5 Health Tips for Shift Workers
Is shift work disrupting your digestion, sleep, appetite or bowel movements? You’re not alone.
In fact, it’s a very common theme among shift workers due to the disruption of your bodies natural 24-hour ‘body clock’, known as your circadian rhythm.
When we wake during the dark and sleep during the day, we are fighting against our natural body clock that regulates our sleep, hormones, body temperature and appetite. So, when this regulation is disturbed, it can lead to an increase of uncomfortable symptoms such as constipation, gas, diarrhoea, trouble sleeping, weight loss/gain as well as an increased risk of diabetes, heart disease and metabolic syndrome.
So what can you do to maintain your health throughout shift work? Here are my top 5 tips!
1. Maintain regular eating patterns – even on your shifts!
Just like you get sleepy at night time, so does your digestion and bowel motility. It becomes less efficient at night time meaning your body’s ability to digest food and absorb nutrients is reduced.
Try to stick to regular eating patterns, that roughly imitate your ‘day shift’ eating patterns if possible and pack light snacks to have throughout your shift if needed.
However, don’t be scared to eat at night. I am finding too often in clinic people scared to eat past a certain time in the evening due to “storing/not burning off calories”. While our bodies become less efficient at night, weight gain/loss is due to overall calorie intake (put simply) and not what time you ate.
2. Plan your meals ahead of time
Try to avoid relying on processed or takeaway foods and plan your meals ahead of time. Balancing your main meals with lean protein, healthy fats and carbohydrates will ensure you’re feeling full and energised throughout your entire shift.
Think quick meals like eggs and avocado on wholegrain toast, or tuna, brown rice and vegetables, or one-pot dishes that can be prepared in bulk so you only have to cook once and can eat twice. Alternatively, consider healthy meal delivery services such as YouFoodz, Hello Fresh or Marley Spoon.
SAMPLE 24-HOUR PERIOD:
Before shift
Dinner
e.g. One-pot chicken curry or veggie-packed spaghetti bolognese
During shift
Light snacks & water
e.g. Veggie sticks and hummus or yoghurt, muesli and berries (see pic for inspo) - opt for protein-rich snacks to keep you feeling satisfied
After shift
Breakfast
e.g. omelette on wholegrain toast or jam-packed smoothie
After waking
Lunch
e.g. salad sandwich or tuna, brown rice and veggies
3. Drink plenty of water
It may be very tempting to reach for coffee and energy drinks for a quick boost of energy, but this may just be contributing to your sleep disturbances. It takes approximately 10 hours for caffeine to leave your body, so try to curb the caffeine halfway through your shift to ensure a quality sleep post-shift. Drinking plenty of water, about 8 glasses a day, will help to maintain hydration and keep those bowels moving.
4. Make time to move your body
A quick sweat session can improve your concentration, energy and mood alongside many other long-term positive health benefits such as weight management. Bonus if you can move your body outside to get your daily dose of vitamin D.
5. Sleep
Sleep when you can! A very obvious one, but a very necessary one for a reason. When we sleep our body repairs and restores to prepare for a new day, leading to a better mood, stronger immune system, improved concentration and controlled appetite.
If you would like more tailored advice, email info@ghnutrition.com.au to book a one-on-one dietitian session!