5 Tips for keeping a healthy eating routine while working from home

With many finding that they will have an extended delay in returning to their regular workplace, working from home may not yet have an end in sight and now is a good time to look at how to keep a healthy eating routine.

Our eating habits have an impact on our physical comfort, with a poor diet contributing to chronic pain. “A lot of chronic pain is the result of chronic inflammation, and the evidence is quite strong that your diet can contribute to increased systemic inflammation,” says Dr. Fred Tabung, a visiting researcher with the Department of Nutrition at Harvard’s T.H. Chan School of Public Health.”  Research out of Brigham Young University found that employees with unhealthy diets were 66 percent more likely to report a loss in productivity and employees who rarely ate fruits, vegetables and other low-fat foods at work were 93 percent more likely to have a higher loss in productivity. .  Similarly, “the WHO reports that ‘adequate nutrition can raise your productivity levels by 20 percent on average.’ You’ll be better able to focus and accomplish tasks when you’ve eaten properly.” 

Here are 5 tips to help you eat healthier and be healthier while you are working from home:

1. Make a plan

During a pandemic you may not be able to easily “pop out” to pick up a snack or meal so maintaining a healthy diet requires advanced planning. Find what works best for you – planning on the weekend for the week ahead or the night before can help keep you on track to eat healthy foods. Canada’s Food Guide has some excellent information that you may wish to reference on meal planning. 

2. Prepare and portion snacks in advance

The night before or prior to your work day starting, prep items that can then be easily grabbed for snacks when you are hungry. Choose healthy foods that you like and know that you will eat. Portion snacks to avoid over-eating and have several items available to allow for choice and variety. Government of Canada has some tips on healthy eating during the COVID-19 pandemic. 

3. Schedule in time to eat

Eat at set times if you are prone to forgetting to eat.  Or schedule set times if you tend to eat too often. If you’re a breakfast eater, make sure that you have a good start to your day. The commute is much shorter now that we just have to get to your home office, so take advantage of the time saved by taking time to make yourself a satisfying breakfast. Add time for lunch to your calendar each day and try to avoid having meetings being booked over the lunch hour.

4. Location, Location, Location

Working at our desk can lead to over-eating and decreased productivity. Take a physical break from your desk/work space and eat in a different space if you can. Do some stretches at this time to relax stiff muscles.  See our stretching videos.  If you are literally working from your dining table, take a mental break from working during times when you are eating. Focus on the meal/snack rather than consuming it mindlessly while attending to emails or other work.

5. Stay hydrated

Staying hydrated can improve our heath and productivity and keep our hunger in check. Often times we are thirsty but confuse that feeling with hunger. Drinking water throughout the day is a good way to increase hydration – keep a glass or water bottle next to you all day. Limit your consumption of coffee and other caffeinated beverages as caffeine is a leading cause of dehydration.

Anderson Ergonomics has many services to help you during this pandemic, to make working from home more comfortable and enjoyable.  Remote workstation assessments, stretching guidelines, and stretching videos are all available to help you.