• Home
  • About
    • Authors
  • Articles
    • Archives
    • Chaplain
    • Crime & Controversy
    • Community
    • Cop Humor
    • Editorial
    • Op-ed
    • Gear & Technology
    • Investigations
    • Laws & Legal
    • Leadership
    • News
    • Officer Down
    • On Duty
    • Tactics
  • Network
    • Illinois Network
    • Minneapolis Network
    • Tulsa Network
    • Wauwatosa Network
    • Learn more
  • Training
  • Officer Privacy
  • Jobs
  • Contact
No Result
View All Result
Law Officer
Law Officer
No Result
View All Result

The Survival Guide To Eating On Duty

July 26, 2017
Janine HenkelbyJanine Henkel
Share and speak up for justice, law & order...

My typical shift used to look like this: go to work, take calls and type…type…type. Maybe throw in some traffic control or an arrest in. But in the back of my mind I was waiting for that very special moment: lunch time.  Followed by the question: “what am I going to eat?”

If you’re a meal planning ninja, then you need to be captured and studied in a lab.  Or maybe you stuff a protein smoothie/bar in your duty bag to show a little effort.  But if you’re like the rest of us, you just fly by the seat of your pants.  Which means spending $25 at the Whole Foods hot bar or eating some $5 “value” meal that feels less valuable when you’re done eating it.

So before you head out and buy a 17 layer burrito or the Teriyaki “chicken” special, remember this: if your goal is to maintain energy and focus for the rest of the day, bargain food is not the answer. And eating healthy doesn’t have to be expensive.

Let me explain. Did you ever see that Seinfeld episode where Jerry jokes about how restaurants should make you pay first, then give you your food?  Because before you eat you’ll pretty much pay anything since you’re hungry. But afterwards you’re suddenly not so motivated to break out the wallet.

There’s a reason why we can all relate to this.  

When you’re hungry, your brain takes over and sends a very strong signal to eat. So strong it’s all we can think about. Even that very old bag of chips in the patrol room gets a second look.

Your hypothalamus (brain) is your hunger and satiety control center. It communicates through two hormones: Ghrelin “I’m hungry” and Leptin “I’m full”.  But to get that healthy, satiated Leptin response after eating, you need to eat something that’s nutrient-rich.  Not just calorie dense.

It’s the reason you can eat 20+ Oreos and not feel full, but why binging on salmon and broccoli is impossible.  And it’s also the difference between eating a heavy meal, feeling tired and then just praying for your shift to end OR eating a nutrient-dense meal that gives you the energy to stay focused, ready for the fight.

Here’s the formula to follow: high-quality protein, fibrous/starchy carbohydrates and healthy fats.  Skip the sugar, cheap oils (canola, soybean) and bready things.  It’s really that simple.  

And this is how it works.  

Whether you’re in a grocery store hunting for food or at a restaurant, you have options.

For example: grocery stores are full of healthy options like hard-boiled eggs, smoked wild salmon, grass-fed beef sticks, rotisserie chicken or natural, organic lunch meats that are minimally processed (like “Applegate”).  Pair this with an avocado, some nuts/nut butters and fruit.  All you’ll need is a spoon for the avocado. No, it’s not a meal that would be served at the Queen’s Palace but it works in a pinch. And it’s healthy.

Get an open faced burrito (no tortilla) that has the macros: protein (fish,  shrimp, beef, chicken), carbs (greens, cilantro, tomatoes rice, beans) and fat (avocado). You’ll still have the Mexican flair but not the gut bomb feeling afterwards. And it’ll cost the same.

If you eat out at a restaurant, pick a basic meal off the menu like a salad. Ask the waitress to skip the croutons and heavy dressing. Then ask for some protein (eggs, chicken, shrimp) and a healthy fat (avocado, olive oil, nuts, feta cheese) on top.  Maybe it’s an extra $1-2, but it’ll be so worth it afterwards.

Like Asian food? Ask for grilled meat, some rice and lots of veggies like bok choy, spinach and kimchi. Skip the sauce (sugar), breaded and fried stuff.  Same price. Better outcome.

Here’s an extreme example. I remember traveling to Vegas for training.  For lunch I passed on the gut-bomb buffet, instead grabbing turkey jerky, a bag of greens, some fruit and cashew butter.  I literally ate the greens straight out of the bag too. Yeah, it’s not glamorous and you may think “that’s dumb” but I was the ONLY one awake after lunch time. Which also made the remaining four hours tolerable.  After class I also had lots of energy to tear it up with anyone who was still not totally comatose.

Need some convenient food options? Look for brands like RX, Go Raw, Tanka, Epic, Exo, Bricks and Lara. I also highly suggest getting a Thrive Market membership to dramatically cut costs.  Thrive Market is best described as what the child of Costco (economical) and Whole Foods (healthy) would look like.  They not only have a website jammed full of options that are up to 50% off retail, but you can search using specific dietary needs like gluten-free, paleo, vegan, etc.

Thrive Market is offering LawOfficer.com readers (that have not yet tried Thrive Market before) a FREE membership for 30 days plus 25% off your first order and free shipping.  Just use this customized link.


References:

Austin, J., & Marks, D. (2008, December). Hormonal Regulators of Appetite. www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC2777281/


Share and speak up for justice, law & order...
Tags: FitnessFitnesswellness
Janine Henkel

Janine Henkel

Janine holds a master’s degree in Clinical Nutrition, is a Certified Nutritionist, Certified Nutrition Specialist® Professional and a Certified Ketogenic Nutrition Specialist℠ She is also a retired Police Officer and Marine Veteran, who gets the unique needs of First Responders. After almost 20 years in Law Enforcement and lecturing her co-workers about their eating habits, she retired and embarked on her new career as a Functional Nutritionist and helping others through precise nutrition strategies. For snack-sized bits of useful information, follow Janine on Instagram at @Janine.OPN or contact her at https://janinehenkel.com.

Related Posts

When Police Officers Are Too Injured To Call For Help

September 18, 2022

How To Reverse The Damage From Years As A Police Officer

September 13, 2022
Bakersfield Police

Bakersfield Police Department’s fitness team takes on the doughnut-loving cop stereotype

March 24, 2022
Utah law enforcement officers

Utah law enforcement officers share mental health struggles

November 12, 2020
survival plan

Is fitness part of your survival plan?

October 10, 2020
woman donates kidney

Woman donates kidney to Alabama officer who locked her up

September 6, 2020
Load More

Latest Articles

Eunice Dwumfour

Republican councilwoman gunned down near her New Jersey home

February 2, 2023
Alireza Heidari

Iranian illegal immigrant on terror watch list captured by Texas DPS near southern border

February 1, 2023
Gonzalo Carrasco

California police officer shot and killed while checking on ‘suspicious person’

February 1, 2023
Marine recruiters

Marine recruiters try to get members booted over vax mandate to rejoin

February 1, 2023
Sharaban K

Woman accused of murdering lookalike to fake own death, prosecutors say

February 1, 2023
Madison Russo

TikToker charged with conning people out of $37K with GoFundMe cancer scam

January 31, 2023
Load More

Weekly E-Newsletter

Subscribe—and get the latest news and editorials direct from Law Officer each week!

[newsletter_form type="minimal"]

JOIN THE FIGHT

BE COURAGEOUS

FIND MORE…

Law Officer

© 2021 LawOfficer.com

LawOfficer.com

  • Home
  • About
  • Advertise
  • Privacy Policy
  • Corrections
  • Contact

Speak up for justice, law & order

No Result
View All Result
  • Home
  • About
    • Authors
  • Articles
    • Archives
    • Chaplain
    • Crime & Controversy
    • Community
    • Cop Humor
    • Editorial
    • Op-ed
    • Gear & Technology
    • Investigations
    • Laws & Legal
    • Leadership
    • News
    • Officer Down
    • On Duty
    • Tactics
  • Network
    • Illinois Network
    • Minneapolis Network
    • Tulsa Network
    • Wauwatosa Network
    • Learn more
  • Training
  • Officer Privacy
  • Jobs
  • Contact

© 2021 LawOfficer.com