Many office environments have snack foods available to their employees—sometimes, companies will occasionally provide a free lunch every now and then. Who doesn’t like free food during the work day?
There is something to be said about the psychology of FREE food. I know sometimes I tend to eat a little more than I normally would, simply because it’s FREE. Snacker, beware - your choices could potentially harm not only your waistline, but your productivity at work.
Please know that I am not a certified health coach or nutritionist. But through my own experience and choices, I am finding what I choose to put into my body throughout the day will directly affect my energy and performance.
To make sure you’re at peak performance, here are five energy-boosting foods to incorporate into your diet and five energy-draining food to avoid:.
ENERGY-BOOSTING FOODS:
Eating fruits and vegetable throughout the day is not only simply good for the body—it’s also beneficial for the mind. The more fruits and vegetables people consumed; the happier, more engaged, and more creative people tended to be according to the study performed by British Journal of Health Psychology .
ENERGY-DRAINING FOODS:
Foods, like bagels, cereal, and soda are packed full of refined carbohydrates or very high in glucose which will be released into your body rapidly after consumption. Yes, this will provide you will a boost of energy, but only lasting for a short period. Which then will result in a “crash” and your body will crave more of the similar foods, and feel deprived of sustainable energy. Consuming these types of food sparingly, would be the most beneficial for your body and mind.
Here at SHIFT, we strive to have a happy and balanced head, heart, and gut at work and at home. One of the main factors that affect these three things will be the fuel you put into your body. I hope this article could shift your mind set and be mindful of what foods you consume each day to help you make better choices and be a more balanced being and more productive at work.
Finally, to help you improve your food choices throughout your work day, below are a few companies and services that will deliver right to your office door:
Happy and healthy snacking!