Eating @ work

Hi folks,

One of my blog-followers Steve, has asked me to give some information about what food to eat while at work. So without boring you with too much detail, below is my basic guide:

Breakfast:

This is important to give you slow release energy for the day & stop cravings! Go for complex carbs such as wholegrain cereals or toast, add eggs for protein to wake you up. You could also involve a few sugars in the way of fruit / fruit juice.

Mid-morning snack:

If you really can’t manage breakfast then make sure you have some of the above foods here. If you have had breakfast then go for a healthy cereal bar, yogurt & fruit here. Eating smaller meals every three hours is much better for your digestion than just three big meals.

Lunch:

Aim for a balanced lunch containing complex carbs such as a baked potato, protein such as lean chicken/ fish, with some mixed salad for fibre & vitamins. Use cold olive oil as a healthy drizzle if needed.

Mid afternoon snack:

This is a great time for a couple pieces of fruit which will give you an energy boost up to tea time. If you’re going to be exercising after work then a source of protein such as mixed nuts, eggs, or small meat sandwich would be good here.

Tea time:

Go big on the meat / fish & vegetables here! Just a small amount of complex carbs (potato, rice, pasta, bread) as the body is winding down soon. If you’ve been exercising & just got home then it’s still important to eat – no matter how late.

This is a balanced diet based on a typical working day (not shifts), & remember to drink around 8 glasses of water between meals if possible.

Enjoy the Royal wedding!

James

Burn the brain fog!

Hi folks,

Most of us have little spare time, whether it’s filled with important responsibilities or a compilation of daily tasks that have become part of a routine. We often jam our days full of jobs then flop down on the sofa just before bedtime, next morning it all starts again! These jobs could be something you absolutely love doing, or hate but either way take a step back & analyse them. Often our brains don’t get chance to ‘wake up’ as they’re constantly obsessed with the next task.

Think about your priorities in life, what’s important to you, and the overall aim of your daily activities. Do your daily routines / tasks make the best headway to achieving this aim? If yes, perfect! If no, what do you need to change?

Give yourself 5 minutes right now to think if you are heading in the right direction, & then what the next productive step needs to be. No, I'm not turning in to a life coach, just a thought that may help improve workplace health & performance.

Use this technique in the workplace & with your workforce in one-to-one appraisals or consultations, emphasising job performance & satisfaction as the aims. Also why not use this approach in group training exercises & meetings to really boost those increasingly vital psychosocial factors of workplace health?

Have a great bank holiday weekend

james

The best exercise!

Hi folks,

As a trainer people always ask me what types of exercises are best? If you’re slaving away down the gym & putting 100% in to that class then you want to make sure it's blood, sweat, & tears well spent right?

If you’re training for a certain goal such as increasing sport specific performance or training a particular part of the body then yes there are strict guidelines to follow. But if you want to stay healthy, fit, & get the whole range of benefits associated with fitness then there is one answer……holistic training! This means training the whole body, not splitting it up & working through the muscle groups, but performing movements that involve all muscle groups.

Your body is made up of fascia, muscles, tendons, nerves, & ligaments that act over your different joints. These have grown to perform best working in sequence with each other, each supporting the next. In fact is when body parts are isolated & worked intensely that you change their movement patterns, likely exposing them to injury!

So which exercise machine will burn lots of calories, increase muscular fitness, increase heart & lung health, flexibility & motor skills? Well non on any gym floor I’ve seen. Use your own body weight or grab a medicine ball and pull off a move that involves as many joints as possible across all three planes (forwards & back, up & down, rotation). Chances are it will look pretty funky so just get a trainer to make sure its safe, but there you have it – your own beautifully efficient exercise!

Of course, examples of these already exist such as a ‘squat-press’ or a ‘lunge-twist’ which are often known as functional exercises. Make exercise interesting & try them for yourself. It is precisely these exercises that I include in Occupational Fitness’s 'Workforce Workouts' to benefit your employee’s tasks. Please contact me for a FREE taster session!

Have a great weekend

James

Whistle while you work

Hi folks,

Does music help you work? Well know that it can alter our mood, upbeat music in the car may spice-up our driving, while chill out music in the sun may relax us. At times we may not even notice the music but still be influenced by its atmosphere.

There is a lack of solid evidence for this topic, most statistical data comes from music magazine surveys & guess what they say! However while digging through the HSE archives there was one paper that mentioned music played in the workplace could help with the psychosocial issues.

There are so many variables, what type of music, what type of work, volume of music, individual preferences, other noise pollution present etc. Therefore, unfortunately I cannot give any conclusive evidence. But keep reading as here are some bits I did find:

1) To boost concentration at work, a steady beat & light melodies are recommended.

2) A person's ability to recognize images, letters & numbers, is quicker when either rock or classical music is playing in the background (from a report in the journal Neuroscience of Behaviour and Physiology).

3) If you are aiming to be more productive through being more relaxed, then upbeat music can reduce stress hormone levels by as much as 41% in a group tested.

My personal recommendations are that background upbeat music can raise productivity of a manual workforce doing a low-risk task if all workers give their consent. Also if you are a solitary worker then listening to a radio station may not only act as physical stimulus but as a social connection to the ‘outside world’.

Why not analyse your workforce’s demographics & tasks to see if music may raise moral & productivity in your company? Let me know your thoughts in the comments box below.

Enjoy the good weather this weekend!

James

Cholesterol - What is it?

Hi folks,

We’ve all heard of it & we all know we should keep it low right, but what exactly is it? Here is my quick guide:

1. Cholesterol is mainly made in your liver from the ‘bad fats’ (saturated) you may have eaten.

2. Our body needs a little cholesterol for our cells to function, but too much & we are at risk from heart & circulatory diseases.

3. Good cholesterol (High Density Lipoproteins) carry any surplus ‘bad fat’ out of the bloodstream & back to the liver. (aim for >1mmol/l)

4. Bad cholesterol (Low Density Lipoproteins) carry ‘bad fats’ through the blood stream to the cells – too much of this & it gets deposited on the artery walls (aim for <2mmol/l).

5. Triglycerides mainly produced in the body from eating unhealthily are also a fatty substance like LDL cholesterol that needs to be kept low (<1.7mmol/l).

6. Cholesterol is checked by taking a very small blood sample from a finger prick. You can have this done at your doctors, most chemists, & maybe your occupational health dept at work.

7. We can improve the balance of our cholesterol by eating foods high in soluble fibre (porridge, beans & pulses, fruit & veg) & taking regular moderate exercise.

Hope this clears things up a little & helps you adjust your lifestyle / that of your workforce accordingly if needed. If you would like to know more please visit www.bhf.org.uk

Thanks,

james

Men Vs Women!

Hi folks,

Yesterday I attended a very entertaining seminar revealing how men & women think differently & it turns out that the old stereotypes are actually not far off. Without explaining all the science, its men’s instinct to crave a certain amount of power, be in a feeling of control, or want to ‘fix’ an issue. Women are naturally concerned with avoiding danger, looking after themselves / others, & preventing harm.

So, why do we need to know this in a workplace health setting? Think about the last time you tried to persuade someone. The way we do this may involve taking advantage of their gender. So, if you wanted to convince your boss to free up some of the budget towards those new work place health measures you’ve got planned, then your pledge may go something like this:

“John, I’d like to implement these new well-being measures. We have the potential to really reap the benefits of a healthy workforce in our company. These measures would increase our employee attendance giving us real control over production, & solve gaps in communication.”

Or like this:

“Sue, I’d like to implement these new well-being measures. I’ve noticed that much of our employee’s health is reaching dangerously low levels & recent absence records are terrible. As a safety conscious industry I feel that we have a certain responsibility to our workers, & these measures would also help protect against future issues.”

 

Both paragraphs give the same message but do you see the difference? Think about how you could use this approach in when talking to reluctant employees, trying to involve them to take part in health measures at work. The degree of success does depend on how 'macho' or 'feminine' that male or female is but be a little cheeky & try this out on the next person you speak to today whatever the topic. Have some fun with it – it really works!

