[Lifestyle] Quarantine: feeding to raise your spirits and have a better job performance

[S e u o n g]

Serotonin, tryptophan and endorphin are some of the components that are present in products that we may have in our home and that help improve our mood these days. Furthermore, according to the World Health Organization, adequate nutrition for workers can increase productivity levels by 20%.

 

The advance of the pandemic, being isolated for several weeks, low temperatures and rainy days are clearly not a contribution to improve our mood.

A study conducted by Randstad on the health crisis revealed that 18.6% of Chilean workers surveyed acknowledged feeling stressed, 11.2% anxious and 9.7% frustrated. Furthermore, 8.1% admitted being depressed and 7% irritated by the current situation.

The figures clearly reflect a reality of many people, however, what we must know is that there are natural methods that improve our mood these days.

From the nutrition team of ISS Chile, a company that provides food services throughout the country, they detail five foods or components that we can consume and that will help brighten our days. In addition, they explain to us what they generate in our body.

• Chocolate: Cocoa, milk, cocoa butter and sugar are the ingredients of chocolate, which, together, manage to generate serotonin, the neurotransmitter that achieves the feeling of satisfaction, joy and well-being.
• Fructose: Sugar present in fruits. For those looking to achieve this feeling of happiness and avoid processed sweets, this is the best option. It is recommended by the nutritionists of ISS Chile to eat at least five servings a day, considering vegetables and fruits.
• Omega 3: Healthy fatty acids that are present in most fish. This component improves communication between the areas of the brain and therefore achieves emotional, mental and behavioral stability.
• Walnuts: This dried fruit is rich in tryptophan, one of the amino acids that stimulates the production of serotonin. The component does not occur naturally, so we must worry about consuming foods that have it.
• Meats: Like nuts, beef, chicken, and pork have tryptophan. They are also a source of melatonin, a hormone that induces sleep. This last point is extremely important since to stay active and happy, we must worry about sleeping at least eight hours a day.

 

By consuming these foods we can improve our mood. In addition, the team of experts advises doing physical activity for at least 30 minutes a day, as this will generate endorphin -also known as the hormone of happiness-, which works as a natural painkiller and helps control anxiety and stress levels.

 

Improve job performance
In Chile, most people have a working day of 9 hours a day on average, so it is essential to eat in a good way to perform and have a good quality of working life. Currently, the eating patterns of most people are based on a diet with high energy density, that is, with more total fat and sugar added to the food, low intake of complex carbohydrates, fiber, fruits and vegetables , and high sodium intake, which is closely related to the intensification of chronic diseases such as diabetes, cancer and heart disease, which affect adults, including large numbers of workers.

“Food and nutrition are strongly linked to the biological functioning of the body. Food has a direct impact on our cognitive activity, therefore, deciding what we are going to have for breakfast and lunch on a workday is deeply important if we want to perform well. In fact, diet is an indisputable part of lifestyles and it is there that it is clearly recognized as a determinant of health, "explains Elizabeth Luna, a Sodexo nutritionist.

The Pan American Health Organization (PAHO) has considered the workplace as a priority environment for the promotion of health in the XXI century, due to the importance that the workforce has taken and the economic impact it has on the levels of production, so the importance of raising awareness and educating employees when choosing their food is evident. In addition, according to a report by the World Health Organization, adequate nutrition and physical activity in workers can increase productivity levels by 20%.

The nutritionist explains that “the world po[CENSORED]tion is affected by nutritional problems of excess or deficit, anemia, hypoglycemia significantly affect performance, coordination and decrease physical work capacity. This is how our body converts almost everything we eat into glucose, that is, it gives us the necessary energy to our brain to be attentive and to our body to do all daily activities. Therefore, if we are running out of glucose, this generates hypoglycemia, in other words, low blood sugar, that is, little energy, which causes our attention to disperse, that is why when we are on an empty stomach It makes it very difficult for us to concentrate, also producing fatigue, a feeling of exhaustion and tiredness.

Another important factor is knowing that our body does not process all foods at the same speed. “Pasta, bread and cereals release glucose very quickly, like a burst of energy. However, other foods such as fatty meats and sausages require more work from our digestive system, reducing oxygen levels in the brain and making us feel heavy and slow, generating discomfort throughout the body ”, says Elizabeth

For this reason, the expert always recommends a healthy diet, since in addition to providing a better nutritional contribution to our body, it prevents cardiovascular diseases, reduces stress, fatigue or minor illnesses such as the flu or colds.

“Stress, anxiety and overwork can cause people to change their eating habits by overeating or skipping meals. Both are harmful to health. Another important factor is the time that people dedicate to preparing food, people who are not organized tend to buy junk or ultra-processed food to get out of trouble, which eventually becomes an unhealthy habit ”says Luna.

A healthy diet helps the body to function properly. Therefore, the recommendation is to avoid the consumption of sugar, such as sweets, sugary drinks and juices, avoid the consumption of fried foods and foods with fats such as cured meat and mayonnaise, reduce the consumption of alcohol and avoid especially distillates, since higher degree of alcohol more calories. Increase the consumption of baked fish and legumes twice a week, always avoiding mixing them with sausages such as sausages or sausage.

To maintain a varied diet, it is essential to ensure that over 50% of the daily diet is based on live foods, that is, fruits and vegetables. Another energy food is nuts, these are characterized by being very healthy, they can be included in the diet in replacement of other less healthy snacks, contributing to good cardiovascular health.