Speaker 1 0:00

Welcome back to another episode of a Healthy Shift Podcast . Now we have to think about an awful lot as a shift worker many , many more things than our day-walking friends . But as shift workers , we can thrive instead of just surviving . And what I want to do today in the episode is I just want to add another little dynamic in there for you , and that is how we can actually thrive in our diet on afternoons and night shifts . Now we've all heard about my fasting , but let's talk about the benefits of low GI foods and just how much they can actually really help us as a shift worker . Really help us as a shift worker . Shift work can be brutal , but it doesn't have to be . Welcome to A Healthy Shift .

Speaker 1 0:57

My name is Roger Sutherland , certified Nutritionist , veteran Law Enforcement Officer and 24-7 Shift Worker for almost four decades . Through this podcast , I aim to educate shift workers , using evidence-based methods , to not only survive the rigours of shift work , but thrive . My goal is to empower shift workers to improve their health and wellbeing so they have more energy to do the things they love . Enjoy today's show . Love Enjoy today's show . And welcome back to this episode of the podcast . My name is Roger Sutherland and this is where we deal with evidence-based strategies to help shift workers thrive and not just survive . Today , I really want to talk about a topic that can significantly impact on your energy levels , your waistline and your overall health , and that is the importance of low GI foods for our afternoon and night shift workers . Now , this is a new one . This is one you haven't heard about before . This is one that I've been really really looking deeply into , because one of the biggest problems that we have as a shift worker is working after that 9pm , working after that dim light , melatonin onset comes in and our body is not efficient at all at metabolising or storing the nutrients that we are consuming . There's got to be a solution , because what we tend to do is we tend to reach for all those highly palatable foods and also the chocolates , the cakes Jenny's cake damn Jenny , and that cake and the chips and lollies and everything else that goes with it . We do , don't we ? And we can't help ourselves . But if you're dealing with those energy crashes mid-shift and you'll notice that your mid-rift is growing as well or that general sluggish feeling after work , then this episode is built specifically for you , because I want to break down what low GI foods are why they're a game changer for our shift working community and how you , the shift worker , can easily incorporate them into your meals to stay energized and to avoid all those metabolic issues that we , as shift workers , suffer from .

Speaker 1 3:18

So let's get into it . First of all , let's understand the glycemic index , gi . Now you probably have seen low GI written all over the place , but you really don't understand exactly what it's all about . I'm here to rescue you . This is what this episode is all about .

Speaker 1 3:36

So first let's quickly cover what the glycemic index is , or what low GI is all about . Now , the GI is a ranking system for carbohydrates based on no , we're not demonizing carbohydrates . What we're doing is we're just going to rank them so that you can still have carbohydrates , but we're just going to work around how they affect your blood sugar . Now , this runs on a scale from 0 to 100 . Now , high GI foods are quickly digested and absorbed . That causes a rapid spike in your blood sugar . Now , you know that feeling when you eat a sugary snack and boom , you've just got this amazing burst of energy . You feel fantastic . But then , soon after , you've crashed and what's the next thing ? We're searching again for the next sugar fix . Yep , that's exactly what high GI foods do to us .

Speaker 1 4:32

Now , on the other hand , low GI foods are carbohydrates that digest much more slowly and they release glucose into the bloodstream gradually , which helps you to keep your energy levels steady over time . It really makes sense , doesn't it ? And this is especially important if you're working those afternoons and night shifts . Now , let's keep in mind here that low GI are excellent foods for us to consume during the time that melatonin is elevated in our system , which is from approximately 9pm at night until approximately 6am in the morning , because when you're on shift at 2am , the last thing you want to be doing is hitting those energy dips that leave you yawning and reaching for another sugary snack . Those energy dips that leave you yawning and reaching for another sugary snack . Low GI foods can literally help to smooth out those peaks and troughs and keep you feeling more alert . Have I now got your attention ?

Speaker 1 5:36

Let's talk about the problems with high GI foods for our afternoon and night shift workers . So , as tempting as they are while you're working those Arvos and nights , think about it . Sugary snacks , those chips , chocolates , lollies damn , jenny and her cake . White bread sandwiches yeah , I know , the vending machine is so convenient , it's cheap and it gives you that quick energy hint that you are actually craving . But here's the catch High GI foods actually send your blood sugar skyrocketing , and in the middle of the night , your body just simply isn't metabolizing glucose as efficiently .

Speaker 1 6:22

So , instead of burning it off for energy , what does your body do with it ? It stores it as body fat . It's storing it as stored energy . Now , over time , this will lead to weight gain . It leads to increased fat storage , which is increased energy storage , and even more serious metabolic issues like insulin resistance , type 2 diabetes and then all kinds of cardiovascular problems . Now , the worst part of that is , after the initial spike , you crash and this leaves you feeling tired , foggy and then craving even more sugar , and this becomes a really vicious cycle . And this is why , as shift workers , we have to be extra mindful about what we're eating , and especially during the night .

