Last week I wrote about three easy ways to de-stress at work which included taking time out to take a walk and breath.  Now I’ve read a study in Population Health Management published in the last year which shows that not exercising AND eating unhealthily are linked with large reductions in productivity at work (50 percent and 66 percent respectively).  If you’re one of those that isn’t walking (or otherwise exercising) and not eating healthy, you might have a lot of work piling up on you that isn’t getting done.  No wonder the average worker reports feels stressed out at work.   Being at work without feeling capable of working is called “presenteeism” and affects us all to one degree or another.

The reason eating healthier could help you be more productive is because you’re supplying the body and mind with important nutrients.  You feel more awake and alert when you eat healthy, leaving you feeling energized for all the work you need to accomplish.

So, how can you eat healthier at work?  First of all, think about the culture of food at your workplace.  People bring in all kinds of unhealthy food to share with one another (think cookies, cakes, candy, etc.).  I know that this has turned into “thing we do” at work and I talk to people who look to cookies, cakes, and candy to provide comfort and pleasure.  While that may work temporarily, this kind of eating  then leads to feeling bad about yourself and a lack of energy for the work you have to do.  This behavior ultimately culminates in difficulties meeting the demands of your job and that’s when your stress level increases.  As the stress level increases, you produce cortisol in the body which is associated with the storage of fat around your middle.  Look down at your waistline and see if that’s true for you.

Isn’t it time we started thinking about how we can change our mind-set about what to eat at work?  Here are some suggestions for eating healthier at work.

1. Start a fruit bowl in your office (to replace the old candy bowl)
2. Bring in healthy snacks so you won’t be tempted by the cookies, cakes, and candy.
3. Healthy snacks to bring to work include whole grain crackers, peanut or almond butter, dried fruit, nuts, trail mix, fresh vegetables, hummus, and yogurt cups.
4. Suggest healthier food at meetings (forget the donuts and bring on the fresh fruit)
5. Have healthy potlucks with your co-workers to get people thinking about how to cook healthy.
6. Don’t bring in the food you want to get rid of at home (so you don’t eat it).  Throw it away!
7. Post this blog in an area where everyone can read it.

Tell me some things that you do at work to make the food culture healthier and if you are a University of Missouri employee you’ll be entered into a drawing for a Healthy for Life lunch bag!!  Last week’s winner was Nancy Johnson, who won a new yoga mat.

If you’d like to know more about how to eat healthier all the time, think about enrolling in my next Eat for Life class starting at the end of May.  Contact me atRossyL@umsystem.edu for more information.