Posted by
Sara on
Friday, February 7th, 2014 with
Comments Off on Inspired by Olympians: How Healthy Meals Can Optimize Employee Performance Comments
As the Olympics blast off in Sochi this weekend, the world’s eyes will be on the elite group of athletes competing in the Winter Games. Many of us are impressed by their athletic prowess and their dedication — it takes years of commitment and hard work to become an Olympian! Perhaps, though, we should pay a little more attention to how many Olympic athletes treat their bodies: they are like finely-tuned machines that require care and upkeep, especially when it comes to nutrition.
While Michael Phelps’s famous 8,000-calorie-a-day diet is not a routine any non-athlete should be emulating, the reality is most Olympic diets aren’t nearly as extreme or even contain that many exotic ingredients (aside from copious amounts of protein powder). Many athletes report simply eating a wholesome, healthy variety of meals and snacks throughout the day to keep their bodies in the best possible condition so they can excel at their sport.
Olympic athletes fuel their body with healthy, wholesome meals and snacks.
Image source: flickr user luxomedia
Read the full article…
Posted by
Sara on
Thursday, February 6th, 2014 with
1 Comments
We all know the feeling: about an hour and a half after a filling, delicious lunch, you start getting tired. Your concentration wanes, and even though you’re staring right at your work on your computer screen — no Facebook or anything! — you just aren’t getting anything done. Welcome to a well-known office phenomenon: the mid-afternoon energy slump.
What’s the culprit behind this all-too-common daily fatigue? It could be that you didn’t get enough sleep last night, or you’re dealing with stress. But it could also be something as simple as what was on your plate at lunch.
Don’t be this guy at the office — choose a smarter lunch.
Image source: flickr user Lordcolus
Read the full article…
Posted by
Sara on
Wednesday, February 5th, 2014 with
Comments Off on Admin Assistance: Just Say No to Cupcakes With These 6 Unexpected Office Birthday Ideas Comments
Office manager, receptionist… party planner? As many administrative assistants can attest, their numerous job duties tend to include organizing office celebrations, birthdays being a common one. And with an already packed schedule, it can be easy for admins to find a reliable bakery and fall into a routine of ordering a box of their delicious cupcakes every time a birthday rolls around — especially if your workplace recognizes every employee’s birthday individually, rather than holding a group celebration for all the birthdays falling in each month. But is your office birthday routine causing your celebrations to lose their sparkle?
Don’t get stuck in the cupcake rut.
Image source: flickr user clevercupcakes
Cupcakes are great — they’re tasty, and they’re conveniently pre-portioned so no one has to cut a cake or dole out slices. But chances are the reason your workplace celebrates birthdays is to recognize each employee, making them feel special for a day; it also gives everyone in the office a little break from the daily routine and time to socialize together. However, when they’re always the same, you might be undermining that intended purpose by making birthday parties just another predictable task in the workday.
Read the full article…
Posted by
Sara on
Tuesday, February 4th, 2014 with
Comments Off on Go Nuts For Healthy Office Snacks: New Study Shows Eating Nuts Reduces Disease Comments
When hunger strikes at 3 pm in the office, it’s hard to resist the call of the vending machine and its wares: crispy, salty, sweet, crunchy; whatever you crave, it can be yours for a few quarters. Think twice, though, before you press a button: every time you choose a little foil bag of potato chips or cookies over that unpopular packet of mixed nuts, you may be passing up a chance to live longer!
When it comes to healthy office snacks, new studies continue to show that nuts are one of the best choices you can make. People who snack on a handful of nuts every day live longer than those who don’t. They can reduce the risk of some cancers, the need for gallbladder surgery, and developing Type 2 diabetes. Some nuts may even have anti-aging effects due to their resveratrol content — and people who eat nuts daily are less likely to gain weight.
Serving nuts at work can help reduce disease and obesity.
Image source: flickr user TenSafeFrogs
Read the full article…
Posted by
Sara on
Monday, February 3rd, 2014 with
Comments Off on 5 Tips for Healthy Office Lunches, Just in Time for American Heart Month Comments
If your workplace wants to emphasize employee wellness this year, there’s no better time to start than February — the 50th annual American Heart Month. While many may consider heart disease an “old man’s disease,” it affects men and women of all ages. Heart disease is responsible for 1 out of every 4 deaths in this country, kills more Americans than all forms of cancer combined, and is the leading cause of death for men and women alike.
Employees come together to celebrate American Heart Month.
Image source: flickr user JAXPORT
Don’t get too depressed by these statistics, though. The good news is that the risk of heart disease can be drastically reduced by making healthy lifestyle choices: not smoking, eating a balanced diet, exercising, and not drinking too much (all of which are also easy ways to reduce health care costs for businesses under the Affordable Care Act). So as non-profit organizations focus on increasing awareness about heart disease this month, your office can easily join in on this very good cause by promoting the kind of healthy diet that experts say is key to reducing the risk of heart disease. And, of course, that conversation can begin with healthy office lunches at the catering table or in the break room. Consider these heart-healthy eating tips for American Heart Month:
Read the full article…
Posted by
Sara on
Friday, January 31st, 2014 with
2 Comments
There are myriad reasons to provide free meals to employees, whether on a regular basis or as a surprise token of appreciation: office meals boost morale, enhance job satisfaction, and can have a positive impact on health and wellness in the workplace. One of the most important outcomes of office meals, however, is an enhanced sense of teamwork.
