Most of us get the connection between what we eat and our overall health, from weight, cholesterol levels, and athletic performance to illness.
We seldom, however, link what we ate for lunch with how well we juggle afternoon emails, conduct meetings, hit deadlines, and impress clients.
According to recent research, we should. There’s a strong, almost immediate connection between what we eat and how well we perform on the job.
“Forty percent of the way you feel right now is related to your last meal. Yes, it really does matter what you ate for breakfast the day you make an important presentation,” said Patti Milligan, a Scottsdale, Arizona-based director of nutrition for Tignum. The international consulting business engineers programs for executives to gain energy, mental agility, and stamina.
A bad decision at lunch can derail the afternoon, cutting down on how much employees accomplish. At the same time, the right foods can improve memory, energy, focus, problem-solving, and mood.
A recent study by Brigham Young University backs up the connection between work and diet. Specifically, the study found that employees with an unhealthy diet were 66 percent more likely to experience a loss in productivity.
The first step in eating for top-notch job performance is paying close attention to what Milligan calls your “metabolic blueprint,” or how your body reacts to certain foods.
If eating cheese, mushrooms, wheat, onions or other foods upsets your stomach, makes you tired or irritable, place them on a workday do-not-eat list.
“Learn the foods that just don’t sit well with you. These are the ones that will cause brain fog and zap energy,” she said. “
Not all foods are digested by our bodies the same way. Some foods, like highly processed snacks, soda, pasta, and sugary cereals, release glucose quickly, leading to a burst of energy followed by a slump.
A burger-and-fry lunch might provide enough energy, but requires digestive systems to work overtime, which also contributes to brain fog.
Instead, follow the lead of blue-chip athletes by replacing harmful foods with those that maximize performance.
In general, a healthy diet for job performance is rich in fruits, vegetables, whole grains, omega-3 fats, and protein.
“What it’s not about is demonizing any one food group. Eating right for performance on the job is really about the right foods in the right combinations and in the right portions. It’s not a fad, but rather a diet that is proven to work,” she said.
Pay attention to beverages as well. In moderate amounts, caffeine can energize you and boost your mental acuity. But too often, Milligan noted, we fuel ourselves with “coffee and adrenalin as a badge of honor.”
As with athletes, the best liquid fuel for the workplace is water.
When you’re dehydrated, your brain tissue actually shrinks. Experts recommend consuming at least 12 cups, either by drinking or eating fruits and vegetables, of water and avoiding dehydrating drinks such as soda and alcoholic beverages.
Other overall tips:
•Do not leave workday eating to chance. Plan meals and decide what to eat before hunger pangs strike and vending-machine snacks begin to look appetizing.
•The best way to guarantee a healthy workplace diet is by packing lunch. If eating out, order smart. Most restaurants offer healthy options or will tailor menu items to make them healthier.
•Eat the right amount. Nutritionists place the blame for unhealthy portions squarely on restaurants and a cagey marketing strategy. For a little bit more, they entice us to oversize and eat more. Use your hands as guides. A portion of chicken, fish, beef, or other protein is the size and width of your palm.
•Starchy carbohydrates like pasta, potatoes, and rice are the size of your fist. A serving of fat, including peanut butter, olive oil, or butter, is half a thumb. A fruit serving fits in the palm of one hand, vegetables in the palm of two hands.
•Eat a healthy snack before a business banquet or dinner to avoid overeating the wrong foods. Business meals typically involve cocktails, appetizers, rich entrees, and dessert — a surefire formula for sluggishness.
Milligan offers eating plans to combat three common work challenges: afternoon sluggishness, jet lag, and stressful situations.
Afternoon sluggishness
Eat lunches with foods that stimulate dopamine to avoid nodding out like clockwork at 3 p.m. Dopamine is a neurotransmitter that regulates mood, focus, fatigue, and anxiety.
Also, eat more protein than carbohydrates. Proteins are high in amino acids, which are needed for dopamine production. Include foods such as fish, eggs, chicken, turkey, and lean red meat to supply your body with adequate amino acids.
Sandwiches are perfectly fine for lunch, as long as the protein dwarfs the bread.
Fermented soy products such as tempeh and miso and other legumes are considered incomplete proteins, but when paired with whole grains also stimulate dopamine. Dopamine-producing foods include lentils, low-fat dairy, bananas, avocados, almond milk, nuts, and miso soup.
Jet lag
Jet lag is more than feeling tired and hungry at the wrong times.
Research, however, now shows that what you eat may affect the biological clock that gets thrown out of kilter by air travel. Making careful food choices before and after long-distance air travel can help you recover quicker from grueling travel.
Typically, protein-rich foods are better at breakfast and carb-rich foods at dinner. High-protein meals stimulate the body’s active cycle. The high-carb meals stimulate sleep.
Also, opt for foods with ginger and lemon — they help right a scrambled digestive tract.
Milligan suggests traveling with “portable energy” such as nuts and seeds, packets of peanut butter, and dried fruit.
Stressful situations
Stress at work — from daily hassles to career-altering crises — causes cortisol levels to rise. In turn, cortisol causes food cravings for unhealthy foods, including sweets and salty snacks.
