12 Recommendations from a nutritionist for your employees - Part Two

26.07.2022

Find out nutritionist Veronika Bartkova's recommendations for a balanced diet in the two-part article.

FOOD Programme is a cross-European programme that promotes public health. The project aims to improve the eating habits of employees while simultaneously increasing the nutritional quality of the food offered in restaurants.  Edenred is the programme’s main partner. It coordinates and runs the programme in each of the ten European countries involved. Find out nutritionist Veronika Bartkova's recommendations for a balanced diet in the two-part article. Here is the second part of the article:

7. Sitting in the office all day

First, the bad news: increased blood pressure, joint and spinal problems, and metabolic and cardiovascular diseases are deemed to be a consequence of sedentary occupations. In addition to the scale needle swinging further to the right than we would have liked, it also weighs you down. 

Walking is the most natural and effective form of exercise. Lunch break is an ideal time to take a walk during your working hours. Not only will you provide your body with nutritious fuel in the form of a hot meal, but a short walk will clear your head and inspire you with new ideas and solutions to problems at work.

The healthiest mode of transportation is your own two feet.

8. Digestion

Healthy digestion and the digestive tract are very important. Our gut houses our second brain, referred to as the microbiome. Fibre is an important component of healthy digestion and the microbiome. One of the primary properties of fibre is that it passes through our digestive tract in an almost unaltered form. Our enzymes cannot digest it, but it is an excellent food for the billions of beneficial bacteria present in our body. We should consume about 30g of fibre daily. Ideal sources include fruits, vegetables, whole-grain cereals and products, sprouts, legumes, nuts, and seeds. For example, try eating an apple during work. Just remember not to peel its skin as it contains around 3.5g of fibre. Moreover, the pectin present in the apple binds heavy metals in the body and aids digestion.

Tasty snacks change the world!

9. A balanced diet boosts your memory

You surely must have experienced forgetting to do something while having a lot on your mind. Concentration and memory problems plague more and more people nowadays. It is estimated that up to 50 million people in the world suffer from concentration-, focus-, and memoryrelated disorders. Memory is the cognitive activity that ensures that we are able to permanently or temporarily remember or recall the tasks, information, or activities that we urgently need to take care of during the working day. Vitamin B12 plays a key role in this process. That’s why eggs, veal and beef, liver, sauerkraut, seaweed, and dairy products should have a place on your plate.

Stop forgetting!

10. Obesity

More than 62% of people in Slovakia are overweight. Skipping one meal a day increases the risk of becoming overweight. Why? During the day, the body needs sufficient caloric intake to function properly. In the same way, our brain needs sufficient energy for thinking. It uses up to 20% of the body’s total energy. If you skip meals during working hours, i.e. the time when our brains need to function at high speed, you will start forgetting things, get nervous, have trouble concentrating, etc. The result is that you will become as hungry as a wolf and try to satisfy your hunger with a quick, often unhealthy meal during work or when you get home. This will result in weight gain and storage of excess fat.

Don’t limit yourself but eat sensibly!

11. Say no to computers

Lunch at work should not only be seen as an intake of calories and energy that your body needs to perform work duties efficiently. It also gives your brain a little break, a chance to get up from your chair and let your eyes rest away from the computer screen. Nutrition during the lunch break is essential in order to recharge and refocus for the afternoon activities at work. To help digest the food you eat, eat slowly and chew food thoroughly. In addition, having lunch with your colleagues provides an opportunity to interact with others in a relaxed and friendly manner. This can help you solve work-related issues or come up with new solutions or ideas in a pleasant way.

Always make the most of your lunch break!

12. Headache

If you get a headache at work, it may not just be due to the many tasks you’ve been assigned in a meeting. The first thing to check is your fluid intake. Are you drinking enough fluids? When you start feeling very thirsty, it’s too late. The body is already fighting dehydration which causes kidney pain, headaches, impaired concentration and digestion. 

Аbout 2/3rds of the human body is water. Blood and lymph contain the most water. Out of all the organs in the body, the brain has the highest proportion of water – up to 90%. The recommended fluid intake is 1.5 to 2 litres a day. This amount may vary depending on the person’s individual needs. To maintain the balance and recommended intake of various minerals, it is recommended to ensure a balanced fluid intake consisting of pure water, natural spring water, and mineral waters. Avoid sweetened drinks and cheap juices, which contain large amounts of sugar, as their consumption only leads to putting empty calories into your body. If you enjoy having a cup of coffee after lunch or during the day, make sure to drink a glass of water with it, as caffeine consumption increases the excretion of water from the body.

Seasonal trend – a glass of water on the table!

Not slacking on food preparation gets you healthier food!

Read more: 12 Nutritionist Suggestions for Your Employees - Part One