Boost your productivity by eating the right lunch!

Have you noticed a regular pattern of a post lunch slump; a feeling of extreme sleepiness and tiredness?

How you spend your lunch break and more importantly, what you eat for lunch can affect how productive you are for the rest of the day:

We’ve gathered the most interesting research on how we can improve our afternoon productivity by making careful use of our sacred lunch hour.

Here are some ways to maximise your lunch break, proven by science.

1. Don’t skip eating lunch

This might seem obvious, but even if you’re trying to lose weight or busy running errands on your lunch break, don’t skip on eating a midday meal – or at least a snack. Your nutrition, in particular your glucose intake, will decide your productivity for the rest of the day.

2. Eat the right foods for better brain function

Fish:
Fish is the ultimate brain food; it is rich in oil and fortified with omega-3 fatty acids, which are help brain function and development. Omega-3’s also reduce the risk of stroke, dementia and enhance memory as we get older.

Nuts and seeds:
Nuts and seeds are vitamin E powerhouses, packed with antioxidants that are known to slow down cognitive decline as you age.

Dark chocolate:
A small piece of dark chocolate can do wonders for the mind and body. It contains antioxidants that slow down cognitive decline and also has caffeine, a natural stimulant and concentration booster.

Blueberries:
Referred to as a super food because of its high levels of antioxidants, blueberries are thought to improve learning, as well as protect the brain from cell-damaging free radicals, as well as reduce the effects of dementia or Alzheimer’s disease.

Carrots:
Our brains rely on glucose to function, and a raw carrot is the perfect source of glucose.

3. Do not work through your lunch break

No matter how tight the dead line, working through your lunch break could do more harm than good. Although it may seem you are making use of your time efficiently and may even score you a few points with your manager, you will inevitably hit a wall within a couple of hours post what should’ve been your lunch break. The rest of the day leading up to end of office day, will drag on and you will be at the total opposite end of being productive.

4. Mindfulness: Do nothing but eat

Avoid multi task while eating; this means no social media, no typing out a quick email and no catching up on the stocks.

We tend to multi task whilst eating, because we think of eating as a waste of time. However, when we watch TV or scroll through our phone whilst eating, we tend to wolf down our food, which can have consequences on our digestive system and make us sluggish for the rest of the day.  Sitting quietly and focusing just on your lunch can be a small act of mindfulness.
Savour your lunch and relax.

5. Spend time in nature to refresh your attention span

Try to eat your lunch outdoors when possible.
If you are fortunate enough to have a park near your office, make the most of it.
If there is very little greenery close by, then even soaking in some sun, and fresh air while you eat can do wonders.

How do you spend your lunch? Let us know in the comments section below.