Do you feel tired or sluggish at work? Do you have trouble staying on task? Is focus a problem for you?
Even those of us who love our jobs have bad days. But sometimes bad days at work don’t start when you walk through the office door – they start in the kitchen.
Your dietary decisions can have an enormous effect on your productivity, says Betsy Oriolo, a registered dietitian with St. Elizabeth Healthcare. And though it’s cliché, Oriolo contends that breakfast really is the most important meal of the day.
“The energy our bodies receive in the morning helps not only kick-start our metabolism,” Oriolo says, “it also helps us feel more energized and alert.”
Your energy level throughout the day is heavily influenced by the types of foods you eat. Fatty foods are difficult for your body to metabolize. A balanced meal that includes carbohydrates like fruits, vegetables, whole-grain bread and dairy products can give you the energy you need to make it through the day.
Oriolo recommends trying low-fat foods, like reduced-fat cottage cheese or steel-cut oats with turkey bacon. A whole-grain cereal with a hard-boiled egg, or even a whole-grain toast with a small amount of peanut butter can suffice.
Many people feel rushed in the morning, and breakfast is a commonly skipped meal, says Oriolo. But that can set the tone for a rough day.
“Skipping meals does not allow us to get that important carbohydrate source, leading to a lack of energy,” says Oriolo. She notes that a lack of energy can often lead to making bad choices at lunch, like fast food, overeating, or both.
That can lead to packing on pounds, which in turn leads to other health issues. Between sleep apnea, difficulty sleeping, hypertension, high cholesterol and possibly diabetes, it can become a vicious cycle of fatigue and overeating.
Making better choices can help avoid those complications, Oriolo says.
“Instead of dining out at work on fast food, or eating a higher calorie meal at a sit-down restaurant, try packing your lunch. Or, look at the restaurant menu and nutrition ahead of time to narrow down some healthy choices,” Oriolo says.
