HOW TO STAY HEALTHY AND FOCUSED WHEN REJOINING THE WORKFORCE

Off work due to injury, illness, career break, or maternity leave?

Whatever the reason, getting back into the swing of things won't be easy. By providing your body optimal fuel and practising proper self-care, however, you'll give yourself the best possible chance of success during your comeback.

Let's run through several strategies which will get your body and mind back up to peak efficiency.

KEEP FAT IN YOUR DIET TO A MINIMUM

Management will likely give you the benefit of the doubt as you transition back to being a productive professional. After the first month, however, they will want to see progress. To do this, you'll need to consume a diet which will allow you to think in a clear and intelligent way. This can be done by embracing an uber-low fat diet, which emphasises plant-based foods. This reason is simple: fat reduces the amount of oxygen present in the bloodstream by as much as 20%. When you cut as much fat as possible from your diet, it increases the amount of O2 delivered to your grey matter, thereby improving their function.

EAT BREAKFAST

It's a nasty habit to fall into: you start waking up later and later until you barely have enough time to shower, dress, and run out the door. Somewhere along the way, you stop eating breakfast – this is devastating for work performance, as the lack of food energy makes it difficult to pay attention or focus on tasks.

Give yourself at least one hour at home each morning. This will grant the time needed to prepare a proper breakfast packed with B vitamins. These improve neurotransmitter function, memory recall, and help to maintain the integrity of your brain cells over time. Overnight oats (oatmeal, marinated in a mason jar with yoghurt, fruit, etc overnight), bananas, and even fortified breakfast cereals contain high levels of Vitamin B. Eat these foods every day and you'll soon become the most attentive employee during your 9 am team meetings.

TAKE CARE OF YOUR GUT

Misunderstood by science until recently, the 100 trillion strong population of bacteria, protozoans, and fungi in our bodies play a central role in how we think, feel, and act. Some can be harmful (like parasites), but many others are integral to proper brain function, a strong immune system, solid emotional health, and the effective digestion of nutrient-rich food.

By consuming food and drinks rich in probiotics (like kimchi, potatoes, cold rice, and green bananas), you'll seed your stomach and intestines with these micro-helpers, giving you the leg-up needed to do well at your job.

GET PLENTY OF REST

The average adult often gets less than seven hours of sleep per night. Sustained lack of adequate rest is responsible for a host of problems which impact productivity in the workplace. These include loss of concentration, reduced memory recall, mood swings, and a weakened immune system.

According to the National Sleep Foundation, adults should get no less than seven hours of sleep per night regardless of age, with eight hours being the ideal amount. By optimising your bedroom environment (blackout shades, the temperature at 18 degrees Celsius, no screens an hour before bed) and eating foods which encourage restful slumber (whole grain toast, bananas, pumpkin seeds, etc), getting enough rest is within your grasp.

FIT EXERCISE AND PHYSICAL ACTIVITY INTO YOUR DAILY ROUTINE

Sound body, sound mind: sure, it's a well-worn cliché, but many are based on time-tested truths. Exercise has long been proven to have positive impacts on productivity, as increased blood flow to the brain induced by physical activity has been shown to boost alertness and mental sharpness.

Exercise also releases endorphins, dopamine, serotonin, and oxytocin – all hormones which produce feelings of happiness and contentment. This makes it easier to be creative and get work done faster, making that extra hour you spend doing push-ups and running each morning well worth the effort.

ABOUT KATHY

Kathy is an international award-winning business person, author and nutritional medicine practiitioner; she uses whole food, plant based, oil free foods to produce amazing results, transforming lives through improvements in sleep, energy, sustainable weight loss and a reduction in symptoms from chronic diseases.

Through her programs, My Healing Kitchen events and clinic work, Kathy believes change is the only way. Over the past two years, Kathy has spoken at major health events and has become a well sought-after media contact. Kathy is a national brand ambassador for a major health food company. Kathy has spent countless hours, weeks and years researching the optimal diet. She has studied under some of the great nutritional medicine doctors in America to get her work right.

Learn more about Kathy and her business, Flourish Nutritional Medicine, here: