(The Statesman) Are you a 9-5 professional? Or a businessman? Is your work being affected because of low energy levels and poor productivity? If yes, then now is the time to change your eating habits and lifestyle. If your day starts with restlessness and ends with fatigue, then the reason is a poor and neglected diet pattern.
A usual busy day begins without a breakfast followed by an unhealthy lunch which keeps the energy levels on a toss, and throughout the day we keep eating whatever comes our way, also known as office binging! So if you want to increase your productivity and maintain your energy level throughout the day then make these habits your best friend from today!
NEVER SKIP BREAKFAST
No matter how late you are getting for those meetings or for office, make sure you always eat your breakfast. As the name suggests break-fast, after a long gap from your last meal in the night, its time to break your fast in the morning to give a kick-start to your day. A healthy breakfast comprising of fruits, cereals, vegetables, nuts and seeds, high fiber breads, milk, and yogurt will give you pretty much all the superpowers to work and maintain that energy in office!
KEEP A WATER BOTTLE ALONG
It is very important to stay hydrated in the office. High level of air conditioning in offices tends to dehydrate us.
This leads to a dip in our energy level, also due to the high intensity of work we forget to sip water. Make sure you drink as much water as you can during office hours. For this always keep a glass bottle full of water on your desk (it’s always good to drink water in glass or copper bottles).
For a change, you can make a number of detox water, by adding some mint leaves, lemon slices, cucumbers, apples to your water bottles. These will give you added benefits of vitamins and minerals from those fruits.
REPLACE SNACKS WITH FRUITS
Yes, we all feel like munching while working. Especially the time around evening when we hear the sizzle while opening a pack of chips or munchies. At this time of the day, we all should replace those unhealthy snacks with fresh fruits or salads. It’s easy to carry fruit from our home which is hassle-free to eat like an apple or banana. We can also approach our office canteen if salads or fruits are available there. Remember, junk food is just junk! And will never energize your body and mind. You can incorporate dried cranberries or roasted and salted seeds to your office snacks for some healthy munching.
SWITCH TO HEALTHY CAFFEINE
Most of us are caffeine addicts, we need a strong cup of coffee or sugary drinks all the time while working and often lose a track of how much we have consumed.
Caffeine in high sugar drinks can spike up the energy but it eventually results in an energy crash.
The best way to deal with this is to consume caffeine in a smart way like green tea. This will satisfy your caffeine needs and will keep you healthy.
SPACE YOUR MEALS EQUALLY
The best way to stay energized throughout the day is to eat at frequent intervals. Many of us tend to hog or overeat during breakfast or lunch and then go on without eating for 4-5 hours.
This is the biggest energy-killer. If you want to stay enthusiastic and productive for the entire day then it is important to eat at fixed intervals to balance energy levels. Try to be choosy of what you eat during team lunches or office parties.
DO NOT BE A DESK DINER
When it comes to meeting deadlines or work pressure, it sometimes becomes impossible to leave your desk for even a lunch break. Thus, we end up eating at our desk while working. This is an office sin! Sending emails, typing, reading, because so much is happening you are unable to concentrate on your food, and the nutrients of your meal do not reach your body. So always take out time, be off your desktops and eat peacefully.
If you are a night worker, then you know about the drastic swings in your energy level. Night shifts are already an interruption to our natural body cycle. Here are few tips for those working in the graveyard shift!
- Melatonin is a hormone which our body secretes; this hormone helps us to sleep. While sleeping eat these food which contains melatonin example Tomato, walnuts, milk, olive oil, wine etc.
- Research shows that blue light from your mobile phone causes you to stay awake as it breaks down the stimulation of melatonin. In today’s world it is difficult to switch off your mobiles, so keep them away from your bedside. Try to switch off all lights and sleep in a dark peaceful room. If you are habitual to listening to some music while sleeping try to play it on your systems on a low volume.
- Being a night owl, and sleeping all day we deprive ourselves of natural sunlight. Sunlight is very important for our bones, skin, and hair. So try to read your newspaper in the garden or sip your tea/coffee in your balcony and get some sunlight whenever possible!
Apart from eating healthy try to take out some time to exercise no matter what your office timings are. Search for some easy office exercises or if you can wake up a bit early and work out!
Making a healthy change is always a challenge, but the bigger challenge is to handle work pressure with low energy levels.
So, if you want to stay fit and increase your productivity as your age passes by, follow these smart habits!
