Your start your work when your colleagues pack up, you enter the office when others leave, in short your day begins while the world sleeps, in the dark of the night you try and remain awake to sustain yourself through yet, another long, working night! Be it the call center employee, or the management freak who has a conference call to attend in the wee hours of morning, late shifts have become routine.
But, while work is work and cannot be altered to your specifications, you can alter your diet preferences to your work specifications. Our natural circadian rhythms tell our body to remain awake during daylight hours and asleep when it's dark, but to maintain a healthy wellbeing against this natural process, due to work shifts, remains a challenge.
Eating habits to keep up with late night shifts is entirely different from what is required for a normal day shift. Here are diet tips which will ensure your work productivity late night increases and you remain healthy at the same time.
Here is what night shifts coupled with unhealthy eating habits may be doing to you-
Engaging in a nine hour shift during the night, from around 8 to wee hours of morning is against the natural principle of our bodily system. And when these shifts, (commonly known as graveyard shifts) are coupled with unhealthy eating habits, you may easily fall prey to work stress, lethargy, nausea, weakness, mental disturbances such as depression, decline in self esteem and resentment, anxiety, et al. All the more irregular meal timings and wrong food choices also lead to weight gain and interference with your natural sleep pattern.
But then it’s not difficult to keep up good eating habits and a nutritious diet, to keep feeling fit and fine, even if on rotating night shifts. Contrary to common presumptions, working late nights can be made healthier too: Here’s how:
Make sure you avoid-
- Foods high in fat and sugar: As your digestive system is typically inactive at night, high-fat foods cause digestion problems as they provide sudden boosts of energy which lapse as the night passes, lead to weight gain. High fat foods, eaten when the bodily system is less active, can lead to gastrointestinal problems like ulcers.
- High intake of Caffeine: Yes, you do need your dose of coffee, to sustain through the night, but too much of it can keep you from a good night’s sleep and sleep deprivation can be a cause of obesity. Research has it that caffeine remains in your body for almost five hours after you drink it, hence, it advisable to not have coffee at least three hours before bedtime.
- Acidic and fatty foods: Foods which are to be controlled are white bread, maida (white flour), biscuits, sugary foods, samosa, fried potato bonda, fried cutlets and fried bread. Such foods can very severely affect the cholesterol levels and since they are eaten at night with a stressful work environment, they are even more likely to create heart blockages. Too much of spices can aggravate gastric secretion, leading to hyperacidity.
Don’t miss out on these, if you are on a night shift
- Have food rich in Whole Grain Carbohydrates
Healthy carbohydrates act as fuel to be used by your body throughout your shift. Prior to heading to work, have a meal consisting of whole grain breads and rotis, vegetables and legumes or brown rice. Increase fibre content in your diet. Oat bran and ragi are rich in fiber content. Take in complex carbohydrates/whole grain carbohydrates instead of refined carbohydrate.
- Keep light snacking at regular intervals
Keep energy levels up during the night by snacking on Fruits, salads, low-fat yogurt or cottage cheese or a whole wheat with peanut butter, popcorn. If one feels hungry at night one can eat a combination of nuts and murmura. For example: a dry snack can be made using any of the ingredients like peanuts, roasted flaxseeds, pumpkin seeds, almonds, walnuts, raisins, puffed rice, roasted chana, roasted corn, roasted moth and other dals.
- Take in as much of liquids
Prefer buttermilk to aerated drink because it is a healthier and cooler option. Drinking at least two liters of water a day helps in improving digestion. Lack of water intake results in thirst headaches and fatigue. One should keep oneself hydrated through the night with water, nimbu paani (lemon water), coconut water, herbal tea, soups, ginger drink, barley drink made fresh in the café.
- Have an early and light pre-shift snack
One should eat dinner, before beginning the shift, at 7 or 8 pm rather than late at night when it is almost 12. n that case, food choices like idlis with chutney, brown rice, poha (flattened rice) with vegetables, besan cheela (gram flour pancake) made on non stick pan, vegetable dalia (wheat porridge), cereal with milk can be some of the options which are not heavy like a full meal and yet are very satisfying.
When reaching home in the morning, one can have a cup of hot milk or hot barley with nuts or jaggery, high fiber biscuits and go to sleep. On waking up, one can do some pranayam and body stretches, take a shower and eat a normal meal
Jiyo Healthy tip 1: Change shifts clockwise
Always change shifts ahead and not backward. Rotate from mornings to afternoon to night and not in the reverse manner. It helps your body to cope up with the shift pattern.
Jiyo Healthy Tip 2 : Have a good day’s sleep
Have a good sleep in the day by setting up proper condition for sleep. Darken your room and put your mobile on a silent mode for an undisturbed sleep. Also, tell your friends and family how important is that few hours of sleep for you.
And finally, when your shift is over, have a very light meal or snack before you go to bed. By avoiding going to bed too full or too hungry. you'll improve the quality of your sleep.
Take care and have a great shift!
