The BDA’s Dietitians Week 2016 (6-10 June) took place on the theme of workplace health in conjunction with the BDA’s Work Ready Programme.
As part of this week, each day focused on a key element to ensuring workplace health. I will be using the themes as topics for the next few weeks. When we asked people if they could eat food at regular intervals at work to avoid negative effects of hunger like fatigue, poor concentration, and irritability the results showed that 16% of people surveyed never have the opportunity to eat food regularly at work, and 43% are only able to sometimes.
Healthy food choices help us feel and function well at work, whereas hunger will have a negative impact on our productivity and well-being. What we eat influences mood, energy levels and concentration – even how we deal with stress.
Our brains need a steady supply of nutrients so regular eating patterns with a good variety of foods from the major food groups really helps.
What happens in our bodies when we do not eat at regular intervals?
Blood sugar rollercoaster
Within four to six hours of your last food intake your brain starts to experience fuel shortage resulting in you becoming tired, sluggish, moody and irritable. Your attention, memory, concentration and general mental performance are affected.
When you are feeling unwell mentally and physically you are more likely to give your exercise session a miss and start craving for unhealthy snacks.
Slow metabolism
When skipping meals or not eating regularly during our work day gives our metabolism (digestive system) nothing to do, causing our metabolism to become lazy and slow. Next time you provide it with food to break down, your metabolism finds it harder to kick in. As a result, the food transforms into fat more readily and gets deposited in all the places you don’t want it to be. Over time, the body gets used to the shortage and starts holding on to fat stores, while reducing your lean muscle tissue, which is a recipe for weight gain and increased risk for chronic diseases.
Mood boosting dietary tips:
1. Eat whole grain or low GI (the right) carbohydrates Complex carbohydrates provide energy as blood glucose (sugar) to the brain. The best choices to help sustain energy levels during the day and enhance our mood are those that are slowly digested. Examples include wholegrain or seeded breads, wholegrain breakfast cereals, pasta, brown rice, couscous or bulgur, pulses and beans and all types of fruit and vegetables.
2. Eat nutrient dense foods rather than empty calories This includes foods rich in iron, B vitamins and other nutrients important for healthy brain function. Examples include wholegrain starchy foods, low-fat dairy and plant-based dairy alternatives, lean meat or poultry, eggs, fish, pulses and nuts as well as all types of fruit and vegetables. Empty calories are foods that contains a lot of energy but little or no nutrients for the body the use, like fizzy cold drinks, potato crisps, candies, chocolates etc.
3. Keep well hydrated Dehydration can make us tired and lacking in concentration which affects mood and productivity at work. Adults need at least 6-8 large cups or glasses of fluid per day. We need more if we are in a hot dry environment or if we are physically active at work. Water is great but plenty of other drinks count including tea, coffee, low-sugar flavoured water and low-fat milk. Dietitians are the experts when it comes to looking at the most up-to-date research on links between diet and how we feel, and translating this into practical guidance for mood boosting choices.
To find a registered dietitian near you go to www.adsa.org and make sure that you receive the best dietary advice.
Follow Anke vanWaveren, Registered dietitian on Facebook.
