Food intake and productivity are closely related. When you eat the right types of food in the right amounts, you will notice that you have more energy to accomplish your tasks and improve your work efficiency.
How do you achieve maximum productivity at work? The rules for refueling for better productivity are quite simple:
- Eat unprocessed food
- Be mindful when you are full
How do they affect our productivity? Let’s find out.
Rule #1: Eat Unprocessed Food
We need food to survive, and we need healthy food to increase productivity. Food is fuel as the body converts it into glucose, a simple sugar that the body turns into energy or glycogen stored in the liver or muscles for future use. Food also provides mental energy to focus and maintain better moods.
When you feel tired or fatigued, it could be due to your glucose levels—you may have too little or too much. You need to have the right amount in your system, which is why you need to eat the right type of food.
How do you refuel yourself? Unprocessed products are among the healthiest types of food you can include in your diet to refuel your body and promote productivity.
What Is Unprocessed Food?
Unprocessed food items are natural produce or meat that have not undergone chemical changes or the addition of other ingredients and preservatives. The most basic examples are fresh fruits and vegetables. Frozen meat and fish are minimally processed products that are still considered unprocessed.
Highly processed food items like canned goods or pre-made frozen meals are packed with additives and preservatives that contain tons of sugar and salt, which are bad for your health. They are linked to obesity and chronic diseases like heart issues and diabetes.
They are also linked to lower productivity because you are unlikely to be at your best when you have these ailments. Low energy means you won’t have the physical and mental capacity to complete your tasks efficiently.
Rule #2: Be Mindful When You Are Full
When food is delicious, people tend to overeat. If you are refueling for productivity, you must be more mindful when you become full. Remember, maintaining the right level of glucose in your system is important.
Too much glucose may cause hyperglycemia, which has an inflammatory effect on the brain and may cause negative moods. You may have noticed that you feel more sluggish when you overeat.
Regulating food intake requires a bit of practice. Be extra mindful when you eat so you will notice when you become full. With practice, you will become a master at it. Before you know it, you will automatically stop eating when you are full—it’s just like muscle memory.
The Best-Fueling Diet Challenge
If you are fond of eating processed food as well as bingeing or overeating, change may not come easy.
The key is to make incremental improvements. Small changes can lead to significant results, especially when it’s about refueling to increase productivity and work efficiency.
The Best-Fueling Diet Challenge aims to introduce small changes in your daily diet, such as eating unprocessed food at just the right amount to feel full.
Here are some crucial steps:
- Avoid sugar in your coffee
- Snack on fruits and vegetables instead of junk food or chips
- Don’t eat in front of your computer (you may get distracted and fail to notice when you’re full)
- Eat dinner with your family
Small changes lead to long-term habits and vast improvements. Use your extra energy to make further incremental changes in your life for better productivity.
