I was recently reading an article in "Prevention Magazine" about Dr. Oz. It was kind of a corny article, one of those "8 Things You Can Do To Increase Your Life By 10 Years" articles, but one small thing resonated with me. Dr. Oz was talking about eliminating stress in our lives by not making too many decisions about small things. And example he gave was eating breakfast. "Just have the same darn thing for breakfast every day," he says. "I automate as many decisions as possible, which helps me." I have to say that I agree.
I pretty much DO have the same thing for breakfast every day. I like to eat cold cereal with almond milk, and coffee with fancy creamer. Its a routine for me, and that takes away a certain, small amount of stress in the morning.
I do a similar thing for lunch, although the routine of lunch changes every couple of weeks. Right now I am on a "McDougal Vegan Instant Soup" kick. One bowl of any variety of that delicious soup is 200 calories. It is a surprisingly hearty meal and one that takes me time to eat. So lately I look forward to having that for lunch, along with a piece of fruit or 2 and sometimes a sandwich or some chips. Again, knowing what to expect at lunch time eliminates some decision making and a tiny amount of stress. It also helps me better plan my day in terms of eating if I know roughly how many calories I will have when it comes to dinner time, and meal in which I do appreciate variety.
Routine may not be your cup of tea, but as Dr. Oz says, it can help us out a lot because it automates some decisions in the day. This not only relieves a small amount of stress, but also prevents me from making a poor food decision. There is a power in routine for me. Is there for you?
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