Increase your productivity – check your diet
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Keeping energized at work has an impact on your productivity and food and water intake play a critical role. Eating healthy and drinking lots of water is a challenge because it’s difficult to beat the allure of the corner vending machine with its tempting goodies. Here are a few tips to keep you energized for a more productive workday.
- Use Eden Spring’s water Hydration Calculator to estimate the number of glasses you should drink a day. If drinking 8 glasses of water seems like a momentous task then try taking small sips throughout the day or adding slices of lime or lemon. The idea is to never get to the point of being thirsty because when you start feeling thirsty you’re already dehydrated. According to the British Journal of Nutrition a person’s ability to concentrate declines when the body has a water deficiency of just 1-2%; it also drains energy and leaves you feeling tired. At 2% dehydration physical performance decreases by as much as 5-10%; at over 4% dehydration, physical performance declines 20-40% (Eden Springs).
- Pump iron into your diet. “Low iron, which affects up to half the world’s population, is tied to sluggishness and diminished cognitive ability…and low productivity”, says author of Food at Work: Workplace-solutions for malnutrition, obesity, and chronic diseases, Christopher Wanjek. Snack on iron-rich foods like: figs, raisins and any leafy greens such as spinach, broccoli, or romaine lettuce.
- Watch your caffeine intake. Take into account “all sources: soft drinks, tea, energy drinks and chocolate” and “aim for no more than 200 milligrams per day” (approximately 12 ounces of regular coffee), says Leslie Beck a nutritionist at Toronto’s Medcan Clinic. Beck suggests that increased caffeine levels can trigger headaches and lower productivity, but recommends making the transition down over a few weeks to avoid the “withdrawal” effects.
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