What Not to Eat at the Beginning of Your Shift As a nurse, you generally have to work odd hours for long periods of time. While some nurses can easily adapt to their new working schedule, others may find it difficult to deal with the situation. Humans are designed to be active during the day and to sleep at night. Inverting the sleeping pattern can have a negative effect on the overall health of a person and eating the wrong food can further leave you feeling lethargic. So if you want to optimize your performance and stay active during your twelve hour night shift, make sure you indulge in the right eating habits. Staying away from the certain foods will help you stay energetic and allow you to serve your patients well. Avoid sugary food For a night shift worker, dinner plays an important role. What you eat will have an effect on your performance at the job. While you may love giving yourself sugary treats, it is not the best source of nutrition. Related: Licensed Practical Nurses(LPNS) As a nurse, you need to stay alert and active throughout your shift. Eating cakes, pastries, cookies, and candies will spike your blood sugar level, thus producing high levels of insulin and giving you instant energy. However, this is a short term energy boost and you will start to feel sluggish after some time, which will decrease your performance. Don’t abuse caffeine People often choose to drink heavily caffeinated beverages to stay awake during their duty hours. While caffeine products do have stimulating effects, they can also have some side effects. Drinking too much coffee right before your duty hours will encourage urination, thus making you rush to the bathroom every now and then. Instead of a large frappe or an extra shot of double latte, try drinking iced tea, lemonade, apple juice or coconut water. Excess of tea and coffee can lead to insomnia, acidity, and restlessness. The importance of protein Nurses often indulge in bad eating habits, leaving them constantly hungry. Sometimes, they indulge in junk food, at other times they eat food devoid of proteins. Protein help a person stay and feel full for a long time, so including protein in your diet can keep you energetic during your shift. Try to include food such as tofu, meat, lentils and nuts in your diet for added benefits.
Related: The Evolution of the Nursing Uniform Avoid food with strong odors Nobody likes a person with offensive breath and if you are a nurse, you need to take good care of your hygiene. Having food with a bad odor right before your shift can leave you with bad breath making the situation uncomfortable for your patients. Try to avoid eating bad odor food such as onions, garlic, and others that have strong odors. If you need to have the food, remember to brush your teeth before going to your job and invest in some mint flavored gum. Indigestion As a nurse, you are going to stay on your feet for twelve hours and the last thing on your mind would be to deal with indigestion. Therefore, right before your shift, try to avoid food highly acidic foods as they can cause heartburn, cramping or indigestion. Foods that are high in fat, fried meat and beef are known to cause indigestion. Items such as cauliflower, carbonated beverages and broccoli are known to cause gas. Therefore, try to avoid including them in your meal before for your shift. Related: List of nursing organizations Please follow us on Facebook, Linkedin, Pinterest and Twitter