The number of shift workers in Australia is growing every year with 1.7 million Australians working in some kind of shift work as at 2017. The term shift work for the purposes of this article refers to people who work or are awake during hours of the day/night when the majority of people would still be sleeping.
Our body clock (also known as the Circadian clock) tells us to do certain things at certain times of the day/night including eating, working and sleeping. A human’s body clock is naturally programmed to eat and work during the day time (sunlight hours) and sleep and fast from food during the night time (dark hours). When we disrupt the natural rhythm of our body clock, our bodies can find it hard to adjust. This can result in problems getting to sleep, feeling fatigued, feeling more stressed and an increase in eating and drinking high sugar/fat/calorie foods and drinks.
Studies have found that shift workers are at increased risk of developing heart disease, type 2 diabetes and obesity, even when compared to non-shift workers with identical diet and exercise habits. It has also been found that after 8pm, the body doesn’t burn its food energy in the same way that it does when you eat during the day. This means that a shift worker is likely to burn 60 calories per day less than day-time workers. This may not seem much, but when this is occurring on a daily basis, it can have long-term effects on our weight and health.
There are many factors which contribute to the food choices made by shift workers. These include:
1. Timing of meals
Planning and regulating when and how often we eat can help us to keep our body clock on track. The recommendations for meal timing are:
2. Choosing what to eat
Because our bodies process food differently in the night time, the types of food we eat can affect our blood sugar levels and therefore impact on our diabetes risk. The number of meals we have can also impact on our body clock’s ability to adapt and can help to regulate the amount of kilojoules being consumed.
3. Drinks/Hydration
Many people fall in to the trap of consuming large amounts of sugary and caffeinated drinks in order to battle fatigue. These drinks add to your total caloric intake and can also cause you to build more of a tolerance to caffeine, meaning you need more and more for it to take effect.
Looking for a Meal Plan? check out the following:
Meal Prep Sunday Meal Plan Program (5days)
Healthy and Affordable Meal plan Program (7days)
Real Food Real Quick Meal Plan Program (21days)
Tailor Made Meal Plans
If you would like some more information or assistance with improving your diet, talk to an accredited practicing dietitian. You can also find some useful information on the following websites: