How to Keep Business Meals (and Your Friends) From Sabotaging Your Health

You’re on your game, clear and powerful, the cumulative result of a good night’s sleep and a day of healthy choices. Then there comes that one moment that can turn all your clarity and motivation on its head. That’s the moment when you, or your business companions say, “Let’s eat.”

Peter Shallard, The Shrink for Entrepreneurs, joins me this week to talk about his challenges with business eating and travel. Yes, even enterprising psychologists and doctors struggle with this issue, so know that you are not alone.

We go on to talk about his foolproof method for defusing this booby trap while also deepening his business connections, upping his credibility, and expanding his business performance. If you have time to listen to nothing else, listen to that. You’ll find that in the middle third of this clip.

One year ago, the native New Zealander relocated to Manhattan by way of a long stint in Sydney, Australia. Sydney and New York are similarly great “walking” cities but also brim with delicious opportunities to crash a diet. Shallard had negotiated a successful balance between yummy, healthy and active in Australia.

However, once he moved to New York City, he found himself touring his way through countless great restaurants with dual purpose. He was both putting down meaningful roots with new friends AND currying business connections for his thriving entrepreneurial psychology practice. Then, the typically trim and athletic psychologist (who cryptically describes himself as being on the “fun” side of 30) found that he was accumulating kilos almost as fast as new clients.

Our interview took this subject rather tongue-in-cheek, but it has some serious implications. Though it should surprise no one, there are now credible studies that link business travel and business eating to a 5-15% increase in the development of obesity, high blood pressure and diabetes.

Find Peter’s awesome technique to defuse business meal damage, then share what other places this would be or has been useful in your life. For example, could you use it to pass up the donut tray at work, or go to bed an hour earlier?