Healthy Habits, Productive Employees: The Impact of Nutrition on Workplace Performance
Health is many things. As the saying goes, health is wealth. But health is also productivity. If you find your performance to be lacking at work, you might have to take a step back and assess where you went wrong. Many employees tend to overlook one important aspect of their lives – the food they eat.
In this article, we’ll talk about the nutrients that you need to stay productive and how eating the right food can help improve your performance at work.
What Are the Nutrients You Need?
When was the last time you checked the nutrition facts label of packaged food? This label contains all the necessary information on the nutrients of the food you’re eating such as the caloric content and the quantity of macronutrients and micronutrients present. While it isn’t a requirement to always check this out before eating, it can help you determine if you’re receiving an adequate intake of nutrients. Here’s what you should be on the lookout for:
Macronutrients
Macronutrients are divided into three categories: carbohydrates, proteins, and fats. Carbohydrates refer to all kinds of sugar. You obtain this from food such as rice, bread, fruits, noodles, and potato chips. It’s easy to see that carbohydrates can easily become unhealthy, which is why people tend to neglect them in their diet. Some even go as far as taking it out of their diets altogether. But you might have heard of people avoiding carbohydrates altogether. But if you want to stay energized at work, consuming 275 grams of carbohydrates should be enough for a 2000-calorie diet.
Protein is an essential macronutrient used to build and repair muscles, bones, and skin. It’s a crucial nutrient for growth and development. You obtain protein from eggs, nuts, and lean meats. The recommended daily intake for men is 55 grams a day and 45 grams for women.
Finally, we have our fats. Now, don’t be fooled by the name – it’s also a crucial macronutrient. We need it to store energy and protect our vital organs. Fats can be found in oils, nuts, and fish. There are two types of fat: unsaturated (the “good” fat) and saturated (the “bad” fat). It’s recommended to limit the intake of “bad” fat to 30 g for men and 20 g for women.
Micronutrients
Now we’re done with the macronutrients, we shouldn’t forget the micronutrients. For micronutrients, we have vitamins and minerals. Vitamins are mostly obtained from fruits, vegetables, and oils. Minerals are also found in similar food sources. These are nutrients that are needed in small amounts to ensure proper body function. If you’re not eating the right food, however, you might be receiving an adequate amount of vitamins and minerals. In that case, using nutritional supplements helps you ensure that you meet the recommended nutrient intake.
The Impact of Nutrition on Workplace Performance
We’ve given a short overview of the nutrients that you need to stay healthy. When maintaining a work-life balance becomes an issue, sometimes we gravitate towards ordering unhealthy takeout food or instant meals. While these can keep you satiated, they’re not necessarily the best options. Choosing meals with higher nutritional values not only allows you to live a healthy life but also impacts your workplace performance positively. Here’s how nutrition can affect workplace performance:
Improved Cognitive Function
Did you know that having a healthy diet also boosts your cognitive function? We’re not kidding – it helps with concentrating on tasks and making critical decisions at work. For example, if you eat a heavy meal you might end up feeling a bit groggy. Or if you eat too little, you might get distracted by hunger pangs and the sound of your stomach grumbling.
Eating food such as fruits and green, leafy vegetables can help reduce cognitive decline – ensuring that you’re always on your A-game at work. Other complex carbohydrates such as beans and peas also provide a sustained amount of energy to help you stay concentrated at work. Prepare protein-rich meals and snacks on the go by using lunch meat recipes in creative and nutritious ways.
Increased Energy and Productivity
You wake up each morning, commute to work, go on a 9-5, and return home – a long and tiring day, isn’t it? And it only gets more tiring when you’re lacking the right nutrients. For example, if you don’t eat enough carbohydrates, you’ll end up being exhausted after a full day at work. This results in lower productivity at work.
Having enough energy is especially critical to those working in physically demanding jobs. That’s why consuming enough nutrients also boosts your physical performance at work.
To avoid instances of low-energy days, be watchful of the food you’re eating and when you’re eating it. Here’s a tip: prepare your meals in advance. That way, you spend less time cooking throughout the week, and you get to pick healthier options for your meals. That’s how you can be a productive employee at work.
Better Emotional Well-Being
You are what you eat. If you frequently eat unhealthy food, don’t expect to be in high spirits so often. Studies have shown that unhealthy eating patterns can cause mood swings due to hormonal and blood sugar fluctuations. So, if you find yourself feeling irritable by the number of tasks you must do or a coworker that’s difficult to work with, then try switching up your diet to something healthier.
In Conclusion
While the relationship between nutrition and productivity is quite complex, multiple studies have established that there is a strong relationship between the two. So don’t forget: a healthy and well-balanced diet is your key to being a star employee in the workplace. And don’t forget to stay hydrated, too! Image Source
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