Diet and productivity in the workplace
Although there is an abundance of literature tackling productivity at an organisational level, there is little about guidance for the modern-day Filipino professional on individual productivity in the workplace. Productivity is measured in terms of the rate of output per unit of input. After we subtract eight hours for sleep, two hours for exercise and two hours for down-time, input in this regard is confined to 12 hours a day. It is also worth stating that eating into sleep and exercise or down-time can be detrimental to productivity over the long-term with the dreaded ‘burnout’ becoming a real possibility. Hence, we must make the most of the 12 hours a day that we can dedicate to our job.
While there are numerous ways to increase productivity such as controlled caffeine use and savvy task prioritisation, people often neglect one of the most impactful – diet. We have all been there: somebody in the office arrives with a box of Krispy Kreme or pasalubong and 30 minutes later, all you can focus on is keeping your eyes open let alone churning out that sales report. Or when you go out to Jollibee for lunch on Friday and spend the rest of the day in a food coma feeling very ashamed. Both of these scenarios trade-in future productivity for short-term bliss. By better understanding the effect different types of food can have on our body, we can improve both our mood and productivity and hence, our performance in the workplace.
The first productivity-boosting change we can make to our diet is to consume less simple carbohydrates. When you eat food high in simple carbohydrates such as donuts and chocolate, your body experiences a rapid increase in blood-sugar levels. The resultant increase in levels of insulin and serotonin induces that sleepy, relaxed feeling once blood-sugar levels come back down. Of course, such episodes are disastrous, especially in the intense, demanding environment so common at work. But before making any adjustments to carbohydrates intake, a word of warning: a typical person will obtain roughly 50 percent of their calories (a measure of the energy your body obtains from food and liquid) from carbohydrates so of course, stripping out carbohydrates without a compensating increase in protein or fat can bring energy levels to an unsustainable level, resulting in mood swings and vicious cravings.
The next output-enhancing hack requires a change of mind-set: getting more ‘bang-for-our-buck’ from the food we are consuming. This concept becomes a little easier to understand when we consider that a gram of fat contains nine calories compared to four calories per one gram of carbohydrate or protein. Hence, by avoiding that lovely piece of fried pork (high in fat) and choosing some grilled chicken (low in fat), we have actually saved some calories that can be spent on a satiating option such as rice or oatmeal. By making this choice, we have consumed the same quantity of calories but consumed a much more voluminous, satiating meal. Fast-forward three hours and we are less likely to be craving that 3pm snack than if we had opted for the fatty pork option. And the last thing we want to do in the middle of a period of deep work is to get up, relinquish focus and search for a snack.
The next suggested dietary amendment may seem obvious yet still appears to be largely ignored: drink more water throughout the day. This becomes even more important in climates such as the Philippines where the daily sweat-inducing commute dehydrates our body by eating into water reserves. Dehydration can result in decreased cognitive function and increased anxiety and fatigue.
As if this wasn’t enough to send you straight to the water cooler, also consider the fact that drinking more water will keep you feeling full longer and increase your daily energy expenditure by as much as five percent, helping keep a lid on weight-gain.
The fourth and final tip is potentially the most difficult to implement but is certainty worth mentioning: eat at the same time each day. Appetite, digestion and metabolism are all linked to our circadian rhythm, following a repetitive pattern every 24 hours. When we eat at different times each day or even worse, skip meals entirely, our body is continually second-guessing itself as it does not know when the next meal will occur. This increases stress, greatly disrupts digestion and means that when you do come around to eating, your body will demand more food before telling you it is ‘full’ as it plans for another long, indefinite period of time before the next meal.
The best diet is the sustainable one. Gradually introduce the initiatives outlined above over time and watch both your productivity at work and general mood increase.
Patrick Kilcoyne is responsible for Operations at one of the fastest growing fin-tech players in Southeast Asia: First Circle. Patrick is a proponent of social impact investment in emerging markets and has a keen interest in health and fitness.
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