Do you burn the midnight oil? Do you work around the clock? Do you work sometimes in the morning hours and sometimes during the late night hours? Do you work odd timings shifts? Maybe this way you are earning great bucks. But have you ever thought about how this is affecting your body’s nutrition?
Working these crazy hours greatly affect your body. The most disturbing thing is that you never are able to schedule a proper work and eat routine. As a result, you tend to consume whatever is available to you.
But don’t feel anxious as in this post I will share with you some nutritional tips that will let you work efficiently in shifts and at the same time will keep you as healthy as possible.
Implications of Shift Working
I have a few clients who are shift workers and belong to professions like transportation, call center, managerial levels, and protective support like police and healthcare experts like nurses. Based on their experiences and solutions that have worked well for them, I have shared these implications as well as tips in this post.
Working in shifts have major implications on a person’s nutrition, and hence, overall health. It makes things difficult to manage, particularly health and nutrition. As a result, a shift worker experiences weight changes and loss in productivity. Regularly working this way makes it difficult for shift workers to meet the demanding official work and family commitments.
Common Experiences to Shift Workers
Some common experiences that all my clients working in shifts used to experience are:
- Higher issues in sleep
- Higher risks of diabetes, obesity, and cardiovascular ailments
- Struggle with stress, depression, and most importantly, relationship issues
- Suffer from poor concentration, fatigue and reduced productivity
- Higher risks of addictions to alcohol and drugs
- Meeting safety hazards like injury and accidents
- Having a disturbed hormonal activity
- Poor immunity
The reasons for such experiences among shift workers is that working two-fold negatively affect health. It influences the biological cycle and disrupts the circadian rhythm. At most, it deeply impacts the lifestyle habits of a person such as grocery preferences, meal times, family time, physical activity, and meal preparation.
If you too are a shift worker, you might be experiencing one or more such issues. Hence, here check some amazing tips and practical strategies, which you can inculcate in your everyday lifestyle and keep your body’s health at par.
1. Follow a Meal Schedule
No matter what shift you are working. If you are consistently eating at one time and consuming nothing on the other time, then things can become highly complex for you. Hence, it is best to plan a proper meal schedule, which you can follow no matter what your working timings are. Most importantly, consume smaller meals and snacks. Avoid skipping meals!
2. Eat a Balanced Diet
Make sure your meals offer you protein as well as complex carbohydrates. This is essential to maintain fullness and satiety. Consuming a balanced meal during the shift will keep your blood sugar levels in check.
3. Stay Away from Spicy or Fatty Foods
Eating too much spicy or high-fat foods can result in indigestion and lead to heartburn issues. Over time, it affects your gut health too. Hence, stay away from such foods. If you are really fond of them then consume them on an occasional basis.
4. Avoid Sweet Snacks
Consuming sweet based snacks will provide you with instant energy but this will also affect the blood sugars making you feel sluggish and hungry sooner. Hence, switch to healthy alternatives and try consuming fruits nuts, yogurt, veggies or other healthier snack options.
5. Reduce Your Intake of Caffeine and Increase Water Consumption
Caffeine can disrupt your sleep cycle. Moreover, regularly consuming caffeine can make you feel anxious as well as upset your stomach. Therefore, you must switch to healthier alternatives.
Herbal teas are a good option. The best way is to drink plenty of filtered pure water. This will prevent dehydration, keep your skin glowing, and keep you more alert at work. You must, therefore, keep a bottle of water around you or at your desk while working.
6. Seek Emotional Support When in Need
If you are struggling with some emotional issues and it can be stressful not just mentally but also physically. Hence, ask for help from a counselor or psychologist when you are in need of it.
7. Exercise on a Regular Basis
If you cannot follow a daily exercise routine then plan a weekly routine. This is important to give your body some break from regular work. Also, if your job involves sitting for long hours, then get up from your seat at regular intervals. This will benefit your health and will also help you make healthier nutrition choices.
Want to Be Healthier and Fit?
As a shift worker, you must be experiencing the above-mentioned health symptoms. But if you are really concerned about supporting your health and want to make a difference then let me coach you. I can offer you complete support in adopting a healthy lifestyle to making healthy picks.
Whether you are an individual or a group, don’t let your work affect your health and nutrition. Take the essential steps right now before you meet a severe health ailment!
