Women’s Health Alert: Are You Eating Right On the Job?

Performing on the job depends on many variables: our skill set, mindset, personality type, and attitude. At any moment, we may carry out any number of tasks that call on us to be able to think, move, and execute practically simultaneously. It's like we're in constant air traffic controller-mode having to complete one task (plane landing) while getting ready for the next (plane taking off), plus keeping our eye on the one that's a few hours away (plane approaching our air space). When you think about it in basic biological terms, that's a heck of a lot of demand on one person's body and mind. Add in all the other variables, like dealing with work relationships, the sights and sounds of the office, running in and out of meetings, etc., fighting traffic, never mind what we do before and after work, and the ante is raised even further. By the way, this also goes for online business owners, too. Even though we may work on a computer from home all day or from an Internet cafe, we still have a myriad of responsibilities in our jobs. In short, we're expending massive amounts of energy on a daily basis, so there is no getting around it. We need good energy input for maximum output. That means fueling our bodies properly so we can function at our best. It's likely if you're reading this, you already know what you could be doing to improve your stamina and brain power, so we don't even have to go into the science of how the mind and body work when properly fed and exercised or the latest nutritional advice. Eating for Health and Energy: What one small thing can you do today to improve your on-the-job food habits? As women, we naturally tend put others ahead of ourselves, but it always comes back to haunt us in the end. Ever notice that? We often end up burned out, taking on too much responsibility and ignoring our own needs in the process. But the more we take care of ourselves, the better we are able to serve others. And that's especially important in the workplace. It's not only where you spend most of your time, but it's also where you get your bread and butter, so functioning as best you can is critical. In fact, it really just takes awareness and a bit of common sense to make changes that will help you on the job and at home. It's all about advance planning. Just like you prepare for staff meetings and client presentations, it's important to plan out what you're going to eat all day. When you take the time to do this, not only will you make better food choices, but you will be far less tempted to reach for the wrong stuff. Take stock of how you feel. For example, if you had a doughnut and coffee at 10:00 am and an hour later, you felt jittery and scattered, well, it doesn't take a rocket scientist to figure out that's not a good thing. Similarly, if you find yourself reaching for a chocolate bar or candy in the afte oon, it's not only a bad choice for an energy pick-up, its effect on your health long term is not good either. In fact, your afte oon energy slumps can usually be correlated to what you ate for breakfast (Fruit Loops, anyone?). Don't forget to move, even a little. We spend up to 2,000 hours a year sitting at our desks, and that's just not good for the body. We need to get oxygen circulated into those joints that stiffen up when we're hunched over our computers. Getting up and stretching every hour or taking a short stroll on your lunch hour are little changes that can go a long way to help keep you limber and alert. Water your brain. All living things need water to survive, especially those of us who work long hours at the computer and in dry environments like offices. There is a very interesting effect that water has when you're tired and dragging. Just make an experiment to increase your fluid intake by 1/2 to one cup a day and see what happens. These days the biggest challenge we have above technology and the routine daily demands of our lives is taking care of ourselves. This is about empowering yourself. Whether you're working your way up the corporate ladder and building your female leadership skills in the process, a woman in leadership building on her persuasion skills or carving out a niche as a woman in business, it makes sense to optimize your food and fluid intake. You can't be a woman of influence without it!