The Healthy Employee

My recent visit to a client’s factory at a Tier II location was a reality check for the ever growing disconnect we, the corporate employees, have built with our basic self. Mostly with blinded focus of being a successful rat. While there are a host of things people have spoken about the corporate culture/ stress/ work life balance etc., I would like to offer my 2 cents on the imbalanced diet/ nutrition that we have exposed ourselves to.

 

At the visit, I was fortunate to have lunch at the factory. The menu was basic and simple however much more delicious and satiating than our usual meals. The reasons could be many but I would attribute it majorly to the quality of raw material used for the preparation. Locations near Tier II cities are lands engaged majorly in farming/ agriculture and hence these products do not pass through the cycle of chemicals/ pesticides and cold storage before being consumed.

 

The matter I am trying to highlight is our growing negligence to quality food and diet. Most of us who are dwelling in metros are devoting negligible time and effort to this critical well-being. Working couples depend majorly on weekly procurement of groceries/ vegetables which have added preservatives and stored in house for days. Moreover 10-minute delivery apps fail to furnish the optimal product in terms of perishable items in my opinion.

 

People who carry lunch to the workplace do so while leaving for work in the morning and that is heated multiple times before consumption relinquishing nutrients as well as taste. Frequent orders/ takeaways/ dine outs are hence relied upon to satiate our taste buds. Thanks to the delivery apps helping this cause and easing our hindrances. Some workplaces offer in house cafeteria/ eating options which eradicates the issue only to a small extent.

 

I believe most of us are not aware of the correct fooding habits one should follow over the day and specially at work. We tend to skip lunch at times while attending work, munch street/ junk food more often during evening and look to have a heavy dinner (strongly advised against). Physical exhaustion post our daily work makes us rely on packaged food which is a storehouse of diseases. While conversing at the factory, I understood that most of these packaged items use palm oil which is not a healthy edible oil option.

 

Having said all of the above, we have limitations in extracting the best considering the underlying challenges. However, we all should make effort towards building a better food culture around us. This can be a gradual process but the idea should be to get better each day/ each week.

 

New generation is focusing a lot on fitness which is mostly limited to morning workout/ walking/ running with food and rest generally taking a back seat. This further gets pushed back when the focus gets shifted to ambition, money and office deliverables. Yes, money is important and so is career but physical well being is the basic structure needed for one to perform, excel and sustain. Mental and physical wellness are not mutually exclusive.  Every penny saved on health hazard is also every penny earned.

 

Some of the options I feel one can explore is following advised diet from an expert, relying on nutritious food and developing a disciplined food habit within themselves and also encouraging others.

 

Would like to end this with a note that this is an ongoing issue that needs attention. The impact of these habits are not immediate and hence ignored but gradually builds up over time. The sooner we realize and correct, the better!