Build Your Wellness Foundation on Good Nutrition

Avoiding employee burnout is an ongoing challenge for many employers. Organizations that promote healthy habits and positive emotional and physical behaviors can engage employees and maintain long term, sustainable company growth. 

When the obesity rates of US adults began to climb from about 30 percent in 2000 to almost 36 percent in 2010, large companies took proactive steps to keep employees healthy and active. These employers understood that managing health care costs meant helping employees manage factors like blood pressure, heart disease and other chronic conditions. Healthy eating, exercise classes and smoking cessation programs were developed to change employee behaviors. Junk food was targeted and many organizations began to remove vending machines containing sugary snacks and soda, offer fresh fruit in break rooms and create healthier cafeteria menus. 

Today, employers and employees better understand the direct correlation between what they put in their bodies and the impact it has on their work performance. A recent study examined how food affects day-to-day experiences and found that the more fruits and vegetables individuals consumed (up to seven portions), the happier, more engaged and more creative they were. Fruits and vegetables contain vital nutrients that foster the production of dopamine, a neurotransmitter that plays a key role in the experience of curiosity, motivation and engagement. These same foods also provide antioxidants that reduce inflammation, improve memory and enhance mood.

Even though many employees understand they need to eat healthy food to improve their well-being, they don’t always know how to change their habits. Eating healthy is often perceived as time consuming and expensive. And with all the food choices, it’s difficult to figure out what to eat. Even savvy consumers can be misinformed when it comes to nutrition.

In order to be successful, nutrition should be the cornerstone of every worksite wellness program. Organizations that partner with their wellness vendor to create nutrition-related programs can influence employee lifestyle changes and benefit from lower healthcare costs. At Wellness Workdays, all of our nutrition programs are developed and taught by master’s level registered dietitians. It’s one of our key differentiators. Find out how we can help your organization improve employee health by developing a solid foundation in nutrition. Contact us for more information.

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Visit Wellness Workdays for more information about our worksite wellness programs.