8 Ways to increase your productivity according to nutritionists

8 Methods to increase your productivity from a nutritionist’s standpoint

MF editorial team

12 Jul 2017

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Eat the right food for a productive brain
Diets that include blueberries will improve your learning capacity and motor skills. Avocados contain monounsaturated fat, which helps to improve blood flow to the brain while reducing blood pressure, at the same time reducing the risk of hypertension.

Whole grains (oatmeal, wholegrain bread, brown rice) will improve blood flow to the entire body while beans can stabilise your blood sugar (glucose) levels. As the brain relies on glucose as a fuel for energy, it is important to balance it out!

Deep-water fish such as salmon provide essential fatty acids (Omega-3), which can boost brain function. Last but not least, nuts and seeds are a great source of vitamin E, which help to maintain your cognitive abilities.
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Kickstart your day with a hearty breakfast
Breakfast can be as simple as a high-protein based cereal with low-fat milk and a sprinkle of mixed seeds like pumpkin, hemp, chia, sunflower, sesame seeds. A protein-rich breakfast will produce ample energy to get your brain working at the start of the day while reducing your appetite to prevent you from indulging in heavy food coma-inducing meals during your lunch break. Pick up some of your favorite fruits during your break time to gently elevate your blood glucose levels to get your mind working efficiently throughout the day.
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Stay hydrated!
Drink more water, it is that simple! Even the fruits and vegetables that you consume daily are a good alternative source of water – you can consume them whole or consume them as fruit juices. The only setback is that you may find yourself taking several trips to the bathroom, but this will only serve to wake you up even more if you are feeling lethargic at the office!
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Maintain a healthy immune system
Boosting your immune system will shield yourself from common illnesses such as coughs, flus, sore throats and even fevers. All you have to do is cut out bad habits like smoking or drinking (alcohol) and adopt healthy living trends like exercising regularly. Try to maintain a healthy weight, sustain your blood pressure, and most importantly, get sufficient rest.
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Plan your mealtimes
Decide on what you want to eat before your work starts. It will be a whole lot easier for you to focus on your work instead of constantly thinking about what to eat during work hours. A better alternative is to prepare your own lunch at home or grab some healthy/low-sugar snacks such as a protein bar or small portion of nuts and dried fruit if you are foregoing heavy meals during lunch break.
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Energise with a cup of coffee
Coffee has always been our bread and butter to staying productive throughout the day, especially for those who are always on their computers and mobile devices. It has been proven that caffeine will help improve memory and increase focus by protecting prolonged computer users from the risk of eyelid spasm.

For healthy adults, daily caffeine consumption should be limited to around 300mg - 400mg, which is the equivalent to 1 Starbucks Venti brewed coffee. If you weigh more than an average adult, you can consume a little more, but if you weigh less than an average adult, it is best to consume less.
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Balance your food intake
A rule of thumb to staying healthy and productive is to have a balanced meal composed of food from all the food groups to ensure sufficient carbohydrates, fibre, fat, protein and vitamins for your body’s daily needs.

Most importantly, refrain from consuming heavy calorific meals as they take up a lot of your energy to digest, but also try not to consume meals that are too light, which could lead to a decrease in your motor functions in processing information and reaction time.
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Treat yourself to a glass of red wine
Enjoy the exquisite taste of red wine? In case you didn’t know, studies have shown that red wine contains antioxidants, which could help to improve your blood circulation and your motor skills. So pour yourself a glass of red wine and enjoy the delight before getting a good night’s rest. In the morning, you will find yourself energised and ready to start a productive day at work.

Eat the right food for a productive brain

If you aren’t doing these things, you aren’t getting the brainpower you need, according to nutritionists!

When it comes to productivity at work, we usually consider a positive mindset and immaculate planning of goals as the go-to approach to boosting our productivity. However, we also need to look at our diet (i.e. our food and drink consumption) on a daily basis, as it could significantly impact on our productivity, especially when we spend long hours at the office.

There are various factors to consider, such as the type of food, our digestion time, the amount of energy gained from each meal, and most importantly, sudden cravings for particular types of food. These could affect how to work and how you tackle stressful situations. Now, let’s break down 8 nutritionist-proven methods to increase your productivity for those long stretches behind your computer screen and at important meetings.

This article was written by Ng You Jing, a writer at Jobstore.com, the leading job portal in Malaysia.

Photos: Getty Images

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