The document discusses nutrition and its impact on workplace performance. It begins by noting that while food is seen as merely fuel, the foods we eat affect us more than realized. It then provides summaries on various topics related to nutrition: macronutrients, dietary fiber, water and its effects on the body and brain, how dehydration impacts cognition and mood, and the five stages of behavior change model. It also provides examples of healthy snacks for the office and tips for maintaining a healthy diet at work, such as choosing lunch in advance and making healthy options more accessible.
4. When we think about
the factors that
contribute to
workplace
performance, we
rarely give much
consideration to food.
For those of us
battling to stay on top
of emails, meetings,
and deadlines, food is
simply fuel. But as it
turns out, this analogy
is misleading. The
foods we eat affect us
more than we realize.
5. When we think about the factors that contribute to workplace
performance, we rarely give much consideration to food. For
those of us battling to stay on top of emails, meetings, and
deadlines, food is simply fuel. But as it turns out, this analogy is
misleading. The foods we eat affect us more than we realize.
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Food for thoughts
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Dietary fiber is the part of a
plant your body can't fully
digest or only to some extend.
Unlike other plant
components such as
macronutrients
(carbohydrates, protein, fats)
and micronutrients (minerals,
vitamins), fiber passes your
intestines without being
digested.
Because they have little to no
calories themselves, but a
large volume, they dilute the
calorie density of our diet.
Apart from this, fiber also
controls blood sugar levels,
because it slows the
absorption of sugar and it
lowers bad cholesterol
levels.
Fibers
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Water makes up over two thirds of the human body and
it lubricates the joints and eyes, as well as aiding
digestion, flushing out toxins and waste and keeps skin
healthy.
Symptoms of dehydration include feeling thirsty or
lightheaded and having dark coloured, strong-smelling
urine. Many studies have tried to establish a
recommended daily intake of water but it varies on the
individual and other factors like age, climate and
physical activity. In general, a healthy water intake is
around 1.2 to 2 litres per day (6 to 8 glasses)
Water & the body
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The brain is one of the most important organs in your body to keep fueled. It is approximately 85
percent water and brain function depends on having abundant access to water. When your brain
is functioning on a full reserve of water, you will be able to think faster, be more focused, and
experience greater clarity and creativity.
Studies have shown that if you are only 1 percent dehydrated, you will likely have a 5 percent
decrease in cognitive function. If your brain drops 2 percent in body water, you may suffer from
fuzzy short-term memory, experience problems with focusing, and have trouble with math
computations.
Water & the brain
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Dehydration affects
cognition, concentration and
the general ability to think
clearly and control mood, a
group of scientists have
discovered. Researchers
discovered that mild
dehydration, particularly in
young women, caused
headaches, fatigue and
difficulty concentrating.
Dehydrated young men on
the other hand, experienced
difficulty in mental tasks,
especially in areas of
vigilance and memory, as
well as anxiety and tension.
Our thirst sensation doesn’t
really appear until we are 1
or 2% dehydrated. By then
dehydration is already
setting in and starting to
impact how our mind and
body perform.
Water & your mood
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The 5 Stages of
Change Model is a very
useful framework that
describes the series of
stages we go through
to change our lifestyle
habits. The critical
assumption that
underpins this model is
that behavioral
changes do not happen
in one step, but through
a series of distinct,
predicable stages. Just
realizing the stage of
change you’re in may
be helpful for you to
succeed.
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People in this stage don’t
want to make any change
to their habits and don’t
recognize that they have a
problem. They may be
pessimistic about their
ability to make change, or
even deny the negative
effects of their existing
lifestyle habits. They
selectively filter information
that helps confirm their
decision not to exercise, or
eat better. This stage is
many times referred to as
the “denial” stage.
1. “I don’t need to change”
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2. “Maybe I should make a change”
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During this stage, you are weighing the costs (i.e. effort, time,
finances) and benefits of lifestyle modification. You are
contemplating whether it’s something that will be worth it. People
can remain in this stage for years without preparing to take action.
PAIN vs. PLEASURE
We tend to seek
pleasure and avoid
pain, so the more
pleasure you can
associate with making
a change, the more
likely you will take
action and succeed.
16. Do one thing a day that ‘scares’ you:
Start a conversation with a stranger
Stay away from electronic gadgets for 24hrs
Thank someone
Ask for help
Eat something you’ve never tasted before
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Congratulations if you’re
in this category! You may
have just set up an
appointment with a
personal trainer,
nutritionist, bought a
recipe book, read some
tips on the net...to prepare
to take action
3.“How can I do it?”
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People in the preparation stage have decided to change their negative eating habits within
one month.
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A mix of almonds and
dates is possibly the
easiest snack you can
stock at your desk. The
combination is great—
you get a little fat
and protein from the
nuts, and because of
their sweet taste, dates
help satisfy afternoon
sugar cravings. Though
nuts and dried fruit are
nutritionally dense, they
are also relatively high in
calories, so be sure to
measure out serving
sizes for each. Two to
three dates and 18
almonds maximum a day
Office healthy snack #1: Dates & Almonds
3.Preparation:“HowcanIdoit?”
