According to statistics compiled by the International Labor Organization, more than a quarter of the world’s population are employed in various areas of office labor. Office workers are a certain type of people with a certain type of rhythm of life. And according to the same ILO, office “white-collar workers” involved in intellectual, rather than physical labor, must have their own, special diet. The diet of a city dweller employed from 9 to 18 in the office is very different from the diet of a rural dweller working in the field from morning till night. And the point is not even that the level of physical activity of a city dweller is lower, but that the body consumes energy in different ways. The office worker’s diet should consist of products that help his brain work more actively.
The diet of an office worker extends not only to the time that he spends at the workplace at the computer, but for the whole day. For the active start of a business day, the right breakfast is very important. The ability of the brain to remember and the speed of reaction throughout the next day depends on what was eaten at home at breakfast. Typically, office workers start their day with a cup of coffee. Some manage to add to cigarette smoking. The diet of an office worker gives a strict warning on this score – such a “breakfast” can only do much harm. Coffee (especially in combination with cigarettes) leads to an increase in heart rate, which is why a person experiences nervous excitement. As a result, sugar absorption is impaired, partial hypoglycemia appears. The brain begins to receive less nutrients, which is why it clearly “slows down”. Therefore, the breakfast of an office worker should include eating cereals, cottage cheese, fruit juices, yoghurts. These products can be combined or alternated with bananas or granola.
Despite all the advice of nutritionists, cold meat is suitable for a morning meal, which will provide the necessary energy for further exploits. The harder the day is expected, the better you need to eat in the morning. Closer to dinner, sitting at a computer, you can eat a piece of chocolate to improve brain activity. The cocoa butter, sugar and lecithin contained in it help to combat awakening hunger, drowsiness and loss of attention. The effect of chocolate dressing lasts about an hour, after which you need to have lunch. Useful dishes for lunch will be soups, low-fat fish or meat, as well as salads with eggs. The latter contributes to the synthesis of a substance called acetylcholine, which exacerbates memory. High carbohydrate foods are best left for dinner. They will help to whip up the body tired for a day, give an additional charge of energy.
The diet of an office worker can be based both on the classic three-time diet and on the now fashionable system based on four or five meals a day. The proportions of the daily diet for such a diet are 15% for breakfast, 7% for lunch, 35% for lunch, 10% for afternoon tea, and 20% for dinner. At the same time, dinner does not move away from the usual one – you need to eat 3-4 hours before bedtime. Experts strongly advise against overeating, as heaviness in the stomach often interferes with normal work. With regard to tea at work, nutritionists disagree. On the one hand, strong and sweet tea will nourish the brain with the energy so necessary for intellectual work. On the other hand, constant tea drinking in the workplace provokes the deposition of salts in the body, swelling of the pelvic part and weight gain.
Most likely, in relation to strong tea, it is worth choosing the “golden mean” – no more than twice a day. The rest of the time, it is better to drink clean filtered water. Refuse also need snacks, consisting of sweets, cookies and muffins. It is better to eat a small portion of nuts or dried fruits instead of these high-carb foods. With regard to sandwiches in the workplace, nutritionists also did not come to a common decision. Some say that with a sedentary lifestyle it is better to refuse dry rations in the form of sandwiches brought from the house, while others argue that there is even a need for sandwiches. But, the truth is, specific sandwiches consisting of whole grain bread (it is rich in B vitamins), lean meat or fish (due to amino acids and enzymes that are released when they are digested), as well as greens and vegetables (rich in fiber, which stimulate the intestines , and lower cholesterol).