By Celeste McLaughlin, Ergonomics Manager
Solutions Northwest, Inc. – Arcata, California

Eat Healthy at Work and be More Productive:

According to a survey done by the Journal of Occupational and Environmental Medicine, workers that reported healthy eating habits were also workers that had high productivity in the work place.

The following healthy habits were found in employees with higher job performances than average:

• Employees that ate 5 or more servings of fruit and vegetables at least 4 times a week were 20% likely have higher job performance.
• Employees that exercise at least 30 minutes, 3 times a week, were 15% more likely to have higher job performance.
• Absenteeism was 27% lower for those workers who ate healthy and regularly exercised.

The results of this survey should not be too surprising, as most of us know how we feel when we eat healthy versus eating poorly. However, work can get busy and stressful, so here are a few tips to help you to maintain healthy eating habits at work:

• Eat a healthy breakfast. The breakfast you eat will be the fuel you need to start your work day. To fuel your body properly, try the following food groups: Fruits and vegetables, whole grains, low-fat protein, or low-fat dairy.
• Don’t skip meals at work. Skipping meals to get more work done may seem like a good idea, but it may actually lower energy and productivity later in the work day as you deprive the body of the nutrition it needs.
• Don’t eat out, pack a lunch instead. Most work places provide tons of junk food, from morning donuts to vending machines to local fast food joints. To avoid temptation, bring your own meals to work. Don’t forget to bring healthy snacks to snack on throughout the work day.

Stay proactive with nutrition at the workplace

Even if you are not currently a healthy eater, you can try using a few of these tips to make some small changes to your habits. Over time, you will experience more productivity in the work place and in your home life as well.

For more guidance on all things Ergonomics, visit SolutionsNW.com or Contact Us for more information.