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Oatmeal is more than just a
healthy breakfast food. The
power food is rich in
vitamins, minerals, and
lipids, which possess
endless benefits for our
health.
Oatmeal is a carbohydrate
and protein-rich source that
provides calories and
energy and cause a slow
rise in glycemic levels.
Due to the low glycaemic
index, oatmeal delivers the
right amount of energy for
your brain in a smooth,
controlled manner.
Office healthy snack #2: OATMEAL
3.Preparation:“HowcanIdoit?”
20. www.functionaltraining.net
Though fresh vegetables are more
perishable than other snacks, they
are probably the best foods to
munch on throughout the day. Prefer
'beefy vegetables’ like broccoli,
cauliflower, and carrots. Veggies like
these will fill you up and are so low
in calories that you don't need to
focus on portion control. To boost
protein and flavor, stash flavored
hummus in your office's fridge.
Office healthy snack #3: FRESH VEGETABLES
3.Preparation:“HowcanIdoit?”
21. The action stage is the process of changing your lifestyle, whether you are exercising more
consistently, or eating healthier. Individuals in this stage are at the greatest risk of relapse, so it’s
key to leverage any techniques you can to stay motivated:
4. “I am doing it!”
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1) Write Down Specific Goals
2) Track your Progress
3) Build a Support Group
22. The action stage is the process of changing your lifestyle, whether you are exercising more
consistently, or eating healthier. Individuals in this stage are at the greatest risk of relapse, so it’s
key to leverage any techniques you can to stay motivated:
5. “It has become a habit”
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Mix it up
Forget weight loss
Reward yourself
The majority of the
studies agree that it
takes at least 6 months
of a new habit to reduce
the chance of relapse.
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Yes, you are busy and need to get things done, but eating lunch at your desk is a detriment
to a healthy diet because you’re not paying attention to your food and are more likely to
overeat and less likely to get up and move around. Having a healthy snack at the desk may
help you overcome hunger, but then choose a healthy option.
Don’t eat lunch at your desk.
TAKEHOMETIP#1
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Those baked goods and candy
dishes that coworkers put out
are so thoughtful, but they
become our worst enemies
when we’re trying to avoid
sweets. Try blocking those
temptations, visually —
studies show the “out of sight,
out of mind” strategy actually
works.
Just say “no.”
TAKEHOMETIP#2
26. Make your eating
decisions before you get hungry.
If you’re going out to lunch, choose
where you’re eating in the morning,
not at 12:30 PM. If you’re ordering
in, decide what you’re having after
a mid-morning snack. Even better,
prepare your lunch in
advance. Not only will you make
healthier choices but you'll
save more money per meal by
making your food at home.
If possible try to prepare more
meals at the time, so the only thing
you have to do in the morning is to
open up the fridge and bring your
lunch to work.
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Choose your lunch in advanceTAKEHOMETIP#3
27. Instead of letting your glucose
bottom out around lunch time,
you’ll perform better by grazing
throughout the day. Spikes and
drops in blood sugar are both bad
for productivity and bad for the
brain. Smaller, more frequent
meals maintain your glucose at a
more consistent level than relying
on a midday feast.
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Small meals, more frequentlyTAKEHOMETIP#4
28. Make healthy snacking easier to
achieve than unhealthy snacking.
Place a container of almonds and
a selection of protein bars by your
computer, near your line of vision.
Bring a bag of fruit to the office on
Mondays so that you have them
available throughout the week.
Ban vending machines and jelly
jars from the office environment!
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Make it easier for youTAKEHOMETIP#5
29. Thank you for your attention!
maxicardi.com - functionaltraining.be
Three questions, three words as answers:
Name
One quality about yourself
What do you expect about today?
Fo large groups - please tell your neighbour what’s your relationship with physical activity AND if it’s not what you’d like it to be...what’s your excuse!
The study was published in The Journal of Nutrition.
While this model was originally developed in the 1970′s to better understand how smokers are able to give up their addiction to cigarettes, it has since been used to understand changing just about any type of behavior. For the purposes of this presentation, eating unhealthy foods, or not exercising are the habits we are trying to change.
1) Write Down Specific Goals
You’ve probably heard that setting goals is important, but that’s not enough. Goals must be specific, quantifiable, and associated with a length of time. In addition, write down your goals on a sheet of paper and consider reading them aloud twice per day (morning and evening). Reading aloud your goals, known as autosuggestion, will help condition your subconscious mind to believe in your goals. Your outward actions (exercising and eating well) will reflect this desire and belief.
2) Write a Contract
Sounds kind of crazy, but writing a contract (even with yourself) has been proven to help people stay motivated. In the contract, you can include the following:
(1) Specific fitness goal(2) What you plan on doing to reach your fitness goals (how many times per week you will exercise etc.)(3) Address your barriers to exercise and eating well and how you plan on overcoming them (i.e. avoid the sugar cravings, or not use lack of time as an excuse to miss a workout)(4) Date at which you must reach your fitness goal(5) Your signature and the date you signed the contract.
