Poor diet makes productivity slumps 66% more likely

Most of us understand that a healthy diet is necessary for long-term health, but how important do you think it is in the workplace? Well, when you realise that employees with a poor diet are less productive in the long term, the need to include nutrition education as part of your company’s corporate wellness program becomes evident. 

Research bears this out, too, as those regularly consuming refined sugar and junk food are 66% more likely to experience frequent drops in productivity compared to people who eat whole foods, fruits and vegetables. Poor diet stresses the metabolism and can leave you feeling tired and unable to concentrate fully. 

This reduced focus often leads to low motivation, less work getting done, and errors being made. In every way possible, it’s bad for business. This means that helping your staff to eat better will naturally lead to happier, more productive working lives.

Let’s now take a closer look at why junk food should only be consumed occasionally and in moderation…

Refined sugars v natural sugars

There are a number of reasons why certain groups of foods are better for the body than others, and it has a lot to do with the kinds of sugars found inside. Let’s take a moment to look at where refined and natural sugars are found to illustrate our point.

Refined sugars

As corporate wellness nutrition training shows, refined sugars are typically found in junk food and other processed goods. They’re added to enhance the taste of food that contains empty calories – meaning the food offers nothing the body can use, such as minerals, protein, vitamins or fibre. 

This type of food tends to leave you unsatisfied because refined sugar is rapidly broken down in the body, causing blood sugar and insulin levels to go through the roof and subsequently crash shortly after. 

Natural sugars 

Of course, sugar isn’t necessarily our enemy – particularly when it occurs naturally in fruit and vegetables. However, this sugar comes in the form of fructose, which is digested much more slowly, allowing it to sustain you for that much longer. 

The sugars found in vegetables are known as sucrose, which again is processed nice and slowly by the body resulting in increased stamina and day-long energy. 

Added fats & salts in junk food 

Often accompanying refined sugar in processed food are salts and added fats – both of which can adversely affect your health when overconsumed. An excess of salt (a.k.a. sodium) in the body is linked to not just high blood pressure but also disease and stroke. 

You’ll also encounter health issues when you consume too much in the way of added fats in junk food, with obesity, type 2 diabetes and cancers being linked. 

Boost productivity with nutritional knowledge

As they say, you are what you eat, and we can see here that the food you eat can have a significant impact on your health and performance at work. Brain fog, fatigue and sick days can all be avoided when a good, balanced diet is in place. 

BUA FIT corporate wellness programs provide education for you and your employees on getting the best nutrition for life and work. Complementing our overall corporate wellness services, our nutrition workshops can help your employees to establish better dietary habits and become more productive as a result. 

To find out more about the very real and meaningful benefits of corporate wellness programs, come and talk with a friendly member of our team who can answer all your questions. 

As always, stay fit, happy, and healthy.