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| P2P Magazine | Spring 2016
01732 759725
HEALTH
Food for thought
Office Angels
It advises people in admin and support
roles to be mindful of their iron intake, as
iron is associated with planning ability.
It adds that because these jobs tend to
be desk-based, this group generally has
lower carbohydrate requirements, but
recommends that the calorie saving
from carbs should be invested in protein
to increase satiety and help dull the
attraction of the biscuit tin or vending
machine. Menu suggestions include
scrambled egg and wholegrain toast for
breakfast, and protein-rich almonds
as an afternoon snack.
Creatives
This group, which includes marketing,
PR, journalists and artists, is advised
to eat a lot of fruit and veg and to
consume the right carbohydrates at the
right time of day. Pod says Creatives
should start the day with a breakfast of
slow-release carbohydrate to provide
energy and fuel the brain – porridge,
fruit and seeds would be ideal. High sugar
and high fat should be avoided, as this
will cause sluggishness, and carbohydrates
should be reduced through the day.
High Flyers
This is the term the report uses
for investment bankers, lawyers,
accountants, IT workers and analysts.
These jobs are mainly desk-based, so
carbohydrate requirements for physical
movement are low, but brain fuel
requirements are high, particularly if
long and gruelling meetings are involved.
The report recommends a slow release
carb snack before a meeting to maintain
energy and concentration levels. It points
out that because this group tends to
eat out frequently, High Flyers should
...in brief
Workers turn to comfort food
to tackle stress
The importance of eating well to
increase productivity is underlined
by research from Mintel, which
suggests that Britain’s workforce is
turning to unhealthy food and drink
habits to combat workplace stress.
According to the
Working Life UK
2015 report
, eating comfort food
topped the list of things workers have
done to tackle work stress in the past
12 months, with 33% admitting to
snacking; 30% have turned to alcohol;
and one in seven (15%) has smoked or
vaped as a result of stress.
The research shows that strategies
for dealing with stress vary by age.
Workers aged 16-24 are most likely to
turn to exercise to help relieve stress,
with half (49%) doing so; people aged
35-44 prefer to comfort eat (39%); and
workers aged 25-34 are most likely to
drink alcohol.
Bring back the lunch hour
The CSP Network has launched ‘a
manifesto for a flexible lunch break’,
following research showing that
a culture of working through the
lunch break is deterring people
from taking exercise during the
lightest and brightest part of
the day.
The manifesto calls on employers
to consider requests for people to start
work a little earlier or leave a little
later, so that they can take a longer
lunch break.
It also calls for more proactive
promotion of workplace activity, such
as employee noticeboards, fitness
classes and ‘midday mile’ walks,
runs and cycling to bring colleague
interaction and health closer together.
Analysis by the British Heart
Foundation National Centre for Physical
Activity and Health (BHFNC) shows
that employees are under pressure to
take shorter lunch breaks, or no break
at all, and that this is leading to a rise in
the number of sick days taken.
BHFNC surveys and interviews
with participants in the ‘Workplace
Challenge’, a free online tool used
by over 45,000 workers to log their
physical activity, suggest that those who
adopt a more active lifestyle cut the
number of sick days taken by 0.6 (at the
6 month marker) and cut the number of
days they are present at work when sick
by between 1.4 and 1.7 days.
choose meals that contribute to
a healthy balanced diet. Lunch
should be light and easy to
digest.
KeyWorkers
Emergency workers, nurses, doctors,
teachers and taxi drivers have jobs that
are mentally and physically stressful,
with long hours. This increases the
likelihood of a diet high in comfort food.
For KeyWorkers, the report recommends
a diet packed with stress-busting
foods, such as nuts, seeds, green leafy
vegetables and whole grains to support
the nervous system; turkey, eggs and
mushrooms to help lower anxiety; and
live yoghurt to maintain a healthy gut
bacteria balance.
People are used to the idea of varying their diet according to the amount
of exercise they do. Now, it seems we should also be taking into account
the type of work we do.
Pod released the report to coincide with the unveiling of a
new spring menu being served in its 22 London restaurants
from April 11. To find out more, visit
.
Breakfast: Peanut Butter
Porridge (left);
Salmon, seaweed and
scrambled eggs. (below)
Lemon chia refresher
Spanish chicken
fabada
Persian lamb
meatballs
Lamb schwarma (l);
Cauliflower chicken mango salad
Chicken
bibinbap
A new report produced by London’s
healthy eating restaurant ‘pod’ and
nutritionist Helen Money highlights
the connection between eating good
food and productivity at work.
The pod-uctivity report
argues that
different roles require different nutrients
and recommends diets optimised for four
job types – Office Angels, Creatives,
High Flyers and KeyWorkers.
