Why Taking a REAL Lunch Break is Good for Your Health

Photo: Courtesy of paperlunchbags.net
Photo: Courtesy of paperlunchbags.net

April Daniels Hussar,SELF magazine

Happy Monday! So, what's for lunch? If you're like many people, you haven't given it much thought ... in fact, you're just as likely to end up munching on a snack while glued to your computer or forgoing lunch altogether so you can either catch up on work or get errands done. Sound familiar? Well, there's a very good reason why it shouldn't -- your health!

A 2011 survey by workforce consultants Right Management found that one-third of respondents admit to eating at their desks, while another third say they rarely -- if ever -- take lunch breaks at all.

Another recent survey by Career Builder found that about a third of respondents take under a half hour for their lunch breaks, while five percent take less than 15 minutes, one in 10 never take a lunch break and nearly one in five (18 percent) typically don't leave their desks during their lunch break and eat in their workspace all five workdays a week.

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Step away from the computer, people! Why? Because it's good for you -- and your waistline. According to SELF.com nutrition blogger Sarah-Jane Bedwell, R.D., lunch breaks are important for your health and your weight-loss and fitness goals.

"Taking an actual lunch break allows you to totally focus on your food, which leads you to be more aware of how much you are eating and be more satisfied when you are done," Bedwell says.

Setting aside time to focus on lunch prevents stress eating (like eating faster because you're working on an important project), and, Bedwell says, if you are trying to lose weight, taking an actual lunch break is even more important because studies show people eat less when they are eating mindfully (without distractions).

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And here's something to share with your boss -- taking a real lunch break makes you more productive in the long run! The break time, Bedwell says, "gives your mind a chance to relax so that you can focus 100 percent on your work after your break. A 10-minute task might take 20 minutes if you are trying to eat and do it at the same time."

So what exactly counts as a "real" lunch break? Moving away from the computer and phone, sitting at a table and eating off of a plate (instead of chips out of a bag), says Bedwell. She recommends allowing at least 20 minutes to eat, "as that is the amount of time it takes for your brain to know your stomach is full," she says.

If you're like many of us, you know that a "real" lunch break is ideal, but you somehow end up munching on a take-out sandwich in front of your computer most days. What to do? Here are Bedwell's tips for making sure you take the break you need -- and deserve:

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Put it on your calendar.
"Carve out time for a lunch break on your calendar each day and keep it like you would any other appointment," says Bedwell.

Make a date. "If you have trouble getting in the habit of taking a break on your own, get a colleague to take a break with you," Bedwell says.

Multi-task!
And, no -- that doesn't mean getting work or personal emails done while you drop take-out crumbs on your desk. Work another healthy activity into your lunch break plans so you're twice as inspired to make it happen. "You could even combine exercise with your lunch break by walking or riding your bike to a restaurant that serves healthy options," recommends Bedwell.

So -- we'll ask again: What's for lunch?


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50 Healthiest Snacks
6 Secrets to Firing Up Your Metabolism