many people dont bother about a lunch break and eat at their workstations but they end up paying a heavy price for it if youre reading this at your desk sandwich in one hand and pen in the other it seems youre not alone dont even bother with a lunch break eating at our workstations but are we paying the price with our healtheating quickly is bad eating quickly can be detrimental to our health for a variety of reasons says nutritionist shona wilkinson its important that we sit up straight while eating rather than being hunched over our desk and its also important to eat slowly sitting up straight improves your digestion which reduces bloating and discomfortchew your food well chewing each mouthful slowly and thoroughly also releases more nutrients from our food leaving us healthier whereas swallowing half chewed chunks of food causes undigested particles to ferment in the gut causing more bloating however thanks to the recession the average person is busier and more stressed than ever so a leisurely lunch is a luxury many of us cant afforddont eat in a hurry if lunchtime is always rushed you can undo some of the damage by buying or preparing the right meal when were in a hurry were more likely to reach for quick processed foods that are full of fat and sugar says shona but sugary or highcarbohydrate lunches will cause a 4pm energy slump theyll give you a quick burst of energy but then youll experience a rapid fall in blood sugar levels leaving you tired and lethargic and craving sugar in the form of biscuits and chocolate protein on the other hand will slow down the release of sugar from carbs into your bloodstream and leave you fuller for longer with more energytaking a lunch break is important taking your time over meals gives your body the opportunity to release cholecystokinin or cck this hormone is a full up signal that allows our brains to register were no longer hungry and to stop eating if we eat too quickly we dont register fullness which can cause us to overeatdos and donts 1 dont drink your calories seemingly healthy juice drinks can contain as much sugar as a doughnut stick to water 2 dont eat in front of a screen according to research in the american journal of clinical nutrition we consume more calories when we eat at a computer or watching tv dr connie diekman who worked on the study advised eat then look at your computer look away then eat a few more bites better still just focus on your lunch for at least 20 minutes 3 have healthy desk snacks eating something small and healthy between breakfast and lunch will stop you craving stodgy or fatty foods try almonds andor an apple 4 skip morning coffee too much caffeine floods your body with the stress hormone cortisol says alist trainer dalton wong this can lead to sugar cravings later on stick to