Here you'll find tips and advice on how nourishing yourself properly will nourish body and mind, leading to improved energy levels, and better performance every day.
More tips from our elite sports physio!
To get the most out of your day, and perform your tasks optimally, whether in work or at play, it is important to put the right fuel into your system. This means both eating and drinking: not only are the right types of food vital to give you the required and sustained energy levels you need, but you should also ensure that you are topping yourself up with adequate hydration throughout the day, and the two must go hand in hand!
Starting with HYDRATION:
Upwards of 50% of body weight consists of water. Therefore for normal homeostasis it is important to maintain your fluid balance to promote optimal physical and mental performance.
Keeping things simple, such as consuming 2 litres of still water per day is a good measure to adhere to, but you must also remain aware of the daily variations in your activity, as well other external influcences on your hydration status such as the seasonal temperatures, humidty, and even running around a hot ward can deplete you quickly!
You will already know that the two best indicators of your hydration status are:
1. Your urine: the volume, concentration and frequency of passing urine will tell you in your working day whether you are drinking enough. ie small volumes of dark concentrated urine, passed very infrequently during a 24 hours period suggests you are dehydrated.
2. Your sensation of thirst - however if you are drinking because you are thirsty then you have left it too late and your hydration status has dropped too much ahead of this.
Remember that alcohol and caffeine (present in both coffee and most non-herbal teas) are both diuretics, and will increase your urine output and can contribute to your dehydration. Caffeine is a popular stimulant, especially in healthcare workers who may be working difficult shift patterns, and is also present in a number of energy drinks, including sports hydration drinks such as Lucozade and Redbull. There is evidence to suggest that caffeine will enhance your physical performance in endurance activities, and stimulate cognitive function, but these effects may be temporary, and the other downsides of this stimulant activity can have negative effects on cardiac function and mood, not to mention sleep, which we say many times over is so important for your recovery. So maybe think about these things before you have your fifth cup of coffee to get you through your next shift!
Try to do the following to help you in your busy day:
1. Carry a bottle of water with you-if it still remains unfinished by the next natural mealtime then you aren't drinking enough! Take frequent sips, ie little and often, rather than lengthy gulps which may have been triggered by your thirst and therefore your dehydration. Adding a cordial will help with palatability, but be cautious of the sugar content and your dental health. You could get a resusable bottle with a fruit chamber, and put your favourite fruit in it to more naturally flavour your water eg lemon, lime, cucumber, strawberries. Flavoured cold infusion teabags are another alternative in your water bottle.
2. To avoid gastric irritation, especially when you may be rushing around, avoid fluids that are carbonated, and overly chilled; room temperature or mildly cooled fluids are best tolerated.
3. Avoid drinking high volumes late in the evening (or before bedtime in the day if you have worked at night) as this can lead to frequent trips to the toilet in the night and interrupt your quality sleep and therefore your natural recovery.
4. If you are getting a headache, or beginning to get tired cognitively and physically, you may need to top up on fluids, in which case pause, and get a drink!
5. Remember that if you aren't passing urine much in the day, or are feeling thirsty, you have got too dry! The work can wait for you rehydrate!
NUTRITION:
1. Remember to have your three proper meals each day. You are permitted to pause to eat your meals, no matter how busy you are!
2. You should aim for your total daily calorie intake to be made up of 45-65% carbohydrate, 20-35% fats and 10-35% protein. Depending on your goals, you may consider adjusting the proportion of these. For example, if you are looking at losing weight, you may want to reduce the carbohydrate and fat contents, or if you are more active than normal, either at work, or during exercise, you may want to increase your protein content.
3. Consider that your food should primarily be your fuel, but should also be enjoyable, and can be sociable!
Starting with a good breakfast, this should provide you with slow release energy, such at porridge oats combined with fruit, to give you both the carbohydrates for sustained energy, and the fruit contributes to part of your recommended 5-a-day. Natural sweeteners such as honey, are preferable to the processed sugars. If you're on the move, try making a quick home made smoothie combining the same elements, such as oats, bananas, honey, and other fruit of your choice (including frozen). Beware the shop bought bottled smoothies can have high sugar content especially if made from concentrate). Consider fruits such as fresh pineapple which contains bromelain, known to be a natural anti-inflammatory compound, and can help to ease the aches and pains after you have seen our exercise page!
DON'T leave breakfast out-there are no excuses to do so, as there are many on-the-go options these days to make it easier to grab and go eg porridge tubs and porridge bars, bottled weetabix breakfast drinks, and all sorts! Just take a look at what's around, even if you aren't the one to do the weekly supermarket shop!
4. Healthy snacks are a perfect way to top up your energy levels whilst busy and on the go at work. Many are pocket sized and easily portable, and are a far better substitute than the tub of Quality Street on the ward! Try anything you like, and if you like it, keep taking it! Dried fruit, yoghurt raisins, cereal bars, protein bars, nuts and seeds, a banana, fruit breads, or fruit based cakes such as carrot cake, and beetroot cake-beetroot has been shown to increase performance and endurance! Really you can snack on plenty without it being heavily laden with the wrong calories.
5. If you are a regular sandwich eater, try to switch from white bread to either wholemeal, granary, or 50:50, and many tasty loaves are laden with seeds, and soya and linseed breads are also an option.
5. Your diet should be varied, and if it is, then you should be getting all of the nutrients in the right amounts without needing supplementation. However if you think there are deficiencies in your diet affecting any aspect of your health, you should seek medical advice as certain targeted supplementation may be indicated.
