How to eat healthy with shift work

Toss in the additional stressors of shift work and the challenge can become even bigger.

Read on for some healthy eating tips to help you navigate changing work schedules and what to eat when working night shifts.

Why are healthy eating habits so essential for shift work?

Shift workers have been shown to:

• have a higher risk of sleep loss, obesity, cardiovascular disease and diabetes.
• have more digestive issues (nausea, heartburn, constipation and diarrhea)
• struggle with depression, stress and relationship issues.
• have a higher risk of drug and alcohol addictions and safety issues such as accidents and injury.
• suffer with more fatigue, lower concentration and reduced productivity.

It is no surprise that nutritious meals and snacks influence many of the above challenges quite significantly.

Outside of taking personal responsibility for your nutrition at work, employers should take interest too.   Improperly fueled employees have a direct connection to productivity, safety and wellness and can therefore influence the bottom line.

The most common shift work professions that may benefit from added workplace wellness and safety support include:

• Production, transportation, and material moving (mechanics, repairers, construction workers, machine operators, truck drivers, assemblers, inspectors and equipment cleaners)
• Technical, sales and administration (salespersons, retail workers and administrative support)
• Managerial and professional (executives, computer scientists and teachers)
• Protective services (emergency medical services workers, police and firefighters)
• Healthcare services (residents and on-call physicians and nurses).
• Other services (healthcare support, food, cleaning, personal and private household)

How might shift work influence health, productivity and weight?

The reasons shift work may be bad for your health are twofold:

1. It can influence our biology

• Influences our circadian rhythm, which is the physical, mental and behavioral changes that take place in a 24-hour period which are tied to lightness and darkness.
• If you disrupt the circadian rhythm it can disrupt our overall energy level, metabolism, digestion, cardiovascular system, hormones and immunity.

2. It often impacts our lifestyle habits

• Habit formation is hard when your schedule constantly changes.
• It is also difficult to keep track of what and how much food is eaten with a fluctuating schedule and changing appetite/sleep schedule.
• Grocery shopping, cooking and meal preparation changes dramatically, often not for the better.
• Shift work can also be isolating and a challenge to participate in social activities, family meals and scheduled physical activity.

What are the top nutrition strategies that can help shift workers?

Examining nutrition is one of the most critical strategies that will influence the health, productivity and weight management of shift workers. Here are some top strategies to get started:

1. Plan an eating schedule for each of your shifts.

Plan to eat within one hour of waking and then schedule meals and snacks every 3-5 hours until you go to bed. This will mean that for most people they will eat between 3-6 times per day.

For example, if your shift is 11pm to 7am and you wake up at 4pm then your eating schedule may looks something like this:

By 5pm Wake-up Meal

8-10 pm Pre-shift Meal

12-2 am Work Snack

4-6 am Work Meal

7-8 am Bedtime Snack

2. Ensure meals have both carbohydrates AND protein

Carbohydrates provide the brain and muscles with energy while protein is key for satiety and fullness. Balance your meals with 3 things (grains/starches, veggies/fruits and a source of protein). Balance your snacks with at least 2 things (veggies/fruits/grains/starches and a source of protein).

Need some ideas?  Check out our article and video on “Healthy Lunch Hacks” for time saving tips and 7 speedy lunch packing ideas:  LUNCH IDEAS.

3. Curb caffeine in the middle of your shift.

Caffeine can stay in your system for as long as eight hours, so decrease coffee, tea and other caffeine sources from the middle of your shift onward.

4. Watch alcohol intake.

Despite alcohol initially making you sleepy, it can hinder entering into the deep restorative stages of sleep.

5. Avoid large meals late into your shift.

Taking in lots of food and fluid before bed can cause indigestion and make it difficult to fall asleep, as well as cause you to wake up to urinate frequently at night.

6. Don’t go to bed starved.

If you are chronically dieting, carb deprived and simply not eating enough, your sleep will be disturbed. Seek help from a Registered Dietitian to create a food plan that achieves a good balance of nourishment for health and achievement of your personal best weight.

What other lifestyle factors are important if I am a shift worker?

Talk to your doctor. Ask your physician for a referral to a sleep medicine physician who can help you create a healthy plan for “sleep hygiene” or practical and medical solutions for getting enough sleep, falling asleep quickly and staying asleep.

Get help for emotional health. Give yourself enough time to truly unwind before bed. If you are struggling with depression or anxiety, it can be difficult to get enough quality or quantity of sleep. Work with a registered psychologist and your physician to process and strategize feeling better and getting the help you need.

Assess when you exercise. Research shows exercise before bed can make it difficult to fall asleep, so you may need to move physical activity to another time.

Power down stimulating activities. Turn off smartphones, computers and television at least 30-60 minutes before going to bed. Take the television out of your bedroom.

You might also want to check out these previous articles on our blog: