A very high percentage of women I meet who juggle a busy working schedule and a home and family, put themselves at the bottom of the list of priorities.  Dashing around in the morning to get the kids off to school, or to catch the train mean that often we skip breakfast but grab something mid morning, a danish or chocolates.  No wonder then that recent research has found that people who skip breakfast tend to end up eating more calories during the day than those who start the day with a bowl of cereal!

Not that we are advocating calorie counting – that’s something we really want people to move away from, because all calories are not equal – 1,000 calories coming from fat have a very different impact on your body than a 1000 coming from protein foods.

This emphasis on low calorie diets has had a hugely damaging effective on our health.  As well as damaging the metabolism, osteoporosis, heart disease and the early onset of menopause are also health risks.  Sadly the dieting treadmill can lead to anorexia, this article on ‘how dieting ruined my health’ gives the true picture of the costs of dieting taken to extreme.

So what can the busy professional woman do to ensure she stays healthy, clear focused and full of energy?  My top three tips would be-

1. Always eat breakfast!  If you can, include some protein in the meal – eggs, fish would be ideal
2. Start the morning first thing with a cup of hot water and a couple of slices of hot lemon, in order to get the digestive system going.
3. Cut down on your caffine intake – too much caffine will affect your blood sugar levels.  It may cut your appetite in the short term, but you will be much hungrier overall, it can also cause stress, anxiety and mood swings – so not the best frame of mind to be in when you have lots of business decisions to take!

and lastly - always consider yourself at the top of the priorities, if your health suffers – who’s there to look after you?