Of course be sure to avoid any allergens or intolerances, and if you think you may have one which is affecting your function please seek medical attention.
More tips from our elite sports physio!
To get the most out of your day, and perform your tasks optimally, whether in work or at play, it is important to put the right fuel into your system. This means both eating and drinking: not only are the right types of food vital to give you the required and sustained energy levels you need, but you should also ensure that you are topping yourself up with adequate hydration throughout the day, and the two must go hand in hand!
Starting with HYDRATION:
Upwards of 50% of body weight consists of water. Therefore for normal homeostasis it is important to maintain your fluid balance to promote optimal physical and mental performance.
Keeping things simple, such as consuming 2 litres of still water per day is a good measure to adhere to, but you must also remain aware of the daily variations in your activity, as well other external influcences on your hydration status such as the seasonal temperatures, humidty, and even running around a hot ward can deplete you quickly!
You will already know that the two best indicators of your hydration status are:
1. Your urine: the volume, concentration and frequency of passing urine will tell you in your working day whether you are drinking enough. ie small volumes of dark concentrated urine, passed very infrequently during a 24 hours period suggests you are dehydrated.
2. Your sensation of thirst - however if you are drinking because you are thirsty then you have left it too late and your hydration status has dropped too much ahead of this.
Remember that alcohol and caffeine (present in both coffee and most non-herbal teas) are both diuretics, and will increase your urine output and can contribute to your dehydration. Caffeine is a popular stimulant, especially in healthcare workers who may be working difficult shift patterns, and is also present in a number of energy drinks, including sports hydration drinks such as Lucozade and Redbull. There is evidence to suggest that caffeine will enhance your physical performance in endurance activities, and stimulate cognitive function, but these effects may be temporary, and the other downsides of this stimulant activity can have negative effects on cardiac function and mood, not to mention sleep, which we say many times over is so important for your recovery. So maybe think about these things before you have your fifth cup of coffee to get you through your next shift!
Try to do the following to help you in your busy day:
1. Carry a bottle of water with you-if it still remains unfinished by the next natural mealtime then you aren't drinking enough! Take frequent sips, ie little and often, rather than lengthy gulps which may have been triggered by your thirst and therefore your dehydration. Adding a cordial will help with palatability, but be cautious of the sugar content and your dental health. You could get a resusable bottle with a fruit chamber, and put your favourite fruit in it to more naturally flavour your water eg lemon, lime, cucumber, strawberries. Flavoured cold infusion teabags are another alternative in your water bottle.
2. To avoid gastric irritation, especially when you may be rushing around, avoid fluids that are carbonated, and overly chilled; room temperature or mildly cooled fluids are best tolerated.
3. Avoid drinking high volumes late in the evening (or before bedtime in the day if you have worked at night) as this can lead to frequent trips to the toilet in the night and interrupt your quality sleep and therefore your natural recovery.
4. If you are getting a headache, or beginning to get tired cognitively and physically, you may need to top up on fluids, in which case pause, and get a drink!
5. Remember that if you aren't passing urine much in the day, or are feeling thirsty, you have got too dry! The work can wait for you rehydrate!
NUTRITION:
1. Remember to have your three proper meals each day. You are permitted to pause to eat your meals, no matter how busy you are!
2. You should aim for your total daily calorie intake to be made up of 45-65% carbohydrate, 20-35% fats and 10-35% protein. Depending on your goals, you may consider adjusting the proportion of these. For example, if you are looking at losing weight, you may want to reduce the carbohydrate and fat contents, or if you are more active than normal, either at work, or during exercise, you may want to increase your protein content.
3. Consider that your food should primarily be your fuel, but should also be enjoyable, and can be sociable!
Starting with a good breakfast, this should provide you with slow release energy, such at porridge oats combined with fruit, to give you both the carbohydrates for sustained energy, and the fruit contributes to part of your recommended 5-a-day. Natural sweeteners such as honey, are preferable to the processed sugars. If you're on the move, try making a quick home made smoothie combining the same elements, such as oats, bananas, honey, and other fruit of your choice (including frozen). Beware the shop bought bottled smoothies can have high sugar content especially if made from concentrate). Consider fruits such as fresh pineapple which contains bromelain, known to be a natural anti-inflammatory compound, and can help to ease the aches and pains after you have seen our exercise page!
DON'T leave breakfast out-there are no excuses to do so, as there are many on-the-go options these days to make it easier to grab and go eg porridge tubs and porridge bars, bottled weetabix breakfast drinks, and all sorts! Just take a look at what's around, even if you aren't the one to do the weekly supermarket shop!
4. Healthy snacks are a perfect way to top up your energy levels whilst busy and on the go at work. Many are pocket sized and easily portable, and are a far better substitute than the tub of Quality Street on the ward! Try anything you like, and if you like it, keep taking it! Dried fruit, yoghurt raisins, cereal bars, protein bars, nuts and seeds, a banana, fruit breads, or fruit based cakes such as carrot cake, and beetroot cake-beetroot has been shown to increase performance and endurance! Really you can snack on plenty without it being heavily laden with the wrong calories.
5. If you are a regular sandwich eater, try to switch from white bread to either wholemeal, granary, or 50:50, and many tasty loaves are laden with seeds, and soya and linseed breads are also an option.
5. Your diet should be varied, and if it is, then you should be getting all of the nutrients in the right amounts without needing supplementation. However if you think there are deficiencies in your diet affecting any aspect of your health, you should seek medical advice as certain targeted supplementation may be indicated.
Of course be sure to avoid any allergens or intolerances, and if you think you may have one which is affecting your function please seek medical attention.