Productivity Nutritious Tips

When we think about productivity in the workplace we rarely consider what and how we eat for those of us with a ‘to-do’ list a mile long, eating becomes less of a priority & simply a fuel like putting petrol in a car with petrol you can expect your car’s performance to remain the same, regardless of the brand that you use. Fuelling our bodies is different. I’m sure you have heard the age-old saying “you are what you eat” but it’s also true that we work how we eat.

Eating too much or consuming convenience, discretionary-style foods at lunch can seriously derail an entire afternoon however the relationship between your diet & your work output actually goes much deeper refined processed carbs kill productivity Almost anything you eat will raise your blood glucose. However, not all things raise blood glucose in the same way. Foods with a higher Glycemic Index (GI) like muffins, biscuits & even jasmine rice will cause your blood glucose levels to spike.

This normally proceeds to a large insulin spike & subsequent blood glucose crash. This blood glucose roller coaster is a productivity killer, leaving us feeling tired, hungry, emotional & demotivated. Most of us know this instinctively, however, it’s easy to fall into a vicious cycle of unhealthy eating during the workday, especially if we’ve skipped breakfast or delayed lunch because of back-to-back meetings. In these scenarios when we’ve been working hard & we’re mentally exhausted, we usually find ourselves low in energy and self-control when deciding what to eat.

This is when bringing lunch from home can really save the day as cakes or muffins from various food outlets nearby to work are a much more appetising snack than veggie sticks with hummus. In addition, when we’re busy and trying to save time, it’s easy to seek out more accessible & convenient foods, giving a feeling of efficiency. However 5 minutes saved by eating unhealthy food, usually leads to a less productive outlook for the remainder of the workday. Recommendation Tame the blood glucose roller coaster make your eating decisions before you get hungry Go for 3 healthy meals per day Bring foods from home Space main meals evenly so you don’t load all your kilojoules in the evening Balance lunch & dinner proportions to include ½ a plate of vegetables, ¼ of a plate of protein foods and ¼ of a plate of high fibre carbohydrate foods.
 
Nutrition for cognition it's not surprising that the evidence is stacking up in favour of eating a wide variety of veggies, fruits, whole grains, legumes, nuts and seeds, dairy, lean meat and oily fish to reduce mood swings, and in some cases help manage depression and anxiety how people’s diet influenced their well-being the more fruit & veggies people consumed the happier more engaged & creative they tended to be.

Go for a good quality source of protein (e.g. fatty fish, chicken, beef, eggs, beans) Don’t be afraid to choose full fat/add healthy fats (e.g. extra Virgin Olive Oil, 100% Nut Butter, Nuts & Seeds, Olives, Avocado) Add beans/legumes, basmati rice, whole grains, fruit & starchy veggies Fill ½ your plate with non-starchy veggies Cut out/reduce refined sugary and starchy carbs Go for whole, slow-digesting foods that your grandparents would recognize Hydration for productivity I’m sure you’ve heard this a thousand times “drink lots of water a day”.

There’s a reason for this it’s because this advice has stacks of evidence behind it staying hydrated can enhance your productivity, reducing the likelihood of headaches, irritability, and migraines, & it also helps us avoid non-hungry eating when we’re not physiologically hungry. Recommendation Drink approximately 3–4 litres of water per day. 

The bottom line Taming your blood glucose roller coaster, eating the right nutrients for cognition & staying hydrated are all great things to try regardless of your 3pm slump status. Give one or all of them a try to help boost your productivity and energy levels throughout your workday.