Instead, opt for foods that truly soothe and calm.
Start off with white foods, which contain a powerful phytonutrient for the immune system. Options include garlic, mushrooms, potatoes, steel-cut oats, and jicama.
Other good-for-you foods are asparagus and avocados. Both are high in folate, a mineral that helps keep your cool.
Miso Soup
Servings: 4.
1/2 cup shiro miso paste (aka white miso)
4 cups vegetable stock
1 teaspoon grated fresh ginger
Lower-sodium soy sauce to taste
1 tablespoon vegetable oil
1 cup sliced shitake mushrooms
1/2 cup julienne-sliced carrots
1/2 cup chopped asparagus
Chopped green onions
Combine miso paste, vegetable stock, ginger, and soy sauce to taste. Bring to boil, then reduce to a simmer. Heat oil in a saute pan over medium-high. Saute mushrooms, carrots, and asparagus until tender. Divide vegetables among four serving bowls. Pour miso soup over top. Garnish with green onions.
Per serving: 280 calories, 9 g fat, 2 mg cholesterol, 11 g protein, 39 g carbohydrates, 6 g fiber, 2,937 mg sodium, 30 percent calories from fat.
From chef Paul O’Connor of Alchemy Restaurant and Wine Bar in Phoenix
Hibiscus Yogurt Puree
Servings: 4.
4 cups Greek yogurt
2 cups assorted frozen berries
1/4 cup orange juice
2 tablespoons hibiscus syrup (see note)
Honey to taste
Combine yogurt, berries, orange juice, and hibiscus syrup in a blender; blend until smooth. Sweeten with honey.
Note: Look for hibiscus syrup where flavored syrups for coffee are sold. To make your own, boil 2 cups of water in a small pot. Remove from heat and stir in 1 ounce dried hibiscus flowers (sold at health or organic food stores and online). Cover and let sit for 15 minutes. Strain water through a fine sieve, pressing the flowers to extract their flavor. Return flavored water to a pot. Stir in 1 cup sugar and bring to a boil. Reduce heat and simmer for 5 minutes. Let cool. The syrup will keep, covered, in the refrigerator for 6-8 weeks.
Per serving: 260 calories, 4 g fat, 17 mg cholesterol, 17 mg protein, 39 g carbohydrates, 2 g fiber, 76 mg sodium, 14 percent calories from fat.
From chef Paul O’Connor of Alchemy Restaurant and Wine Bar in Phoenix
Winter Harvest Salad With Salmon and Smoked Paprika Vinaigrette
Servings: 4.
For the kale
1 bunch chopped kale
Juice from 1 lemon
1/2 tablespoon extra-virgin olive oil
For the salmon
Zest of 1 lemon
1 tablespoon chopped fresh dill
1 tablespoon olive oil
4 center-cut salmon fillets (about 6 ounces each)
For the vinaigrette
2 cans (about 14 ounces each) fire-roasted tomatoes, drained
1 roasted shallot
2 cloves roasted garlic
1/4 cup red wine vinegar
2 tablespoons Dijon mustard
1/4 cup honey
1 tablespoon smoked paprika
1/2 cup olive oil
Salt and pepper to taste
For the roasted vegetables
1 cup diced butternut squash
2 tablespoons olive oil, divided use
1/2 tablespoon brown sugar
2 cups shaved or very thinly sliced brussels sprouts
Salt and pepper to taste
For the salad
1/4 cup dried cranberries
1 cup frisee lettuce
1 cup toasted pumpernickel croutons
Prep the kale: Four hours before serving, clean kale and toss it with lemon juice and oil; set aside. (The acid will help break down the fibrous kale leaves.)
Marinate the salmon: Stir together the lemon zest, dill, and olive oil. Rub salmon with the mixture and marinate in the refrigerator for 1 hour.
Make the vinaigrette: Combine drained tomatoes, shallot, garlic, vinegar, mustard, honey, and paprika in a blender; pulse to blend. With blender running on low, drizzle in olive oil. Season with salt and pepper.
Roast the vegetables: Preheat oven for 425 degrees. Toss diced squash with 1 tablespoon olive oil and brown sugar. Spread squash on one side of an ungreased baking pan. Toss brussels sprouts with remaining oil and a little salt and pepper. Spread on the other side of the pan. Roast 10 minutes or until tender, stirring often.
Roast the salmon: Preheat oven to 350 degrees. Place salmon on an ungreased baking sheet. Roast 15-20 minutes for medium-rare to medium, or longer if desired.
Assemble the salad: Combine kale, frisee lettuce, roasted vegetables, and dried cranberries in a large bowl. Toss with some of the vinaigrette. Divide salad among four serving plates or bowls. Garnish with croutons. Place a salmon fillet on top of each serving. Drizzle with more vinaigrette if desired.
Per serving: 745 calories, 46 g fat, 88 g cholesterol, 39 g protein, 48 g carbohydrates, 4 g fiber, 792 mg sodium, 54 percent calories from fat.
From chef Paul O’Connor of Alchemy Restaurant and Wine Bar in Phoenix
The Tandoori Chicken Naandwich from Happiness Healthy Cafe in Fort Myers The News-Press File Photo.
