I’m a nurse who does a lot of shift work and very often I feel tired. I find that I tend to eat a lot of sugary things as a ‘pick me up’. I am slightly overweight but would love to learn more about healthy eating and incorporate changes that will lead to my mental and physical wellbeing for the future. What would you suggest?
We use food as fuel for energy, which is why people typically consume more kilojoules when they are tired. The foods we tend to choose are those which the body converts quickly for energy. High GI carbohydrates like bread, biscuits, cakes, etc, are easy to find and provide a near-immediate energy boost. The downside is that it’s quickly followed by an energy slump as our blood sugar levels drop, so we eat some more, the cycle continues and we grow fat and feel dreadful!
The trick is to anticipate the problem and plan to prevent it.
Shift workers are (quite understandably) notorious for this pattern of poor eating, with meal patterns constantly thrown into chaos.
What you need to do is plan what you are going to eat each week, factoring in the shift work and working around a few golden rules for weight loss and improved health and energy. It will require extra work but the rewards will certainly outweigh the effort. Just give it a couple of weeks and see for yourself.
Regular exercise
Regardless of the time of day or night,* a good walk before or after work will help boost your metabolism and energy level.
*Make sure you walk in a well lit, safe place if walking at night.
Regular eating
Regardless of the time you eat, you must feed your body regularly and minimise snacking. Allow at least three hours between each meal and two hours before going to bed without eating. Using this as your guide, plan around your shifts and work out when you are going to eat.
Careful food choice
No surprises here. It’s out with the cakes and biscuits and in with more lean protein for satiety, low GI carbohydrates for energy and fibre and good fats for mental health.
Balance your meals to include some protein (eggs, yoghurt, skimmed milk, fish (canned in spring water is excellent and very transportable), chicken, and lean meat with low GI carbohydrate (wholegrain bread or crackers, wholemeal pasta, barley, bean thread noodles, oats or muesli, chickpeas, kidney beans, lentils) and good fats (avocado, olive oil, nuts and seeds) and most importantly, plenty of vegetables and fruit.
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