To Your Health

Typical entrepreneurial scenario No. 126: You've been up all night, you didn't eat a decent dinner, and you're going to start gnawing on your stapler if you don't get some food into your body. You're busy--very busy--and being healthy might get lost somewhere between your fax machine and your cell phone.

Instead of slapping down $6 at the local Greasy Burgers "R" Us for a 1,000 calorie combo meal, consider healthier, cheaper alternatives that you can stock on your own kitchen shelves. In general, you'll want to live by these mantras:

1. Cut the "bad" (saturated) fats and increase the "good" (unsaturated) fats. Sources of bad fats include coconut oil, butter, full-fat dairy products, palm kernel oil and animal fat. Good fats include olive, canola and corn oils.

2. Cut the buzz. Reduce your intake of caffeinated beverages.

3. Eat your fruits and veggies. Go for mostly dark green, orange, red and yellow ones.

4. Drink water. Get at least eight 8-ounce glasses per day.

5. Eat whole-grain products. Your best sources are whole-grain breads, cereals, rice and pasta.

6. Drink alcohol in moderation. While several studies show that a little can alcohol can help protect you against heart disease, it has also been shown to increase your risk of cancer--not to mention add pounds--if you go overboard.

That's a lot to think about when you're hungry, tired and busy. That's why Edstrom suggests you take a break and get someone else--such as a housekeeper, relative or friend--to do the cooking once in a while. Another efficient way to eat healthier is to stop focusing on eating three square meals a day. Instead, stock up on healthy snacks such as almonds and apples.

And don't forget breakfast--it'll jump-start your metabolism, give you energy and control your hunger so you don't go overboard at lunch time. Again, you should stick to whole-grain breads and cereals, nonfat milk, and foods that are high in fiber.

"Learn to listen to what your body [is telling you]," Edstrom advises, adding that dieting of any kind usually doesn't work. "Go back to the basics, then feel what your body needs from there. Go to a nutritionist if you think you're still not clear. In general, start by eating less, then combine that with the evolutionary approach to cleaning up your act."

This article was originally published in the October 1999 print edition of Entrepreneur with the headline: To Your Health.