In the previous 2 articles, I’ve discussed sleep and exercise as a critical component of your wellbeing. Now it’s time to discuss your diet.
Have you ever had a busy day where you didn’t stop to get a break or to eat lunch. How depleted did you feel by the end of the day? I joke in my presentations that veterinary teams are fuelled by caffeine and biscuits. How many times were you expecting to pop out at lunch time to grab your lunch and it didn’t happen? You survived on whatever was at the bottom of your bag and in the tea room!
The veterinary profession is mentally taxing. Every day you are using significant cognitive and emotional resources.
Our brain has a high demand for glucose and healthy fats when it’s working hard. Unfortunately chocolate and biscuits don’t count!
Ensure you have a nutritious breakfast to sustain you through the morning of consultations. If we have time, I try to ensure the team has a quick break before starting surgery after a morning of consulting. I find having a small, healthy snack sustains me during surgery and avoids fatigue. The break also allows me to reset after consulting and be ready for hours of surgery. I find the team is more refreshed as well.
If you become depleted cognitively, your decision making, endurance and productivity is affected.
I know a lot of people eat on the run and are having lunch while typing reports, answering calls. I will discuss taking breaks more in the next article but it’s important to take the time to sit and eat your lunch. Gulping down food is never good for digestion but also eating on the run is stressful for your body.
Pack a healthy, nutritious lunch. There has been a lot of press lately about our microbiome and how it impacts our mental wellbeing. Serotonin production is primarily in the gut so what you eat does impact your mood.
Excess caffeine can induce a stress response in your body. If you are already experiencing significant stress during the workday, drinking lots of coffee won’t help the situation. It can lead to you being wired and exhausted. This makes it more challenging to wind down at the end of the day and get good restorative sleep. Unfortunately, this is when people turn to alcohol to help them relax.
Eating a healthy, nutritious diet will positively influence your mental wellbeing as well as your physical wellbeing. A healthy, fit brain is able to withstand more stress and be resilient in the face of challenges. You will be more productive, have more energy and be a better mood which contributes to increased performance.
Natasha
