FOOD, PRODUCTIVITY, AND THE OFFICE

One of life's greatest pleasures is sitting down to a hearty meal of your favorite recipe. Whether it's a grass-fed steak with a generous side of mashed potatoes, or a colorful quinoa bowl packed with tons of superfood, eating something we enjoy can always improve our mood. But food can also improve our productivity! Read on to learn mroe about how food can increase your productivity, especially in the context of the office.

FOOD AND COGNITIVE PERFORMANCE

We've all heard the phrase "brain food" before - but how does food actually influence our mental performance? It all starts with how our body actually breaks down food. Science lets us know that "just about everything we eat is converted by our body into glucose, which provides the energy our brains need to stay alert." In other words, glucose is the blood sugar - the fuel - that keeps our bodies running.

And when it comes to the amount of glucose entering your bloodstream, it's important to maintain your glucose levels at a consistent level throughout the day. After all, "too much or too little glucose will leave you unfocused, with poor energy levels, and low brain performance.

But science also lets us know that our bodies do not break down all food into glucose the same way. For example, our bodies break down sugary treats like a brownie or muffin into glucose very quickly, causing us to feel a spike of energy - the infamous sugar rush, if you will. But after about a half hour, our bodies will have extracted all the glucose it can from these treats, causing our blood sugar levels to drop; our energy levels - and subsequently productivity levels - would also plummet.

Alternatively, certain foods with high fat content, like a steak or a cheeseburger, "provide more sustained energy, but require our digestive system to work harder, reducing oxygen levels in the brain and making us groggy." While these foods may give us more overall energy, the increased work required from our digestive system comes at the cost of the performance of our mental capabilities.

THE BEST FOOD FOR PRODUCTIVITY

So what foods should we be eating if we wanted to improve our productivity levels in the office? It may be no surprise to hear, but fruit and vegetables are some of the best things to munch on in the office if you want to be working at your best. These foods release glucose at a steadier pace and are light on our digestive system, giving us an ample supply of energy throughout the day without coming at the cost of our cognitive abilities.

On top of that, fruit and vegetables "contain vital nutrients that foster the production of dopamine, a neurotransmitter that plays a key role in the experience of curiosity, motivation, and engagement." Furthermore, "they also provide antioxidants that minimize bodily inflammation, improve memory, and enhance mood." It's no wonder then that a study found that people who eat a lot of fruit and vegetables tend to have a greater sense of "well-being, more intense feelings of curiosity, and greater creativity!"

Nuts and seeds are also great choices for office snacks. They're chock full of healthy fats that improve overall health, which also "slow the body's digestion of sugar and carbs - keeping your blood sugar levels nice and steady, your focus in line, and your willpower up throughout the day."

FOOD ETIQUETTE IN THE OFFICE

Now that you have an idea of the best foods to eat in the office to increase your productivity levels, it's worth exploring some best practices when it comes to food etiquette in the office. After all, the way you positively (or negatively!) impact your coworkers affects everyone's productivity, and proper food etiquette in the office is essential to keep any workspace running its best. Here are some things to think about to be mindful of your food choices and habits:

Keep the smelly food home: Foods with particularly strong odors, like fish, can stench up the entire office, especially if heated up in the microwave. Do your coworkers a favor and avoid bringing these types of food in for lunch. But if you must bring a particularly pungent type of food to work, it's best to eat it cold, like in a sandwich or a salad.
Clean up after yourself: The kitchen and break room are shared spaces in the office. Consequently, if you want to be a considerate colleague, it's important to keep these spaces tidy, especially if you left a mess yourself! Be sure to wash any office dishes you use, and to utilize any cleaning supplies the office has to sweep or mop up a mess of yours.
Don't leave food in the refrigerator for more than a week: It's easy for food to be forgotten in the fridge, destined to a fate of mold accumulation. And in the office, the problem can be especially bad, as it can get difficult to pinpoint who exactly abandoned the unlabeled leftovers that have been sitting in the fridge for a month. Avoiding this issue is easy: simply implement an empty fridge policy every Friday afternoon! That way, everyone is encouraged to eat any food they store in the fridge by the end of the week, and the office fridge remains free of any moldy tubs of tupperware.
Keep the crunching to a minimum: If you do bring a superfood snack of pecans or almonds to work, it may be best to eat these in your office break room. THis is especially relevant if you work in an open office layout in close proximity to each other - after all, it may be difficult for your colleague to concentrate if all they hear is you crunching noisily away on your favorite snack!

FOOD FOR THOUGHT

In the end, food plays a critical role in our everyday lives. And with a little forethought, picking the right food to eat in the office place (and how you eat it!) can greatly improve your productivity, performance, and well-being in the office. And as mentioned before, the kitchen and break room are important spaces for you to enjoy whatever food you bring to work. Here at Facility Solutions Plus, we can help you design your kitchen and break room into the perfect place for you and your colleagues to enjoy whatever delicious food you bring to work.

Facility Solutions Plus is a client-centered, full-service commercial office furniture dealership and service provider that specializes in meeting needs, solving problems and enhancing the total office environment through customized, cost-effective workspace solutions...and more.