HOW TO EAT WELL AT WORK TO MAXIMISE PRODUCTIVITY

Healthy food nourishes the body and gives it the essential nutrients needed to function properly whilst also optimising energy levels.

You’re probably well versed in the fact food is your fuel and your medicine, so it really doesn’t take a rocket scientist to work out that there is a direct link between what you eat and how well you perform. 

If you don’t give your body what it needs, general wellbeing begins to suffer, energy levels become compromised, which can all impact how productive you are across the day, week, month and year. Here I show you how to eat well to improve your productivity and discover what your plate should look like to give you optimum efficiency.

During your working day, there are some key signs that you may not be eating the right things at the right times.  Do you recognise any of these?

·       Fatigue

·       Low energy levels

·       Energy slumps especially at 3 or 4pm

·       Irritability, anxiety or heart palpitations

·       Headaches

·       Inability to think clearly or brain fog

·       Higher levels of stress and depression

·       Hanger, sugar and salt cravings

·       Fat storage around your middle

·       Poor sleep

·       Weight gain

How does diet affect productivity?

Firstly, when you eat a diet high in sugar, refined carbohydrates and highly processed foods you are not fuelling or nourishing your body well.  These foods contribute to imbalanced blood sugar levels which in turn increase energy slumps and fatigue during the day, in fact all the signs above can be due to blood sugar imbalance leaving you feeling terrible and reducing your capacity to work efficiently. An unhealthy diet can lead to weight gain and increased fatigue, which can have a negative effect on your self-esteem and predispose you to chronic diseases.

Eating a highly refined processed diet is likely to lead to irritability and affect your mood, which may make doing your job more difficult. Consuming sugary snacks and drinks as well as skipping meals can lead to a decrease in energy levels. Additionally, poor nutrition could be a factor influencing mental health issues or even worsen any diagnosed mental health disorder.

Thankfully there are some specific foods that can benefit energy, weight and mental clarity at work.

What foods help to maintain good brain health?

The food you eat plays a key role in keeping your brain healthy which helps to improve mental tasks such as memory, concentration and cognition.

Brain healthy foods include oily fish like salmon. This type of cold-water fatty fish contains omega 3 fatty acids, which make up half of the fat found in your brain. Your brain uses these fats to build nerve cells, which are essential for learning and memory. Omega 3 is an essential fatty acid, essential basically means it is not produced by the body and therefore needs to be consumed regularly.  It can also be found in linseeds, chia seeds and walnuts.

Dark blue and purple foods like blueberries and aubergines are also benefit the brain as they contain a group of antioxidants called anthocyanins which help to combat free-radical damage to cells and reduce inflammation, which has been seen to cause brain cell ageing.

Don’t forget to eat your greens as these contain a good source of vitamin K, which is required in the formation of sphingolipid a type of fat that is densely packed into brain cells.  Vitamin K has been seen to reduce cognitive decline.

Magnesium found in leafy greens, nuts and seeds is essential for learning and memory. Low levels of magnesium have also been associated with anxiety.


What should you eat for productivity?

One of the easiest way to make sure you get enough nourishment from your diet for productivity, is to ensure your plate is well balanced with ¼ plate healthy protein, ¼ wholegrains or vegetables below ground and the rest ½  a plate should be a variety of vegetables from above the ground.    

This combination assures you get enough protein, fibre and healthy fat to balance blood sugars and support brain function.  It should also keep your energy levels up between meals and ward of snack cravings.


What meals should I choose?

Eating at work is invariably very tricky.  I always say you should start the day with a well balanced breakfast aiming to choose something with a slow releasing sugar content – this negates any blood sugar spike and helps keep energy stable throughout the day.  You could try something like eggs, smashed avocado with smoked salmon on a GF, Rye or sour dough toast or porridge with berries, nuts and seeds. 

Protein is incredibly good at maintaining satiety and combatting afternoon energy slumps.  Try a salad or soup with lean meats, lentils and pulses for lunch.

Dinner should be packed full of nourishing ingredients but reasonably light.  Something like a stir fry or salad

What else should you be thinking about?

Sleep is a big issue when it comes to productivity and yes, diet can help. L-tryptophan, found in foods with high protein content, is converted by your body into the brain neurotransmitter serotonin. This chemical helps keep your mood and sleeping patterns under control. Try eating tryptophan rich foods like turkey, cherries, cashews and bananas to aid the production of serotonin and melatonin which helps to control the sleep cycle.

If you are struggling to get from meal to meal without craving something else, then my advice is to choose a small healthy savoury option like nuts, seeds, humus, fish pate or lean meats with oatcakes to have between meals.  Try not to snack after your main evening meal.

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