During a recent driver health talk, I was asked an interesting question: “What can a driver do to prepare for an upcoming DOT exam if their biometric levels aren’t in line to pass?”
Several factors can play a role in high blood pressure or hypertension. These can include those extra pounds, too much salt in your diet, too much alcohol, stress, genetics, smoking or family history. While we can’t do anything about some of these conditions, we can do something about many of them.
If you’re looking for a meal plan that can give you a high percentage chance of passing a DOT physical (of course, it depends how high your levels are), here is a “30-day DOT Diet” plan to follow.
Breakfast
Eat plain oatmeal each morning for breakfast; you can add cinnamon and sugar-free Greek yogurt or low-fat milk. Don’t add sugar! If you need a sweetener, use stevia or raisins. Also, avoid packaged oatmeal.
If you can’t cook your oatmeal, no worries. Mix uncooked plain oats with Greek yogurt and cinnamon.
Lunch and dinner
Avoid fast food! Pack your lunch (tuna, turkey or chicken are good choices). You need to have lunch to keep your levels in check. Turkey and Swiss cheese rollups are great; they’re high in protein and low in calories.
Stick to clean, lean meats — fish, chicken, etc. — and include lots of greens and other veggies.
Snacks
Mid-morning and afternoon protein drinks are a good source of nutrition that will help keep levels in check; just make sure to find a clean protein source (of course, food is always best).
Skip the late-night high-carb snacks. If you eat fruit, be sure to add some peanut butter or nuts so you don’t have a sugar spike.
General tips
- Stay well hydrated — drink water, water and more water.
- Boost your potassium: A medium-sized banana provides 422 mg of potassium and may reduce your blood pressure by as much as 10%. Eat it as a snack or add it to your morning oatmeal.
- Limit salt in your diet and add foods that are rich in potassium, magnesium, Vitamin D and calcium.
- Take vitamins to help keep your energy levels up.
- Cut out the red meat.
- Avoid anything fried.
- Consume garlic: Slice a small garlic clove into pill-size pieces; then swallow them with water — just like a pill — after dinner or lunch every day.
- Don’t drink alcohol for 30 days.
- Be active: You need a minimum of 15 to 30 minutes of continuous activity such as walking, biking, exercise band training, push-ups, stretching, etc.
For more food tips, email me at truckertrainer@me.com.
Bob Perry is a regular contributor to The Trucker. He has spent nearly the past four decades on a mission to educate professional drivers and share life-changing products and services to help them live healthier lives while on the road. Recognized throughout the transportation industry, from bus drivers to over-the-road professional drivers, Perry has played an important role in creating a paradigm shift helping regulatory agencies, private and public sector entities, and consumers understand the current health challenges of the professional driver. He has participated as a wellness advocate in several roundtable discussions, large audience groups and small forums as well as going “curbside” through a national truck stop tour.
Bob’s articles have been featured in The Trucker and a number of other national transportation industry publications and is the host of a weekly wellness call produced by Rolling Strong. Bob has been a regular guest on RedEye Radio and Land-Line Radio, and is often an invited guest on Sirius radio shows. He has been featured in the New York Times, Men’s Health Magazine, Drug Store News, American Road Magazine, WSJ, NPR, ABC National Radio, as well as hundreds of daily newspapers. He has appeared on television news shows across the nation, including a featured TV segment on ABC NightLine News.