Sharing a meal can build relationships in the workplace.
Image source: flickr user Julep67
As many may know, teamwork can be a tricky thing, and it’s hard to build solely within the confines of a group meeting or work session. As University of Cambridge professor Mark de Rond tells the Wall Street Journal, “The key to effective teams is very simple: provided people are capable, all you need to do is get them to care about something other than themselves. The problem: that’s very difficult to do.”
One way to promote a culture of teamwork — of caring about a common goal or a group project more than individual recognition or accomplishment — is to foster social bonds and friendships in the office. After all, even when a workload is more solitary, research shows that forming friendships at work can have some very positive impacts.
Read the full article…
Posted by
Sara on
Thursday, January 30th, 2014 with
Comments Off on 5 Ways to Feature the Mediterranean Diet in Your Corporate Catering Routine Comments
The Mediterranean diet is in the news all the time — only, unlike some of the other recent diet fads, it’s not due to celebrity endorsements or splashy self-help books. Rather, the Mediterranean diet tends to crop up in news articles and NPR broadcasts because scientists and researchers are continually finding new health benefits to its core tenets: eating plenty of vegetables, fruits, nuts, fish, and olive oil, along with less meat, butter, and processed foods.
The Mediterranean diet, which emphasizes plant-based meals, is proving to be a powerful health strategy.
Image source: flickr user AndyRobertsPhotos
For instance, last November, we learned that women who generally followed a Mediterranean diet in their fifties were 40 percent less likely to develop chronic diseases, like Parkinson’s and cancer, later in life, and had better memory and physical function than women who didn’t eat as healthfully. So far this month, two different reports show that following the Mediterranean diet can lead to reduced risk of plaque buildup in our arteries and even reduce our risk for Type 2 diabetes.
Read the full article…
Posted by
Sara on
Wednesday, January 29th, 2014 with
Comments Off on Think Outside the Pizza Box: 5 Easy Ways to Up the Office Lunch Ante Comments
From Google’s famous cafeterias to startups’ weekly office happy hours, smart employers know that providing free food is a easy and highly welcomed perk in the workplace – and makes you look like a better boss. But when your employees come to expect a few boxes of pizza or the same Chinese takeout boxes every Friday, your staff lunches may be selling your message of appreciation short.
If this is your office, you may be stuck in a lunch rut.
Image source: flickr user NathanHuth
Surveys show that “unexpected treats and rewards” like office meals or snacks are the second most popular form of employer appreciation (monetary bonuses ranked highest); however, don’t neglect the importance of the “unexpected” element. After all, treating your staff to a catered or delivered lunch isn’t just about sustenance; it’s about creating excitement and building social connections without ever leaving the office. There should be a buzz around the building when a surprise meal delivery shows up, and a feeling that something special is happening. When a few boxes of pizza show up every Friday, that excitement easily becomes muddled into part of the daily routine.
With the goal of creating a special occasion in mind, here are a few ways to think outside the pizza box during your next office lunch!
Read the full article…
Posted by
Sara on
Tuesday, January 28th, 2014 with
Comments Off on Admin Assistance: How to Cater to Gluten-Free Diets in the Office Comments
If you’re an administrative assistant in charge of ordering workplace meals, then you are probably more familiar with your coworkers’ diet habits than anyone else in the office! You’re the first one to know when a colleague decides to try out a low-carb diet, you can name every vegetarian, and you even know which middle manager is just a plain, old picky eater. It’s your job to ensure that every member of the staff can benefit from the motivation, personal relationship growth, and employee appreciation that’s served up alongside the actual food on the lunch table!
In recent years, however, one dietary “trend” has presented a unique opportunity for admin assistants: gluten-free diets. If you have gluten-free coworkers in your office, you may be asking how, exactly, you can create a gluten-free meal plan for the entire office?
Plan gluten-free options so coworkers with sensitivities can still join in the fun.
Image source: flickr user JuditK
Read the full article…
Posted by
Sara on
Monday, January 27th, 2014 with
Comments Off on Eating for Immunity: How to Plan Office Lunches to Fight Cold & Flu Season Comments
Some of us keep a bottle of hand sanitizer on our desks. Others refuse to touch doorknobs with bare hands. And still more will swallow dubiously effective vitamin supplements every day until Easter. That’s right – it’s cold and flu season in the office.
Everyone has their own favorite method of warding off illness, but there’s one way to improve the entire office’s odds of getting sick: make sure office lunches are full of immune-boosting superfoods! All the benefits of those vitamin C packets and zinc inhalers can be stealthily administered to every employee who attends a lunch meeting, orders in group delivery, or enjoys a catered meal at the office.
Everyone at the office has their own coping strategy for flu season. Image source: flickr user Blaine Pearson
Read the full article…
