Foods that Affect Productivity

Picture it: You wake up in a panic because you realize you’ve overslept your alarm. You get yourself ready in record time, but there’s no way you have time to prepare breakfast. You decide to stop by the closest convenience store and grab a packaged breakfast pastry in order to get to the office on time and get to work. That’s perfect because now that you didn’t waste time spent on preparing breakfast, you can get to work and be productive, right? Well, not so fast. The food we eat can affect how productive we are during the day. Find out which foods can affect your productivity, and how to make the right food choices!
 

• Avoid Sugary Food
• Avoid High Calorie Food
• Healthy Snacks
• Plan Ahead

Healthy Food Ideas

1. Avoid Sugary Food. Although you may get a quick rush of energy from sugary foods, such as pastries or sugar-laden coffee, eventually you will hit a wall. We’ve all been there: You decide to treat yourself after lunch to a coffee shop pastry – but within an hour of eating, you find it difficult to focus on your work. That’s because studies have found that there is a connection between consuming sugar and experiencing a decline in how well we remember instructions. Sugar can also affect our mood. It’s very common to have lower patience and shorter tempers. If you are craving a sweet treat, rather than going for a sugar bomb, try having a fresh piece of fruit. Your productivity and brain will thank you!
    
2. Avoid High Calorie Food. If you decide to go out to lunch during the day, think twice about what you might eat. If you need to continue to be productive after lunch, try to steer clear of high calorie meals that are full of trans fat. Think greasy pizza, cheeseburgers, onion rings, etc. How do these foods affect productivity? Our system works harder to digest these kinds of foods. This means more energy goes to digesting, meaning it can reduce oxygen levels to the brain and leave us feeling sluggish. Instead, eat something for lunch that both your brain and body will love.
    
3. Healthy Snacks. A healthy diet should include food that is nutritious for our body and brain and tastes good! Since your brain is 60% fat, you need to feed it fat! Feed your brain the right kind of fat, such as avocado, salmon, and nuts. Another essential tip to function at tip-top productivity: eat your breakfast. Have eggs, oats, almond butter toast, or avocado toast. These foods are packed with the essential nutrients and vitamins that will help to support brain health. Lastly, be sure to drink your water. Drinking water is one of the easiest things we can do for our bodies, but often neglect. Water can support healthy brain cells, improve concentration, helps to maintain memory function, and improve blood flow and oxygen to the brain! Following these tips will soon have your productivity at peak.
    
4. Plan Ahead. How many times has it happened that you are at work, and realize you forgot your lunch at home? It’s pretty easy to simply put in an order for delivery and continue working. Sure, it may be easy, but delivery food may not be the best choice for brain health. So, give meal prepping a try! Dedicate a Sunday evening before the work week to prep your lunches for the week. Cook a large quantity of lean protein, such as chicken breast, cook up some vegetables and have a small, healthy side, such as quinoa. When you have your lunches planned out for the week, you’ll be guaranteed to make healthy choices all week. Another perk? You will save time in the morning if your lunch is already made ahead of time!

When you use these tips, you may surprise yourself at how good you feel, both mentally and physically! Bon appetit!