Beat the Caffeine and Sugar Slump!

We often reach for a sugary snack or a fresh cup of coffee to give us a quick boost during our workday. It might work straight away for a short time, but there’s a flip side to the coin with longer-lasting impacts on our sleep and overall health and productivity.

Research (https://www.news-medical.net/health/Caffeine-Pharmacology.aspx) has shown that caffeine actually stays in your body for five or six hours after you drink it, affecting the quality of your sleep. I realised this when I decided to do a detox 18 years ago. I had migraines for the first three days when I stopped caffeine. I then could not believe the better quality of sleep I was getting. It is so hard to explain. My sleep felt deeper, and I felt so much more refreshed in the morning. Since then, I have not drunk caffeine. I now enjoy herbal teas, and other decaf options.

The glucose factor

Another thing that can affect productivity is your blood glucose. Having the ideal amount of blood glucose is the key. Too little blood glucose and your productivity will take a hit. Any too much blood glucose means too much energy.

My eldest son has Type 1 Diabetes so I am fully aware of how a drop or increase in blood glucose can affect a person’s mood and focus. Here is an article from Diabetes UK to outline this.?https://www.diabetes.co.uk/diabetes_care/blood-sugar-level-ranges.html

Getting ‘hangry’

We need to be aware that you don’t need to have Type 1 or Type 2 Diabetes to be affected by blood glucose. If our teams are not eating enough in the office, they can have a drop in their blood glucose. On the contrary, if they are eating too many sugars, their blood glucose will increase dramatically.

How does this affect their productivity and mood? I know my husband gets ‘hangry’ when he needs to eat. His blood glucose has dropped, and he cannot focus. This leads to him not being able to concentrate and becoming snappy. He needs to eat to increase his blood glucose and concentrate.

The sugar rush

On the other hand, when my son who does not have Type 1 Diabetes eats too much chocolate, sweets and sugary drinks, he cannot stop moving. He cannot focus and cannot stop talking. He becomes hyperactive. This is not due to a medical condition; it is because he has too much sugar in his system.

Do you recognise someone in your team who gets ‘hangry’ when they do not eat enough? Or on the other side gets hyperactive when they eat too much sugar?

What can you do to help? Talk to your team about other ways they can change their energy rather than reaching for sugar or caffeine.

Here are 3 tips to stimulate your energy more productively:

1.????Get the blood flowing with some exercise. Challenge the team to a quick round of jumping jacks, chair stretches or maybe even a fun obstacle course around the office (with an eye on health & safety!)

2.????Get some fresh air – take a quick walk outside the office to get some fresh air. Even just getting away from a desk to take a breather can boost your energy.

3.????Happy music is a great way to stimulate your energy – get your team to put together a top five list of go-to tunes to boost their energy.

Dieting

On this note, we should also be aware of the harm to our bodies when dieting. Laura Clarke, a Dietitian and Nutritionist outlines in detail on Mental Health Chats?YouTube?and?Podcast. Laura is a very practical, modern dietitian who does not believe in dieting to maintain your weight. She also explains how harmful dieting can be to your body, causing strain on your organs.

What are you going to do to encourage healthy eating and drinking in the office to promote more productivity in your team?