Boost Your Summer Energy Level with Food

Boost Your Summer Energy Level with Food

by | Jun 23, 2020 | Blog, Nurse Health | 0 comments

Summer is here and the living is supposed to be easy. But for nurses, especially in 2020, the summertime looks like it’s going to be pretty busy. Are you looking for an energy boost?

Even as cases of the coronavirus taper off in some of the spring hotspots, it’s increasing at a rapid rate in other areas across the country. As a nurse, you know caring for yourself right now is essential, even as you find your time and energy depleted.

One way to boost your energy, your immunity, and your outlook is by eating food that offers both top nutrition and comfort food but is easy to prepare. As a bonus, any leftovers become an easy lunch to bring to work.

Here are a few tips for focusing on food to give you energy.

  1. Choose Seasonal Foods

Summer makes it easy to get a lot of nutrition because so many fruits and vegetables are in season. Whether it’s in a supermarket, a big box store, or a farmers’ market, ripe produce is often available when you are doing other errands. Choose peaches and melons that are sweet, packed with energy-boosting water, and offer plenty of vitamins. Dark green lettuces are tender, easy to wash, and full of folate.

  1. Get Your Protein

Protein prevents hunger pains between meals, fuels your long days, and keeps your body running. Lots of people choose to cut down on protein when they are trying to lose weight (or some weight-loss plans rely on protein overloads). Keeping a steady supply of protein from your food choices varies nutrition totals and keeps you from fading fast during a long shift. Choose from meats and seafood, beans, tofu, cheeses, and other dairy items like yogurt.

  1. Try Something New

You don’t have to be in the mood to whip up new recipes to try something new. Many supermarkets offer prepared foods that you can try with a small size or just commit to trying a new food. Or see if your family or a friend would want to go in on ingredients and try to come up with a dish that take less than five ingredients and three steps.

  1. Convenience Works

When you’re tired and facing down the dinner hour, a prebagged, washed salad and a cooked rotisserie chicken makes a great dinner with plenty of leftover possibilities. Premade soups, slices of veggie pizza, and frozen meatballs also add variety and ease to your meal selections. Thaw bagged, cooked frozen shrimp and cook a box of pasta—top both with a jarred cream sauce and some cherry tomatoes and you have a nutritious and filling meal. Watch out for extra salt and fat in some premade meals, but choosing something easy is what summer eating is all about.

Be mindful of what you’re eating and see if you notice any changes in your energy levels or even in the way you look at food. Summer is a good time to lighten up cooking effort, but you don’t want to skimp on getting healthy food. Make it enjoyable and easy to prepare and recoup a little peace during these stressful times.

The Nutrition Pitfalls of Break Room Munchies

The Nutrition Pitfalls of Break Room Munchies

by | Jun 16, 2018 | Blog, Minority and Community Health, Nurse Health | 0 comments

One of the toughest things nurses face is caring for themselves, and eating for optimal nutrition at work is especially problematic. Filling up on whatever is around can actually zap your energy and lead to longer-term health problems. And a recent study proves the grab-and-go in the break room is challenging for everyone.

A recently published study by the American Society for Nutrition shows that relying on food in the workplace might actually hurt your health. In a time crunch, buying quick take out in the cafeteria, granola bars or candy bars at a vending machine in the hall, or a juice or soda for a pick-me-up can wreak havoc on everything from your blood pressure to your weight.

Even if you resolve to spend nothing on food at work, you aren’t out of the woods. The candy dish that remains filled with tiny pieces of chocolate, the birthday cake for a coworker’s big day, and the party leftovers that appear in the kitchen or break room all add unexpected calories to your daily or weekly total.

The study’s author, Stephen Onufrak noted in his presentation abstract the dietary quality of foods obtained in the average work setting of the study provided less nutrition and a higher ratio of sodium and fats than healthy guidelines recommend.

Even worse, you often aren’t even aware of what you’re eating. A few small cookies barely make a dent in your hunger, but easily pack a lot of fat and calories to your day with little nutritional value. And because nurses work a physically demanding job, eating on the run is pretty common. Sometimes you think it must be better to grab a slice of coffee cake than nothing, and sometimes it is better to do that. But planning ahead and having a yogurt that’s just as fast to eat, string cheese, whole-grain crackers, or a handful of dried fruit and nuts that provides fiber, protein, and a few vitamins to boot is a better choice and provides longer lasting energy.

If it’s the social aspect of workplace eating that appeals to you, just be aware of your intake. Allocate what you are willing to splurge on and what you won’t really miss. Advocate for healthier choices when food is supplied for meetings, lunches, or celebrations. Also be your own cheering section. Take the time to stash your favorite snacks in your bag so you can feel social, but still fuel your body with healthy foods. As with any behavior change, it helps to enlist support. Find a buddy who can help you resist the urge to nosh on whatever is closest at hand.

With healthier eating comes many benefits, but feeling better is one of the biggest benefits of all.

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