Three reasons why employees should eat healthy to perform better in the work place.
Eating healthy has a lot of benefits that people don’t always realize. Many people think that eating healthy is simply to lose weight or prolong life span, but eating healthy actually has a huge impact on your day to day life. One area where this is especially overlooked is in the workplace: employees who eat healthy are, quite simply, better employees. Here are a few ways that eating healthy is important for employees:
It increases productivity
People who eat well and keep up with their fitness are emphatically more productive than those who do not. What we eat directly impacts our brain’s ability to problem solve, think critically and logically, and put forth our best effort. Not only that, but our diets are directly correlated to our ability to stay focused, concentrated, and on task. Many employers pair with local gyms to provide gym memberships in their work contracts, provide a gym membership stipend to employees or to have the gym offer discounted rates to members who are from a certain company. Providing benefits like these to employees increases morale, productivity and overall health in the workplace.
It decreases crashes
Unhealthy diets are usually, among other things, high in sugar. Many people eat five to ten times the amount of sugar that they should intake every day. The result is a sugar crash: the body essentially runs up a hill as it takes in all the sugar, and falls off the other end as soon as it has processed it all. As an employer, it is important to replace the sugary drinks and food in the office with healthy options for your employees. Coffee can be switched for hot water that can be used for tea and adding a water fountain so employees can stay hydrated will prevent crashes and actually keep your employees happier and more alert than coffee.
It keeps the sickness at bay
One of the largest benefits of eating healthily is that you get sick less often. Those who have well-balanced diets are giving their body all of the tools it needs to fight bugs. People who don’t eat healthy are extremely vulnerable to sickness: they’ll catch every little cough and flu that goes around. Promote the local farmers market in the office or around the workplace. When people are more aware of their options it makes them more likely to go through with something. You can also partner with the farmers market to provide fresh fruit in the lounge instead of candy and chips from the vending machine.
If your employees work for lower wages, inform them that they may be eligible for Cal-Fresh nutrition assistance that provides low-income homes with money for healthy foods such as produce, meat and milk. Taking these steps for your employees can really improve your entire company. Eating healthy makes people better workers: they’re happier, less sick, more productive, and more consistent.
The information provided in this blog is intended for general information purposes only. Readers should seek the help of an HR professional for guidance on specific issues.