Thanks,

James.

Do we really need Pre & Post-biotics?

Hi Folks,

My inspiration for this blog came from chatting to one of my clients at the gym. Enthusiastically, he came up to me & said "Hey, did you know that those good-bacteria yogurt drinks aren't really that good, eat 1 leek instead & this will give your gut all the good bacteria it needs for a whole  year". 1 leek for an entire year I thought, this has got to be worth looking in to, especially as like most of us, I reach for a gut-friendly yogurt each morning. Here's a brief summary of what I found:

As you know our gut is absolutely packed with bacteria. If we take pro-biotics, this is a culture that actually contains live good bacteria so we can increase their number in the gut. These helps us digest our food, aid our immune system, & fight illness that may be brought on by 'bad bacteria' (usually from eating too much stodgy & junk food). Pre-biotics are foods that nourish & maintain these 'good bacteria'.

Trials have been done & tend to say it is most beneficial for us to eat pre-biotic foods such as bananas, onions, artichokes, garlic & yes leeks, rather than just take the pro-biotic cultures alone. My own view is that we should take a bout of pro-biotic cultures for 1 week in every 6, then try to include as many of the above foods in there remaining 5 weeks to feed them. Also, if you have been ill or on antibiotics it may be worth re-supplying your gut with pro-biotics then too.

Right, I'm off to eat a chicken pasta with leeks, onion & garlic, then bananas & custard for desert!  

Podiatry is powerful stuff!

Hi folks,

I was at the ‘2011 Health & well being @ work conference' yesterday at the Birmingham NEC. One of the most fascinating seminars & the one that had the most potential was by Chris Sharp on gait analysis. If you’ve not heard of this it’s basically how our feet work (or don’t work) when we walk, sit, drive, & stand.

From my own workshops on postural analysis I knew that many of the body’s problems could be traced back to the feet. Think about it for a second…our whole body balances on these two small pieces of apparatus, over time its likely that these will develop minor defects that not only affect their own function but the function of potentially everything else above it (like a chain reaction). But yep you guessed it, it doesn’t stop there – we already know that physical discomfort can affect us psychologically too.

So, could that backache & lack in concentration you’ve been getting all week be actually due to undetected foot issues? Look down & take a look…AAAAAAARRHHH!!

If you’re not wearing ‘sensible shoes then you already know the answer! If your shoes are fine but you think your feet don’t look ‘right’ in the flesh then you may also want to get them checked out.

In an analysis session you can expect non-invasive tests that involve looking at your foot print, your arches, measurements, & filming your feet as you walk. These will reveal how YOUR feet work & what affect they have. Correction techniques may involve supports, stretches, & exercises but will be well worth it. Now think about the potential in your company, do your people really have the right footwear for their tasks?

Check out Google for your local podiatrist & Chris’ webpage for more info

Thanks

James  

'Psycho' assessment

Hi Folks,

Throughout my research in to WRMDs (workplace relevant musculoskeletal disorders) it is more apparent that psychosocial factors hold a huge significance. Enough with the jargon, in English this means that our physical health is influenced hugely by our mindset rather than just the physical aspects of our lifestyle.

Tests show that this new approach in workplace health can be twice as effective as more traditional methods & only equalled by massage, specific exercise, or acupuncture. Here are some examples:

·         Believing that health issues can be managed & fully overcome.

·         Knowing that ERTW (early return to work) is often best cast scenario.

·         Engaging in tasks / activities without fear of injury.

·         Working on good relationships with colleagues & managers.

·         Being satisfied with our jobs & enjoying work.

·         Your job uses your potential & is a positive challenge.

·         Engaging in social aspects of the workplace.

Yes, all these help you stay injury free! I have set out the above as an example of positive cognitive behaviour modelling. If I were to list these with a negative spin (e.g. believing that most health issues lead to long-term disability) then they would be an example of ‘Yellow flag’ employee characteristics & we would have lost even before we had begun.  

Analyse your own attitude & the workplace culture that surrounds you. How could you adjust this – when we speak? – our actions? – posters & literature? – watch out for ‘yellow flag’ attitudes!

Thanks for reading,

James

Take 1min to reduce your waist line!

Hi folks,

If you’re a regular reader of my blogs then you will recall a blog written late last year about staying active in an office environment. Well, I’m feeling rather smug to say that the European Heart Journal seems to back up my advice with some interesting results.

The journal states that 4757 people took part in a US ‘Health & Nutrition Examination Survey’ from 2003 to 2006. Those who took more regular short breaks had slimmer waists by up to 1.6 inches over those who just took occasional breaks.

By minimizing the period of time we sit stationary for, we can not only reduce the circumference of our waists but maintain our levels of ‘good' HDL cholesterol too (which deplete in long periods of sedentary).

So, taking as little as 1 minute regular breaks to stand up & stretch, re-hydrate, chat to a colleague face to face, or get some fresh air, looks to be a win: win situation for your waist line, your posture, your lower back & your overall productivity......sounds like a no-brainer to me!!

Why not start off this good habit right now?

Thanks

James

Zinc - What's all the fuss?

Hi folks,

You might be aware that Zinc has been hitting the headlines this week as an exciting remedy for the common cold. Well I thought I'd be topical and investigate this for you a little further, plus it follows on nicely from my recent blogs. For quick reading, here is the verdict in bullet point form:

•         Zinc works by coating the virus that helps stop it entering the body & therefore protects us against becoming ill.

•         Taken within 24hrs this same affect stops the virus from replicating meaning that we can recover quicker if we do become infected.

•         Zinc is available in syrup form, tablets & lozenges. However the specific doses are still being determined so at the moment these are more likely to leave a nasty taste, stomach upsets, nausea or diarrhoea due to their toxicity.

•         So for the time-being I advise just involving foods naturally high in zinc such as cocoa / dark chocolate, pumpkin seeds, oysters, roast beef, lamb & liver.

As the scientific community has still not completely finished with Zinc, try staying healthy using the magic properties of garlic (lookout for more about garlic in future blogs).

Thanks for reading

James

 

Top 10 healthy food rules

Hi folks,

Here's a quick one for those of you dashing to the supermarket this weekend, and for you guys who are fed up of munching on celery as part of your healthy eating resolutions...my top 10 foodie rules:

1.      Prepare meals & snacks from scratch (you control whats in them)

2.      Start the day with a good breakfast, based around complex carbs & protein (slow release energy & alertness).

3.      A mix of 9 fruit & veg per day varying in colour (different vitamins)

4.      Eat smaller portions more often - 5 small varied meals per day (we can digest it properly & never feel hungry!)

5.      Stay hydrated – don’t wait until you feel thirsty (or hungry).

6.      Buy ‘own brand / saver’ veg & invest in good quality meat (all veg is the same but quality meat = quality nutrients).

7.      Make your own sauces, using tinned tomatoes / cold oils – no cheese (sauces contain hidden dangers)

8.      Look for wholegrain / brown varieties (you're gut will love you for this).

9.      Steam or grill if possible (keeps the nutrients in without adding any bad fats)

10.  When time, make extra portions for quick meals later in the week (one of my favourites).

 Why not try these simple techniques out this week folks & add a comment below to say how you're getting on?

James

The best...invest!

Hi folks,

This morning I attended a meeting organised by an engineering training company that I work with. Their message was simple; it pays dividends to invest in good quality training.

In this period of reduced budgets and uncertain futures it is naturally our first response to cut out luxuries and only spend money on the basics to stay operational. However, working at this level will only ever produce average results. So as a business what we need to ask yourselves is, do you want to emerge from this ‘recession’ limping along with the others or visibly ahead of your competitors on track to great profits?

Everyone agrees that pro-actively increasing your workforce health gives a range of substantial financial benefits, as does the research evidence but many companies are like scared sheep. Why not be innovative, make a calculated investment, and stand out as an industry leader?