You can create a strong sense of accountability with the right contract, especially if you put some skin in the game (maybe even put some money on the line). There are tons of ways to help inspire you to make a commitment that you won’t break, so be creative!
3) Visualization
Do you have a picture in your mind of how you want your body to look and feel? Let’s dig deeper. Try to answer the following questions about your visualization:
What are you wearing?
What are you doing?
Who are you with?
How exactly do you feel? What is your emotional state?
What is it about the way you look/feel that is so appealing? Anything in particular?
Now since you have a very clear and more detailed image of your visualization, whenever you are faced with a barrier to exercise or healthy eating, think of this visualization. Think about it often.
4) Find an Emotional Trigger
Many times, there is one final trigger before we take action to workout and eat better. The emotional trigger can be a doctor telling us we have high cholesterol, or may become diabetic. Maybe when you went to slip on your favorite pair of pants, you felt like a sausage about to burst. Find your emotional trigger and use it to your advantage. For example, if you have that pair of pants that reminds you of your weight gain and how you don’t want to feel, keep it hanging from your closet in clear view. Every time you come home from work and are considering skipping a workout, those darn pants will be staring at you.
5) Track your Progress
If you don’t track your progress, you will have no idea if you are on the path towards reaching your goals. Do not become distraught if you show no progress initially. Like a scientist in a lab, dispassionately assess the feedback (whether good or bad) and adjust your fitness program accordingly. Over time, seeing your weight go down, your energy levels increase, or any other positive change can be a huge motivator.
6) Build a Support Group
Building a support group can be as easy as telling your close friends and family about your fitness goals and plans of action. Making changes to your lifestyle can be challenging, so developing a support group will help create positive energy around your efforts, which can come in handy when you need it most. Building support also provides a constant external reminder of the commitment you made to yourself.
7) Subscribe to a Fitness Newsletter/Blog
Consistently receiving fitness related emails will constantly keep fitness on your mind, which may help with exercise adherence. There are thousands of fitness newsletters and blogs to choose from on the Internet. Functionaltraining.net may be a great choice for you but I’m slightly biased. I also think having me in your inbox every week can do wonders for your motivation!
1) Write Down Specific Goals
You’ve probably heard that setting goals is important, but that’s not enough. Goals must be specific, quantifiable, and associated with a length of time. In addition, write down your goals on a sheet of paper and consider reading them aloud twice per day (morning and evening). Reading aloud your goals, known as autosuggestion, will help condition your subconscious mind to believe in your goals. Your outward actions (exercising and eating well) will reflect this desire and belief.
2) Write a Contract
Sounds kind of crazy, but writing a contract (even with yourself) has been proven to help people stay motivated. In the contract, you can include the following:
(1) Specific fitness goal(2) What you plan on doing to reach your fitness goals (how many times per week you will exercise etc.)(3) Address your barriers to exercise and eating well and how you plan on overcoming them (i.e. avoid the sugar cravings, or not use lack of time as an excuse to miss a workout)(4) Date at which you must reach your fitness goal(5) Your signature and the date you signed the contract.
You can create a strong sense of accountability with the right contract, especially if you put some skin in the game (maybe even put some money on the line). There are tons of ways to help inspire you to make a commitment that you won’t break, so be creative!
3) Visualization
Do you have a picture in your mind of how you want your body to look and feel? Let’s dig deeper. Try to answer the following questions about your visualization:
What are you wearing?
What are you doing?
Who are you with?
How exactly do you feel? What is your emotional state?
What is it about the way you look/feel that is so appealing? Anything in particular?
Now since you have a very clear and more detailed image of your visualization, whenever you are faced with a barrier to exercise or healthy eating, think of this visualization. Think about it often.
4) Find an Emotional Trigger
Many times, there is one final trigger before we take action to workout and eat better. The emotional trigger can be a doctor telling us we have high cholesterol, or may become diabetic. Maybe when you went to slip on your favorite pair of pants, you felt like a sausage about to burst. Find your emotional trigger and use it to your advantage. For example, if you have that pair of pants that reminds you of your weight gain and how you don’t want to feel, keep it hanging from your closet in clear view. Every time you come home from work and are considering skipping a workout, those darn pants will be staring at you.
5) Track your Progress
If you don’t track your progress, you will have no idea if you are on the path towards reaching your goals. Do not become distraught if you show no progress initially. Like a scientist in a lab, dispassionately assess the feedback (whether good or bad) and adjust your fitness program accordingly. Over time, seeing your weight go down, your energy levels increase, or any other positive change can be a huge motivator.
6) Build a Support Group
Building a support group can be as easy as telling your close friends and family about your fitness goals and plans of action. Making changes to your lifestyle can be challenging, so developing a support group will help create positive energy around your efforts, which can come in handy when you need it most. Building support also provides a constant external reminder of the commitment you made to yourself.
7) Subscribe to a Fitness Newsletter/Blog
Consistently receiving fitness related emails will constantly keep fitness on your mind, which may help with exercise adherence. There are thousands of fitness newsletters and blogs to choose from on the Internet. Functionaltraining.net may be a great choice for you but I’m slightly biased. I also think having me in your inbox every week can do wonders for your motivation!