Wednesday, November 14th, 2007...4:51 pm
Diet and Productivity
Yesterday was one of the worst days I have ever had at the office. It was all my fault. It had nothing to do with management or any specific event at the office.
I made the mistake of starting my day with a large breakfast. Not a big deal…except for the fact that I also did the big lunch!!! So after I saw those doughnuts sitting by the printer mid-afternoon…OH MAN!!! You get the picture.
Needless to say, I was struggling through the afternoon. I had several tasks that I literally had my eyes crossing on. I got to the point that I had to get up and walk around every 30 minutes or so just to make it through the day. Oh, and I introduced caffeine into my system to help the matter a little later.
I have often read that diet could affect your productivity. Never has this been more real to me than it was yesterday.
Being a type-2 diabetic, I should know this better than I do. But what we eat is just as important as how much we eat. If we eat large quantities, our bodies gets lethargic. If we load up on foods that convert in to complex sugars (breads, fried foods, sodas,…ummm…doughnuts, etc.) then we can expect a letdown later in the day after that initial rush wears off. When that happens, you may as well hang it up and go to the house.
What does this mean in terms of productivity?
It means that a large social lunch with friends may be very enjoyable (at least they are to me), but they can also kill your focus and your production in the afternoon. The trick is to eat enough to keep your energy and remain satisfied, without making yourself miserable. Some prefer to eat 5 to 6 smaller meals a day rather than the typical 3. Whatever works best for you is what you should do.
Now I say this as a reminder to myself.
Now to see if I can make a better effort today with fueling my body.
Any tips, tricks or thoughts can be passed along in the comments section.
11 Comments
November 14th, 2007 at 5:30 pm
[...] continues at Jason Echols brought to you by diet.medtrials.info and [...]
November 14th, 2007 at 6:15 pm
[...] Jason Echols wrote an interesting post today on Diet and ProductivityHere’s a quick excerptIf we load up on foods that convert in to complex sugars (breads, fried foods, sodas,…ummm…doughnuts, etc.) then we can expect a letdown later in the day after that initial rush wears off. When that happens, you may as well hang it up … [...]
November 14th, 2007 at 10:52 pm
[...] Jason Echols wrote an interesting post today on Diet and ProductivityHere’s a quick excerptI have often read that diet could affect your productivity. Never has this been more real to me than it was yesterday. Being a type-2 diabetic, I should know this better than I do. But what we eat is just as important as how much we eat … [...]
November 15th, 2007 at 4:22 am
[...] more here [...]
November 15th, 2007 at 11:08 am
I used to work with a guy who ate like 6 meals a day in order to keep his metabolism up. He ate things like steamed broccoli and baby carrots and soup.
November 16th, 2007 at 2:12 pm
Jason, just be grateful that you don’t drink as well. If you did, you can get into the routine of “I’ve had an awful day at work, so I’ll just have this nice bottle of wine to relax. Then the following morning, you don’t feel to good, so the doughnuts and black coffee seem like a _really_ good idea. And so on…”
Been there…
On a more positive note, I make sure I have a sensible snack for the mid-morning dip. I generally go for a cycle ride at lunchtime and, although I’m fine if everything goes according to plan, if I’m delayed or something untoward happens on the trip, I can feel the blood sugar dropping. A banana an hour before setting off helps a lot. So I always have one at 11.00. I’ve found it even helps if I’m not going for a ride. I don’t end up eating all my lunch by 12.15 and then getting chocolate from the vending machine by 3.00
November 16th, 2007 at 6:13 pm
Thanks, guys, for the responses.
Brad, unfortunately in my office, the culture is to go out and have a big lunch with the boys. I need to be more mindful of my health when I go.
Steve, It is starting to get colder here. So I have got to get geared up for cold weather riding. This being my first year to ride like this, I need to figure out how to do this without getting too cold.
I also like the tip about how to combat that mid morning dip.
Have a good day, guys.
Jason
November 17th, 2007 at 11:05 pm
Interestingly enough, I learned the same lesson last week, just in reverse.
I teach for five periods in a row all morning. By the time the 6th period study hall I oversee rolls around right after lunch I’m struggling to keep my eyes open. Well, one day this week I wound up eating a very small, protein-only lunch; to my surprise, I was productive and alert in the hours following.
It’s not as though I normally gorge myself at lunch, but apparently stripping out all the carbs and reducing the overall amount that I consume does well for me. It’s going to be smaller lunches from here on out.
November 23rd, 2007 at 12:44 pm
Usually what works great for me is a good balanced breakfast and a light lunch (usually a salad or something like that).
Heavy foods tend to impair the body and the brain when it comes to productivity.
December 1st, 2007 at 12:37 pm
Cycling in the cold.
============
Depends what you mean by cold.
Don’t forget that I live in the south-west of England, so anything below freezing is very cold and fairly rare. I consider cold to be under 5C. I still cycle to work when the temperature is below
freezing, but I stick to the main road (which is a school bus route so is always salted and gritted).
Anyway, clothing.
Starting at the inside and working outwards…
A base layer, long sleeved T-shirt such as this one from Rohan
http://www.rohan.co.uk/ProductDetails.aspx?
pid=02034&cid=MensTshirtsandTops&language=en-GB
Then, bib-tights, windproof jacket, gloves (in my case, pretend motor-cycle gauntlets that Jane bought me for Christmas a few years ago —
they’re big enough for me to get another thin pair inside for really cold days).
Finally, under the helmet, a micro-fleece hat, for example…
http://www.wiggle.co.uk/ProductDetail.aspx?
Cat=cycle&ProdID=5360009598&N=Campagnolo%20Clothing%20Under%20Helmet%
20Hat
Although the one I’ve got is cheaper than that.
It’s not been much below -1 or -2 since I started riding (global warming and all that — and this is a very mild part of the UK).
Hope that helps
Steve
January 28th, 2008 at 2:02 pm
Jason
This might explain why you have particular problems with caffeine
http://news.bbc.co.uk/1/hi/health/7209385.stm
Steve
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