Eating well for productivity and meeting those work deadlines!
Written by Claire Thomas, Nourish To Soar.
We all have those days where we are just not as productive as we’d like. It could be because you’re tired, woke up late, gave yourself too many things to do or generally cannot find the motivation to do the task at hand. Whilst there are many reasons for reduced productivity have you ever stopped and thought that what your eating is having an impact?
One of the things I see with my clients is eating well goes out of the window as soon as the work increases and deadlines loom. They talk about the morning and afternoon slumps, needing to grab more chocolate and caffeine to stay focused, concentrated and productive. They start avoiding taking lunch breaks for fear of running out of time, eating at their desk and usually eating something quick and easy.
I get it. When you’re stressed and busy, eating, or preparing food is an inconvenience. What if I told you though that fuelling yourself with the right foods would mean you would be more productive, avoid those mid-morning or afternoon slumps and be able to meet those deadlines.
When you eat well you give your body and brain the fuel it needs to work as effectively as it can. Think about your car for a second. If you don’t put the right fuel in, it’s ok for a while and then it runs out of steam! It’s the same with your body.
What can you do to support yourself? Here are my 5 top tips to get you started…
1. Make your eating decisions before you get hungry – when you plan ahead, you’re less likely to grab foods higher in salt, calories, fat and sugar, and more likely to choose foods that will fuel you as you need. Planning will also save you money and right now we can all do with some of that.
2. Eat balanced meals – I understand the ease of grabbing the local meal deal, usually consisting of a sandwich, crisps and fizzy drink. However, your body isn’t thanking you for that. Eating meals such as this creates energy crashes, meaning you’re more likely to be grabbing the crisps, chocolate and cake, to keep going but then you find you crash again. It’s a vicious cycle.
Meals that contain a combination of protein (e.g. chicken, tofu, beans and turkey), complex carbohydrates, (e.g. brown rice, brown pasta, and vegetables), healthy fats (e.g. avocado, nuts, seeds, oily fish) and fibre provide sustained energy and allow you to stay focused for longer. Omega three’s which is found in oily fish and flaxseed can also support increased cognitive function.
Photo by Ola Mishchenko on Unsplash
3. Fill your plate with colourful fruits and vegetables – studies have shown that eating a diverse diet can support you to be happier, more engaged and increase creativity. Anyone for a salad? Don’t worry if you don’t like salad, play around with different foods and see what you like. I encourage you on your next trip to the supermarket to put one new vegetable you wouldn’t usually eat, into your trolley and then search for recipes to help you try something different. The aim is to eat 30 different plant foods a week, this also includes herbs, spices, nuts and seeds. Think about including a sprinkle of chia seeds in your porridge or a tablespoon of mixed seeds on your soup. It all helps.
4. Stay hydrated – did you know that when you start to feel thirsty you are already dehydrated? Being dehydrated impacts your cognitive function and increases fatigue. Try having a water bottle on your desk or sent reminders on your phone to help you increase your water intake. If you don’t like water, try adding fruit to it to add flavour or sparkling water for a different taste.
5. Limit sugar, processed foods and caffeine – Sugary snacks and highly processed foods will contribute to those energy crashes, leaving you feeling fatigued, struggling to concentrate and focus. Smart snacking, that is choosing a combination of protein, complex carbohydrates and healthy fats, can help keep your energy levels stable between meals. This could be a small handful of nuts with a piece of fruit, a boiled egg with veggie sticks or hummus on some oatcakes.
Caffeine for some can also cause slumps, because whilst some caffeine can boost alertness, too much can lead to disrupted sleep patterns. This may then impact your cognitive function and increase your desire for more sugary foods! Try swapping a caffeinated drink for a glass of water to help you with your hydration too!
Eating well is just one part of increasing productivity. Getting enough sleep, managing stress and moving your body will also support you being productive and meeting those deadlines. Now if you’ve read all this and feel overwhelmed by putting all this advice into action, I encourage you to focus on one thing at a time and see how you go. For example, increase your water intake to 6-8 glasses a day for the next two weeks and see how you feel. Once you’ve embedded that addanother thing in such as a balanced lunch for another couple of weeks, continuing to reflect on how you feel. Small steps of consistency will create the bigger changes you need and once you see your productivity increase it’ll be harder to go back to the old ways of doing things.
For those of you that want a higher level of support to eat well then that’s where I come in! As a registered Nutritional Therapist and NLP coach, I am here to assess what you need to be more productive, giving you an action plan and accountability to improve your diet and overall health. To find out more go to www.nourishtosoar.co.uk.
Come and connect with me on:
Insta: @nourishtosoar
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LinkedIn: Claire Thomas
Claire Thomas, Registered Nutritional Therapist and NLP Coach
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