For example, if you’re buying a new car, you could save money and get an old second hand little ‘run-around’, or you could invest a little more in a newer model that you really want, that will be more reliable and will deliver the desired results. Both options will get you from A to B but the second option will improve your performance and pay-off as both a short and long term investment.

You have the workforce, we at Occupational Fitness have valuable training at a great price, so let’s take your company forward together! For more information or if you know anyone who may be interested, please contact me through our website www.occupational-fitness.com or email james.bednarski@occupational-fitness.com.

See how many comparisons you make between products over this weekend and the reasons behind them.

Thanks.

  

Freshen up!

Hi folks,

If you're lucky enough to have had a little sunshine the last few days like me then you've probably noticed that its made you feel more optimistic, have a little get-up-and-go, and generally happier. This is a great example of how effective our surroundings are on our daily lives. If it was sunny everyday then this feeling would become the 'norm' and gradually wear off. 

So, lets think about what else we can alter in our surroundings to get a similar effect. By changing our working environment we can increase our workplace mental health and productivity. If you work in an office setting then there's lots of scope: try switching your office furniture around (perhaps so you look out of a different window), add a plant pot or picture, alter your desk layout & even colour schemes.

If you're in manual work then you are more limited but try walking to different departments for a catch-up or heading somewhere else for you're breaks - outside if possible. At dinner time why not head off-site to buy a healthy lunch and get some fresh air too?

A change of environment however short and simple, freshens us up & helps break up fatigue and boredom. Try it today and you may find you strengthen working relationships as well as performing better.

Have a great weekend!

Top fighting tips

Hi folks,

Following my recent blog on how to cope with coughs & sniffles, in true 'prevention is better than cure' style here are my tips on how to best prevent becoming ill:

1. Balanced Nutrition: 
Aim for a hearty but healthy breakfast, 5-9 portions of fruit & veg per day, a wide variety of fresh & raw foods, & drink plenty of water. This strengthens all our defences.

2. Moderate Exercise: 
Intense or excessive exercise can stress the body & weaken the immune system. We can reap all the benefits of being active at a moderately challenging intensity.

3. Picking up infections:
The two main methods of picking up harmful germs are airborne and from surfaces. Without wearing masks we cannot really protect ourselves against others openly coughing & sneezing. We can however significantly reduce the chance of picking up infections by regularly using anti bacterial spray / wipes & soaps after using public services / areas.
 
 4. Time out:
Hectic lifestyles also stress the body which can lower our defences. So make sure you get a good nights sleep and schedule-in relaxation time when you've earned it. This may appear lazy but is in fact very productive, allowing the body to replenish itself.

If we try as much as possible to cover these for bases in our daily lives, we are not only able to fight illness better but are generally healthier all round. Keep an eye out for future blogs focusing on each of these topics in turn.

Thanks.
James.

Top cold / flu remedies - no perscription needed!

Hi Folks,

A lot of people seem to be off work feeling ill so far this year, so I thought that the most useful thing right now to you would be my top remedy tips. Some you may know but some will be new to you!

1. Plenty of sleep – your body can fight infection with all its resources as its not concentrating on other activities.

2. Keep well hydrated – we produce a lot of mucus & lose moisture in coughs & sneezes.

3. Stay warm but not sweaty – we lose most of our heat through our head so a nice cosy hat can make u feel better.

4. Aching body? Then a warm bath or shower can help sooth this & generally makes you feel more human again.

5. If staying at home then try not to rest all day in stale air. The fresh air from a short walk or drive will help you feel more alert.

6. Everyone knows oranges are high in immune boosting vitamin C but did you know kiwi fruits are too? – give them a try.

7. Onions are great for strengthening your immune system. Best raw in salads or sandwiches but still effective in cooked meals & soup.

8. Sugary cold & flu drinks can dry your throat out so try hot water with lemon juice instead. Have this with the packets recommended dose of Paracetamol if you wish (seek a doctors consent).   

Remember, give you body chance to fight it & if concerned seek professional medical advice. I hope these help and if you have any favourite remedies that aren’t above then please post them in the comments section!

