But what about you? Do you eat a healthy lunch every day?
Fresh from my Haagen Dazs Caramel Come ice cream lunch I am sad to say that I do not. I have good intentions when I walk into my kitchen around noon every day to fix myself a healthy, low fat lunch but it's generally hit or miss if I exit my kitchen with something healthy or not . Even worse, there are days when I forget to eat lunch at all. I am not sure which is more unhealthy - not eating lunch at all or eating ice cream for lunch. I am sure the many dietitians Sodexo employs could give me an answer to that question. BTW did you know Sodexo is the largest employer of dietitians in the United States?
It has been proven that what our children eat will help or hinder their school performance and productivity, so why is it any different for us at work?
Well... it's not.
The World Health Organization reports that adequate nourishment can raise productivity levels by 20%. I'm a smart girl, I know if I eat healthy it will help with my energy, my productivity and managing my stress, not to mention it is beneficial to my overall health. But with Haagen Dazs or a freshly baked birthday cake tempting me every now and again it's hard to make good choices. When I go into Sodexo's headquarter office in Gaithersburg, Maryland the Rio Café (which is run by Sodexo - of course) it's not so hard. The cafe is full of irresistible healthy food choices - portion control is the only potential issue. But I only go into the office about once a quarter - the other several hundred days are up to me to be creative at lunch time and by creative I don't mean Haagen Dazs ice cream - I mean healthy!
I just saw pictures of myself at a conference I attended in Nashville, TN. I now know 3 things... I need a haircut, gold is not a good color for me, and I need to lose a few pounds! I just need a game plan for healthy eating... and some will power wouldn't hurt either! I don't think I am alone out there. Am I?
Sodexo 's Your Health Your Way, a wellness program designed for a healthy lifestyle, is a good start. On this website I found health and nutrition tips and wellness tools like a BMI Calculator, a Nutrition Calculator, Food Facts, Healthy Recipes and even an "Ask the RD" (registered dietitian) link to help me (and you) make healthful choices. Now if I could only find a tool to help me with my will power...
Here are a few more simple bits of advice to improve nutrition and performance at work from The World Health Organization :
- Instead of caffeinated or sugary beverages, drink water at work.
- Don’t skip meals; working long hours without proper nourishment decreases your productivity and can increase your impulse eating.
- Keep a supply of healthy snacks in your desk to avoid binging on junk food from the vending machine which are full of calories but empty of nutrients; instead, try fruit, nuts, yogurt, muesli, whole grain cereals, etc.
- Drink water with your meals to add digestion.
- To help re-fuel during meeting breaks, avoid high-fat foods like donuts and croissants; try instead fruit and whole grain breads.
- Remind yourself to drink water at regular internals with a bottle or glass on your desk; you may even set automatic reminders on your computer.
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