Nomadic workers’ association with eating fluctuates between chore and indulgence. On days that are filled with meetings and project deadlines, you will grab whatever is fastest. Yet, when meeting a client or unwinding after a long day, you might be tempted to order something lavish.
While there’s nothing wrong with the occasional pizza lunch, or 5-star restaurant dinner, constantly fluctuating between fast food and rich meals at fancy restaurants is a recipe for weight gain, poor health and decreased productivity. And as any modern nomad will tell you, the temptations for unhealthy on the road are incredibly high.
If you’re interested in living a happier, healthier lifestyle, a good place to start is reading Dr. Joel Fuhrman’s, “Eat to Live.”
We realize you might be skeptical. After all, there are countless books and articles out there that fall into the broader “diet” genre, encouraging you to cut back on food and exercise more. But the reason why “Eat to Live” is so powerful is because it’s not a book about dieting. Rather, it’s about improving your work and life, while debunking many of the dieting misconceptions that scare people from attempting to change their eating habits.
Here are a couple of the biggest takeaways from the book:
You Don’t Have to Starve Yourself
According to Dr. Fuhrman, “Diets don’t work.” In “Eat to Live,” Dr. Fuhrman argues that you don’t have to limit your food intake and essentially starve yourself, which many other nutritionists recommend. All you have to do is change the types of foods you’re eating.
WebMD gives a nice overview of what you can eat when on the “Eat to Live” regimen. If you love salads already, this way of approaching food will be piece of cake! In practically unlimited quantities, you can chow down on raw, cooked or steamed veggies. If you don’t love salads, don’t worry. Dr. Fuhrman can still help.
Other items that you can eat in limited quantities include fresh fruit, beans and other legumes, and whole grains. You’re also allowed some raw nuts and seeds, avocado, dried fruits and one tablespoon of ground flax seeds. For exact serving sizes, check out the WebMD page or pick up a copy of, “Eat to Live.”
Road warriors on our team have dropped upwards of 20 pounds with quite small adjustments. Armed with knowledge, it becomes far easier to stay healthy and renew energy, even when on the road. People who struggled for decades with crazy diets of all types, and who never got results, usually start shedding weight very fast.
Of course, as with any program, there are some items that aren’t allowed. This is an entirely vegetarian regimen for the first six weeks, which also cuts out dairy, fruit juice, oils and all processed foods. On the bright side, while Dr. Fuhrman suggests that you avoid alcohol altogether, you can have a drink per day if it helps you to stay on the plan.
After the first six weeks, you will add back in everything but processed food and juices. That includes meat and fish if you want. Again, we highly recommend that you check out WebMD’s “Eat to Live” page for exact instructions, or just pick up a copy of the book.
There Are Plenty of Delicious Recipes
For us nomads who don’t have the time to make elaborate meals, “Eat to Live” provides a number of incredibly fast and easy-to-make recipes.
The morning smoothies he recommends as a breakfast option are amazingly filling, delicious and fast. And cooking whole oats a few times a week is a 5-minute process. I love the organic whole oats at Whole Foods. Oatmeal with a few walnuts, a banana and berries is delicious and stays with you all day. It’s also fast and easily available at hotels – a very healthy option for when you’re traveling.
For additional meal ideas, you can browse through the “Eat to Live” recipes on Pinterest. Just be aware that some of the suggestions use small amounts of olive oil, which the Dr. Fuhrman isn’t particularly fond of.
One of my favorite Pinterest recipes is the chickpea salad, which came from the “I Will Run for Food” blog. This can be whipped up in a matter of minutes. All you need is lettuce, green onion, pepper, tomato, garlic and chickpeas. Instead of dressing the salad with olive oil as the recipe suggests, you could consider topping your salad with nuts and seeds for some extra taste. And voila! You have a delicious meal. Salads like this are perfect for bringing to work in a bento box.
Between reading “Eat to Live,” and trying out some of the thousands of recipes available both in the book and online, nothing is stopping you from adopting a happier and healthier nomadic lifestyle.