Stay well.

Lower back pain?

Hi folks,

Now were all back at work with our nose’s to the grindstone, some of us maybe spending a long period of time in one particular position. This lack of movement may increase our risk of experiencing the dreaded lower back pain. In fact is nothing to be too concerned about & can be easily managed:

1. Try to stay as mobile as you can throughout the day. E.g. if you’re desk based then spread printer runs, coffee breaks and visits to colleagues out throughout the day.      
2. If you are working in a fixed position then try to alter your posture regularly. Adjusting your leg position and shifting your bodyweight left to right or back to forth etc is more beneficial that trying to maintain one optimum postural position.
3. Obviously avoid tasks that place excessive strain on the lower back, however try to keep doing the majority of your daily & household jobs. This may cause a little discomfort but this can be managed with the safe use of mild painkillers if your doctor permits.
4. Try sleeping on your side. If you normally sleep on your font or back this may aggravate lower back pain so turn on to your side & stack pillows to support your head.

Hopefully these techniques help, massage is also a popular treatment for re-occurring lower back pain management. If you think these techniques may be useful in your workplace please contact me as my ‘Lower back pain management’ workshop is packed full of more hints & tips.

Have a great weekend and eat lots of kiwi fruit to avoid the flu bug that’s out there!

Making it stick

Hi folks,

I don't think you'd appreciate me giving you another list of health tips right now, we're still enjoying all the Christmas left-overs & cranking up for new year! So here's a little help on how to make those new years resolutions stick (most resolutions fail in the first two weeks);

1. Think about all the positive accomplishments you made in 2010
2. Pick a resolution that really matters to you, then think about where it stems from.
3. Make this 'origin' of your resolution your Actual new years resolution.
4. Make sure its realistic & attainable
5. Break it down in to short term goals 
6. Aim but don't expect to blitz every goal, have a strong back-up plan
7. Reward yourself in different ways when you're doing well
8. Tell people at home & work your goals so they can encourage & help keep you on track.

So that's my recommended checklist, hopefully your resolution ticks all the boxes. Enjoy the festive period & ave a fantastic new year!!

James

Give yourself permission

Hi folks,

You know those mornings were your brain is already going a million miles an hour, planning every hour with jobs before you've even got out of bed? It is Christmas eve so i wont give you anything extra to think about this week, just to say do all the things you want to do this Christmas.

Most of us are health conscious & will feel guilty eating & drinking this next week. Yes it may add a few calories, but if it helps you unwind & enjoy the time off then that's important too. So my message this week is to make the most of time with friends & family, & enjoy all the festive treats - you've earned it.

Merry Christmas

James

Don't forget to empty your bins!

Hi folks,

Over this last week I have learnt about the importance of our lymphatic system. I am aware that most people have heard of this bodily function, but do not know any details & I feel it really is worth knowing about.

To keep it brief, plasma which is present in our blood is squeezed out of our circulatory system & passes between our cells. These cells take up nutrients & expel waste back in to the plasma. Our bodies now need to get rid of this waste & is ultimately transported upwards to the lymph nodes where lymphocytes (a type of white blood cell) consume it.

The lymphatic system doesn't have its own 'pump' & so we can help the process manually through massage. This is just one of the big benefits of massage, here are some others:

• Increases blood flow (containing oxygen & nutrients)
• Increases recovery rate from exercise & injury
• Decreases tension & micro-spasms (occur in muscle tissue that can result in pain / trauma)
• Decreases blood pressure
• Stimulates organ function & relaxation

What it would be like if the dustbin men go on strike next week? This accumulation of rubbish can be what's happening inside us right now. Much of the waste that needs to be got rid of are toxins created through everyday elements such as general metabolism, poor nutrition, stress, & even exercise! So if you want healthier organs, skin complexion, emotions, & energy levels etc then massage may be able to help your body work more efficiently.

Contact me for more information or to arrange an appointment (as I am now sports massage trained) - you may need it if you're frantically hitting the shops this weekend, stressed out at work, festively over indulging, or just stuck for that last present idea!

James