion or stress. This is not to say you should not eat things that you enjoy, but it needs to be a choice. Fuel does not control the truck; the truck uses its fuel to do the job it needs, and then we refills its tanks. This is a healthy relationship to have with food. The 80 percent rule seems to work well for many people. This means that 80 percent of the time, they make choices that are consistent with what they need and are health-conscious decisions that promote a great lifestyle, and then the other 20 percent of the time, they enjoy things that they do not have in large amounts or consistently but again are making the choice to have it. Food cannot control our decisions. 

Need help?

Start with a plan. Consult your physician and get started! Then implement some movement-based training. If your department does not have a dynamic training program, reach out to a certified trainer or nutritionist to help figure out what works best for you.

Easy Tips

• Keep it simple: calories in, calories out. On days you are doing more, your body will need more fuel, and on days that we do not do as much, your body will not need as much fuel.
• Pay attention to your body. You know it better than anyone else out there, and there is only one of you, so figure out what works best for you and run with it. If you have a bad day, move forward and make better choices the following day, knowing that it is not a diet, it is a lifestyle.
• Start your day off right. Those who tend to wake up early, get their body moving and eat well and exercise during the day tend to continue that mindset throughout the day. So get up and get going. It can be challenging to start, but you will find your body craving that lifestyle after a while.
• Find a support team who can help you determine a plan that works for you, your body and that treats food as fuel to emphasize a positive relationship with food.