A healthy diet can boost energy, productivity and manage stress

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It has been proven that what your kids eat will help or hinder their school performance and productivity, so why is it any different for you at work?

Much like your children, you will reap the benefits of healthy eating, said Lisa Quinney, a registered holistic nutritionist at Revolution Fitness in Toronto.

Whether you work a nine-to-five job or shift work, what you eat will help with energy, productivity and managing stress, not to mention be beneficial to your overall health and fitness.

Quinney said one of the ways busy working person can lose weight and get in better shape is to prepare and bring your own food to work rather than buying unhealthy alternatives.

"This way they can control portion sizes and they can also enhance the quality of food they're eating," she said. "More often than not when you got to restaurants or food courts it's low-grade forms of protein and a lot more fat and sugar."

Even the foods that are labeled "healthy" can become laden with calories if purchased and not homemade.

For example, Quinney said you may buy a salad, but it's the dressing that could make it less healthy.

"Because you don't know what's in there," she said. "It could be an Italian oil-based dressing, but you don't know what they've added to it. Sometimes there are chemicals that are put into the food so it can last longer."

If you're actually preparing your own meals, you're less likely to chose unhealthy food.

At work, lunch is a social time, but it's also a short time, so it's more likely you will get fast foods that are satisfying, but have little nutritional value.

"If you bring your own food, you're not as likely to deviate from eating healthier food option ... also you get influenced by your co-workers and your peers."

Not eating healthy can affect your energy and performance. If you have a lot of sugar, for example, Quinney said it will interfere with your ability to focus and concentrate.

"You get this major rush of energy, this big boost, than afterwards you crash, it alters your blood sugar," she said.

Everyone is supposed to eat three meals and two snacks a day, eating every three hours.

During a work day, if you don't have food readily available, you end up eating when you're starving.

"If you wait too long in between meals, which typically will happen if you don't have food at hand, it starts to affect your blood sugar, and when it drops, what ends up happening is you tend to crave heavier, fattier foods so you're likely to overeat," she said.

As a result, you may feel lethargic, which also interferes with your ability to focus and concentrate. She said you want to try and stabilize your energy by fuelling your body with the right foods.

Quinney said people should eat whole and fresh foods and foods high in protein, while restricting the amount of fat and sugar. She suggests packing fruit, rice cakes, nuts and grains, salad, steamed vegetables and healthy wraps.

The biggest objection about healthy eating that Quinney hears from clients is they don't have the time or energy to prepare their food ahead of time.

However, it's better to start implementing healthy eating habits to help stave off stress and sickness.

"So many people are caught up working and creating financial wealth and by the time they obtain that, their health has started to deteriorate. So all their time and money they've earned then goes toward getting their health back on track."

Quinney said preparing healthy meals is a matter time management and having a plan. She suggested picking one day to select two meals and prepare enough to last through the week for lunch and dinner.

"Ultimately, it's about your health so without your health, it interferes with your work, your children, your family and friends, everything," she said. "It's about implementing healthy habits into your lifestyle."