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Top 10 to Eating Healthy at Work
 Welcome to the busy working lifestyle - where the combination of poor
nutrition and
high stress make for a sick
and tired person - and most probably
overweight as well.
Every occupation has its unique pressures: a desk job in clean, centrally
heated office may sound like heaven to a manual worker on a building site. But
working in a modern office is also demanding. Limited personal space, noisy
telephones, photocopying and fax machines all add up to a formula for severe
workplace stress.
Whatever job you do, tailor your
food to the task. What
you eat can improve your mental
capacity, enhance your
performance, and greatly improve your physical
stamina.
Building a Healthy Desktop
Check out some easy ways to improve your work diet:
 Don't Skip Breakfast- If you are not hungry when you wake
or simply cannot make the time - why not set up some
breakfast
food at work? I've known many a colleague who will fix themselves some
breakfast in the staff/tea room. Most offices will have at least a fridge and
a microwave oven. No excuses there.
 A bottle of water to work-You can become dehydrated very quickly in
a centrally heated office. Depleted fluid levels lead to fatigue, so you
should reserve a space on your desk for a bottle of
water.
Take regular sips throughout the day, aiming to drink about eight glasses.
  Throw Some Fruit in Your Bag-
always have 3 pieces of
fruit sitting on your desk. The
fruit will always be
consumed by the end of the day. You don't have to keep reaching for the
vending machine.
 Clear your drawers of junk foods and
keep a small dish to hold
nutritious snacks. It may be tempting to keep an ‘emergency’ hoard
of sugary snacks
such as sweets and chocolate bars in your desk. But these are the very foods
you should avoid if you want to stay in good
shape. Try mixed
nuts (such as walnuts and almonds); dried fruit; small sesame bars; sunflower
and sesame seeds; trail mixes, whole-wheat pitas, rice crackers and also some
muesli to bridge the hunger gap if you forget to have breakfast before leaving
for work. These won’t pile on the weight or unbalance your blood
sugar.
 Herbal oils: A small bottle of essential oil of
Lavender helps to
reduce tension headaches.
 Avoid Coffee Overdose-
Excessive caffeine can make you
jittery and nervous. If you enjoy coffee, have one cup in the morning and
another later in the day. Sachets of herbal teas such as
chamomile,
fennel and
mint help with digestive problems and rosehip boosts your
vitamin C levels.
Herbal teas are low in caffeine and make good alternatives to endless cups of
coffee.
 Sharpening your vision -There has been a marked increase in cases
of macular degeneration (blindness caused by degeneration of part of the
retina) in young people. One of the major risk factors is prolonged exposure
to bright light. Protect your
eyesight by
eating foods rich in
vitamins A and
E . If you work at a
computer screen every day, you should look away from the screen regularly to give your
eyes frequent off –screen breaks. It is also a good idea to get up and walk
about at regular intervals to
stretch your limbs. Try
to do this every hour.
  Painful joints- If you sit immobile at your desk for hours at a
time, you risk developing inflamed tissues and
joints in your
lower back. And constant keyboard work may cause inflammation in your
wrists. Fish oils can be very helpful; as are foods rich in the
antioxidant vitamins A, C
and E and
selenium: fruit
and vegetables (including orange and yellow varieties) provide vitamins A
and C; avocados, fresh nuts and olive oil are high in vitamin E; and fish
oils, cereals, eggs and brewer’s yeast supply selenium.
 Keep moving and do regular neck and shoulder stretches- get up from
your desk at frequent intervals; use the stairs instead of the lift; try and
get out for a walk
or a swim during your lunch break; or join a gym. When you are at your desk,
make sure you are sitting correctly: this can help to combat the effects of
stress.
 Avoid the Dinner Trap- Let's say you have lunch at 1pm,
and dinner at 7pm. That's a fairly long stretch. Instead of starving and then
demolishing an enormous meal of pasta - it's better to have a good snack in
between. Don't be afraid to leave food on your plate at dinner time. Most of
us are used to big carb-heavy evening meals. Make a habit of leaving food on
your plate - you never know - you might just have made tomorrows lunch.
  Quick and
Easy
Many office workers eat some kind of sandwich at mid-day. This can be a
delicious meal, especially if you have time to make your own. Most
people buy ready-made sandwiches; these are fine, as long as you choose
wholegrain bread and low-fat fillings. To help you to maintain a
healthy weight
and blood pressure, always
check the label for the calorie,
saturated
fat
and salt content of your
sandwich.
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Remember, regardless of whether you work in a small or large company, voicing
your opinion about the state of the work canteen or about the food available on
site is worthwhile.
Dated 03 April 2013
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