Tag: eating healthy

What You Eat Affects How Well You Work

Published on by Nikken

Just about everything we eat is converted by our bodies into glucose, which provides the energy our brains need to stay alert. When we’re running low on glucose, we have a tough time staying focused and our attention drifts. This explains why it’s hard to concentrate on an empty stomach.1

Our bodies react to different types of foods in different ways. In other words, not all food is processed at the same rate. High-carb foods such as pasta, bread and sugary cereals, release glucose quickly. This results in a quick burst of energy, but then there is a slump. Even worse are desserts with loads of sugar—the sugar high and ensuing crash that mothers fear from their children often come after ingesting birthday cake!

High-fat meals provide more sustained energy, but require the digestive system to work harder, in effect, reducing oxygen levels in the brain and resulting in grogginess and lethargy. There’s a reason the big steak meal with all the fixings or that double cheeseburger and fries puts us into a food coma. Movement helps digestion; that’s why taking a brisk walk after a big meal can help to keep that heavy feeling at bay.

Research indicates that eating fruits and vegetables throughout the day isn’t simply good for the body—it’s also beneficial for the mind. A recent paper in British Journal of Health Psychology examined the way people’s food choices influenced their daily experiences. After 13 days of observation, the participants who consumed more fruits and vegetables (up to 7 portions daily) were visibly happier, more engaged and more creative than usual.Researchers concluded that because fruits and vegetables contain nutrients that support dopamine production, they support the experience of curiosity, motivation and engagement. Fruits and veggies are also high in antioxidants, which help to improve memory, enhance mood and support the immune system. 2

Ray Merrill, an editorial board member of the International Journal of Environmental Research and Public Health, found that those who opt for predominantly unhealthy food choices are 66% more likely to be less productive than those who actively make healthy choices.Professor Merrill contends that proper nutrition promotes increased cognitive function, better concentration, more energy and motivation and decreased depression and anxiety.3

Making consistently good food choices that help us perform at our highest levels requires discipline but can be made easier with a strategy. Here are a few tips on planning:

•          Make food choices early. Don’t wait until you are starving, which is when the worst food decisions are made. Plan when you are going to have your meals and decide in advance what you’ll be having.

•          The more you cook or assemble meals at home, the more control you have. So many people work remotely from their homes now that you actually have better odds of eating healthier and resorting to fast food restaurants less often.

•          Have healthy snacks at hand. A handful of nuts with a piece of fruit in between meals can be your best friend and ward off drops in blood sugar. The more active you are, the more important it is to supplement your main meals with snacks.

•          Be aware of foods that are high in fat, salt and sugar, and keep them to a minimum. Rule of thumb: stay with fresh produce, lean or vegetable-based proteins and whole grains.

The more we choose to eat healthy foods—the better we’ll do in school, at work and in life. And at Nikken, we have Kenzen® Nutrition to support us every step of the way.

1, 2 https://hbr.org/2014/10/what-you-eat-affects-your-productivity#:~:text=Why?,decisions%20about%20food%20is%20essential.

3 https://www.wellright.com/resources/blog/exploring-the-link-between-productivity-and-food-in-the-workplace

How Are You Celebrating Father’s Day?

Published on by Nikken

In North America, Father’s Day is celebrated annually on the third Sunday of June. In other countries, such as in Latin America and in Europe, fathers are honored on St. Joseph’s Day, a traditional Catholic holiday that falls on March 19. This year, Father’s Day falls on June 21.

The idea of Father’s Day was initiated by a woman named Sonora Smart Dodd from Spokane, Washington, who wanted to establish a day like Mother’s Day for male parents. As one of six children raised by a widower, she wanted to honor her father. She successfully canvassed her idea at local churches, the YMCA, shopkeepers and government officials, and the first Father’s Day in the United States was celebrated in Washington state on June 19, 1910. By 1916, President Wilson honored the day by using telegraph signals to unfurl a flag in Spokane when he pressed a button in Washington, D.C. Then President Coolidge urged all state governments to observe Father’s Day in 1924.1

During the 1920s and 1930s, a movement rose to combine Mother’s Day and Father’s Day into “Parents’ Day.” Activists assembled on Mother’s Day every year in New York City’s Central Park to rally in favor of Parents’ Day. This push failed when the Great Depression happened. Struggling retailers and advertisers wanted two separate days to promote sales of gift items. Father’s Day was marketed as a “second Christmas for men.”2 By World War II, a different group of activists successfully argued that celebrating Father’s Day was a way to honor American troops and support the war effort; however, it wasn’t until 1972 when President Nixon signed a proclamation that Father’s Day became a federal holiday!

Depending on where you and the fathers in your lives are during these unusual times, you may celebrate differently this year. Whether you are sending love via Zoom or FaceTime, by phone or a traditional card, together in spirit or lucky enough to be physically on site, always honor your dad! The older they get, the more it counts.

This Father’s Day, remind Dad to take care of himself with a daily walk or exercise of some kind, eating healthy and practicing Active Wellness. As mentioned last week,men are 80% less likely to monitor their health through a healthcare source. If you’re able, take your father for a checkup, a walk in the park, or fix him a delicious smoothie with Kenzen Vital Balance®! Father’s Day is not just about giving ties and other gifts. What you give dad in terms of time spent with him is perhaps the most valuable gift of all.

From each of us at Nikken, have a Safe and Happy Father’s Day!

1, 2 https://www.history.com/topics/holidays/fathers-day