HEALTHY STRATEGIES FOR EATING & EXERCISING
IN A THIRD-SHIFT WORLD BY BRIANA WEBSTER HESS PHOTOGRAPHY BY NICK GOULD AND JULIE MILLER
When searching for topics such as “eating healthy” and “exercising while working night shift,” Google provided endless suggestions and tips: Exercise before your shift. No, exercise right after your shift. Eat every meal. Skip a meal. Working third shift is inevitable in the lives of emergency responders, medical personnel, manufacturing employees and others. How does one stay fit and healthy while on the job? We asked four local individuals, who work through the night and into the morning hours, to share their advice on maintaining a healthy lifestyle.
24
L A N C A S T E R CO U N T Y | F E B R U A RY 2 0 2 0
MELISSA LUTCHKUS FOUR SEASONS PRODUCE, INC.
W
orking for one of the largest independent produce wholesalers in the nation will keep anyone on their toes. There’s a constant motion that flows at Four Seasons Produce, Inc. in Ephrata, and those who work there keep the well-oiled machine running 24/7, including operations planner Melissa Lutchkus. “The planner plays a critical role in the daily function of the warehouse. Our main responsibility is to coordinate the day-to-day activities of the warehouse,” Melissa says. “This team interacts across departments to ensure that our customers get the product they need, when they need it. We monitor and coordinate the warehouse activity that starts with the buyers who purchase the product that our sales team sells to our customers through to the
delivery of the product to our customers by our drivers and transportation team.” Melissa’s work schedule is Thursday through Saturday and every other Wednesday from 4 p.m. to 4 a.m. While most are preparing to leave work for the day, Melissa is heading into the office for a 12-hour shift. IT’S HARD ENOUGH to eat healthy during a 9-to-5 workday, but when an individual works an alternative schedule, it’s twice as tempting to eat unhealthy foods. “When you work nontraditional hours and don’t have a regular sleep schedule or get at least eight hours of sleep, your body craves food,” Melissa explains. “And, not the good kind either.” She emphasizes how important it is for her to maintain a healthy lifestyle by preparing her
