Healthy nutrition at the workplace

The last few years have clearly shown us how important health is - also at the workplace. Because that's where most of us spend between eight and ten hours a day. Reason enough to firmly anchor the topic of health in the working world. And with the help of occupational health management measures, this is becoming more and more successful. From exercise and relaxation programmes to bicycle leasing, there is a wide range of services that are beneficial to health. Of course, more and more companies are also offering fruit baskets and free drinks. But is that a sustainable solution? Probably not.

This is despite the fact that healthy nutrition is an important component on the way to a healthier lifestyle and plays an important role in workplace performance. But: we can't buy health, we have to make it ourselves. That's why in today's column I'm taking you on the path to a balanced diet throughout the day, which, in turn, is of course also beneficial for your performance at work.

When it comes to nutrition, we can learn a lot from professional sports: athletes take great care to provide their bodies with exactly those energy sources and building materials that are necessary for optimal performance, regeneration and repair processes. They never leave this to chance or the "enjoyment factor", but always focus on the respective needs and requirements of everyday life and their profession. "You are what you eat" - athletes in particular know this. Poor quality does not make it onto the plate.

Because the topic of nutrition is so important, I have two basic tips for you in advance:

1. Take your time to eat. Don't eat standing up, the organism doesn't register this as proper food intake and continues to signal hunger.
2. Do not eat hastily. Only well chewed and pre-processed vital substances can be used by the metabolism. Gulped down vital substances would put too much strain on it during processing and cost energy.

Research has extensively proven that it is not only important how much and what we eat, but also when we eat it. "Eat the right thing at the right time" is ancient wisdom, but unfortunately we too seldom adhere to it. This applies both to the focus of the food components and to their temporal dynamics. Our organism not only needs carbohydrates, fats and proteins at completely different times, it also does not absorb them evenly over the course of 24 hours, just like the micronutrients. Therefore, you have to consider the metabolism over the entire daily rhythm and avoid disturbing this natural biological process.

In recent years, nutritional concepts have become particularly popular, which propagate a renunciation of carbohydrates in the evening. Their main argument: The metabolism does not need any more energy-rich carbohydrates at night. This is unreservedly true. Abstaining from carbohydrates in the evening or reducing them to a large extent is good for the metabolic rhythm. Because: the building metabolism of the night can process carbohydrates much more poorly than the energy metabolism of the day. The body can do nothing useful with carbohydrates at night because it is in the construction process.

The following rule of thumb should therefore always be observed in your diet: energy-rich in the morning, rich in vital substances at midday, rich in building materials in the evening.

In the morning, the foundation for the metabolic rhythm is laid. In the first 120 minutes after getting up, your activation hormones are ready to get you going for the day. The daytime hormones serotonin, adrenalin and co. are now crying out to be fed. Within the first two hours of the day, you should therefore supply the metabolism and thus the organs, the brain and every cell of your body with energy. That means above all: carbohydrates and some fat. This is because the cells need it in order to be able to adjust to the energy metabolism after a more or less long night. Without these energy bombs in the morning, the metabolism will continue to idle - and you will not be able to perform during the day without the energy filling station.

After an intense morning, the organism needs new energy. Many nutrients have been consumed and therefore need to be refuelled. In addition, vital substances are needed so that the metabolism does not flag. At lunchtime, therefore, the plate should look like it's fresh from the farmer's market: lots of vegetables, fruit, meat (fish or meat alternatives) should be the main focus. Lunchtime snacks from bakeries, fast-food chains or large pasta portions and pizzas should, if possible, not be part of the repertoire due to their high carbohydrate and fat content. Because in bread rolls or pizza dough, vital substances can only be found with a magnifying glass. So when you're out and about, why not try a wonderful minestrone? Your metabolism will be grateful for this colourful variety. Because colourful is the best for the necessary minerals that the turbo engine needs.

An exhausting, busy day leaves its mark. The energy metabolism of the active day is now followed by recovery, regeneration, repair, so that everything is ready again the next day and you can deliver your usual performance. Energy in the form of carbohydrates and fats is no longer necessary. Instead building material is needed. And that means protein. If you don't feel like cooking in the evening, a protein shake can help you fill up on amino acids. Don't eat too late so that your metabolism can start repairing itself early at night. The earlier, the better, because otherwise digestion will drag on well into the night. The more time your metabolism has to do its repair work, the more refreshed you wake up.

This should be the motto on our working days and beyond. Eating the right food, taking regular exercise breaks every now and then, and lifelong individual training of the cardiovascular system, metabolism and muscles will ensure a lasting and sustainable quality of life in leisure time and at work. Well-being at work and in leisure time depends on the overall package of one's lifestyle. Nutrition, exercise and regeneration are the building blocks that we all need to have permanently in view and under control if we want to optimally shape our lives and quality of life. Of course, there are different preferences, interests and inclinations to take into account. But for all of us, the basic principle must be that we always design our diet in such a way that all functions of the body are optimally possible, that we maintain the abilities of our body and mind through a sufficient exercise and training package, and that we stop ageing processes. And above all, that we understand the necessity of regeneration and rest as an elixir of life.

With all nutrition tips, you should always listen to your own body. Because in the end, it's all about feeling good.

VITA

Prof. Dr. Ingo Froböse

Born in 1957 in Unna, Ingo Froböse studied at the German Sport University in Cologne. This was followed by his doctorate in 1986 and his habilitation seven years later. During his studies he was German vice-champion several times in the 100 and 200 metre sprints. In 1982 he came fourth in the 200 metres at the European Athletics Indoor Championships in Milan. He was also active in bobsleighing.

Prof. Dr. Ingo Froböse has been a university professor for prevention and rehabilitation in sport at the German Sport University Cologne since 1995, where he also leads the Institute for Exercise Therapy. He is an expert for the Bundestag on prevention issues and works for several health insurance companies as a scientific advisor in the field of preventive health care. In addition, he is the scientific director of the Research Institute for Training in Prevention (FIT-Prävention) under the umbrella of the expert Allianz für Gesundheit e. V. The best-selling author has written numerous books on health, nutrition and fitness and is a permanent member of expert teams in renowned magazines, including Stern, Fit for Fun, GQ and Men's Health.

On stage, Ingo Froböse combines scientific expertise with personal experience and bundles them into a practical philosophy of life and targeted recommendations for action. Based on more than 30 years of research, he explains in his lectures what effects the digital revolution has on our health and what we can learn from top-class sport. Ingo Froböse also reveals how we can use the right balance of exercise, nutrition and regeneration to change our everyday life and work in order to be sustainably efficient, healthy and successful.