Quick wellness tips...starting with the vending machine who stared me down!

So I stared right back, just taking in the lineup of options. In our poll last week some of you wanted us to continue to focus on wellness tips so here you go! In that vending machine were rows of colorful shiny bags promising quick energy, comfort, or just something to break up the day. You start to envision the commercials with chocolate, caramel and a peanut or two followed by the burst of excitement.

The funny thing is, almost all of them were the same story: fats, sugars, and those immediate dopamine hits that feel great for about ten minutes… and then absolutely tank your energy. Don’t fall for it. Even the tiny bag of honey-roasted peanuts are roasted in seed oils and are design to keep you coming back for more, ignoring your health goals.

But this moment in my week got me thinking about the decisions we make when we’re hungry, stressed, in a rush, or simply trying to get through the shift. We are reacting to our hunger and not responding with intent. When your options are limited, how do you choose? And more importantly, what does that choice mean for how you feel and how you show up at work as an employee or as a team member?

What happens when we make the quick choice? When we grab the nearest sugary or ultra-processed snack, our body responds fast. You get a quick glucose spike. You get a brief burst of energy and sometimes even a sense of relief. But about 20 to 40 minutes later? The crash hits. Focus drops. Mood shifts. You feel hungrier, not less hungry. And your body starts craving more of the same.

This isn’t a failure of willpower. It’s biology doing exactly what biology does: respond to fast fuel with fast changes. So what am I supposed to do, sit around being hangry all day?

 Being hangry is real! Hangry hits when your brain runs low on glucose. The brain doesn’t like running on empty, so it triggers stress hormones like cortisol and adrenaline to push you toward food. That combo makes you irritable, impatient, and way more sensitive than you normally are.

Here’s the part many people don’t realize: if you don’t grab sugar in that moment, the feeling often passes. For example, you might feel hangry at 10:30 when your blood sugar dips, but if you take a few minutes, drink some water to hydrate, and let your body stabilize, the urge quiets down. Your system shifts out of stress mode, your mood levels out, and you think clearly again, all without the sugar spike and crash that would’ve made the rest of your day worse. We just need to survive that moment.

This is where your preplanning or decision making really counts.  When your body is stabilized, your attention is sharper. Your emotional bandwidth is higher. You’re less reactive, less foggy, and more patient. And in a work environment where the demands don’t slow down, those things matter.

When you grab that fast snack, you might feel temporarily better, but the price you pay is usually delayed. And that price often shows up in your performance, energy, or even the little frustrations that make a workday feel heavier than it needs to be.

So what do you do?The real strategy isn’t just choosing the “best” item in the vending machine. It’s building a routine and habit of having better options available before you ever get to that moment.

Be prepared each day with one or more of these options:

• A protein bar without seed oils

• A bag of raw or dry-roasted nuts

• A piece of fruit

• Homemade trail mix (consider replacing M&Ms for some dark chocolate.)

• Pre-cut veggies with or without hummus.

• A hard-boiled egg

• A simple grass fed beef stick or clean jerky

When you’ve got options, you don’t have to battle with the vending machine. You already have what your body needs.

Next time you’re standing in front of that vending machine, pause. Notice what your body actually needs. Ask yourself how you want to feel an hour from now. The choice you make in that small moment can influence your energy, your mood, and even your sense of control for the rest of the day. Offer yourself a few square breaths, a brief moment and a decision that will support your goals for the rest of the day.

You don’t have to be perfect. You just have to be intentional. And sometimes the healthiest choice is simply waiting until you can give your body something that truly supports you.