Speaker 1 7:11

So what are the benefits of those low GI foods ? What's the solution ? This is the solution Low GI foods , these foods that take longer to digest and release sugar into your bloodstream ever so slowly , which will keep you in that really sweet spot of energy stability . Why is this so important for the shift worker ? Well , for one , low GI foods help to prevent those energy crashes , and that's all we want . We just want stabilized energy over the course of the afternoon or the night shift . Now you'll have steady energy throughout your shift , which is absolutely crucial when you're pulling those long hours or you're trying to stay sharp during those late night tasks . And , if you think about it , if you've put low GI foods into your system and you get caught out with overtime or you've got extra time to do in a shift or you need to focus more , that steady release of glucose into your bloodstream is going to sustain you so much better .

Speaker 1 8:15

These low GI foods also will reduce the risk of fat storage . Now , since your blood sugar levels aren't spiking , your body is more likely to use that glucose more efficiently rather than just tuck it away as body fat to use later on or not . This can make a huge difference in managing your weight , especially if you've been struggling with weight gain as a result of your shift work . Have a think about what types of foods you've actually been eating on those night shifts and see if this makes sense for you . So let's not forget about preventing the metabolic issues , particularly diabetes and cardiovascular disease , because my goal here is to make you a healthier shift worker always , and I honestly believe that in the past , research has been done with zero education , and the more we educate people around what to eat and when to eat it , then the more healthy they're actually going to be as a shift worker . So by keeping those blood sugars stable , what you're doing is reducing the strain on your body and you are then protecting your long-term health , and so we will hopefully start to eradicate some of these long-term issues and metabolic issues that shift workers are currently suffering from . Now , low GI foods can really be a game changer for us shift workers .

Speaker 1 9:48

So that's all well and good , rog , but what are the low GI foods ? I'm glad you asked let's have a look at some of the low GI foods that you can have during your afternoon or night shift . Let's have a look at some of the low GI foods that you can have during your afternoon or night shift , and I'll just write , not write . You can grab your pen and you can come back to this point and I'll tell you . It's at 10 minutes . Come back to this point and make a list like this Whole grains , oats , quinoa , brown rice .

Speaker 1 10:15

Now , these are great , slow releasing carbs that can easily be incorporated into your meals and snacks . The next thing legumes like lentils or chickpeas or black beans these are also fantastic for providing energy and also that fiber which will keep you feeling full . And non-starchy vegetables things like spinach and broccoli and kale they are packed with nutrients and will help fill you up without causing those blood sugar spikes . And , of course , nuts and seeds , like almonds and chia seeds . These are great for snacking and they're healthy . Fats and the protein will help keep you satisfied as well . And let's not forget the most important element , and that is those lean proteins Things like chicken and turkey or tofu . Pairing proteins with low GI carbs are an absolutely fantastic way to maintain stable energy throughout your shift . Now , these foods are easy to prep and easy to store and store very , very well and , most importantly , they'll help you to stay full and focused throughout your whole night .

Speaker 1 11:28

So how do we incorporate those low GI foods into our shift ? Well , this sounds great , but how do I actually do it ? Now let me give you a few tips on how to incorporate these foods into your shift work routine . When we meal prep , cook up a batch of quinoa or brown rice on your days off and portion it out into containers , put with it lean proteins and the veggies that I listed before . Now this makes grabbing a healthy meal super easy during your shifts or your nights . Make sure you pack up things like healthy snacks . Keep some almonds or a trail mix with nuts and seeds on hand for those mid-shift hunger pangs . These snacks will help you going without spiking your blood sugar . As delicious as chocolate , perhaps not , but by golly it will be so much better for you .

Speaker 1 12:20

Plan your meals ahead . You know how many nights you're doing , you know when the nights are , so try to eat well-balanced , low GI meal before your shift starts if you're one of those 12-hour shifters or before 9 pm . Have yourself lean proteins and brown rice and things that are going to fill you up and just slowly release that glucose into your bloodstream . Aim to have your last meal a couple of hours before your shift ends , around 6am . This also gives your body time to process the food rather than storing it as fat during that rest period . Now , with a bit of planning , you can literally make GI eating an absolute breeze , even on the afternoons and night shifts .

Speaker 1 13:07

Now I'm not saying you need to go all low GI all the time . Eat normally during the day and in fact , we can eat normally right up until three , four o'clock . But what I am suggesting is that you start to incorporate , slowly incorporate low GI foods into your afternoons and your night shifts and watch the difference that that makes to your energy levels , as well as to your mental focus and your hips . It will make a huge difference . So , to wrap things up here , incorporating low gi foods into your pms and night shift routine can really make a massive difference in how you feel and how your body handles the demands of shift work . So by keeping your blood sugar stable , you will avoid those energy crashes , you'll manage your weight so much more effectively and you'll protect yourself from serious health issues down the road .

Speaker 1 14:04

And to support you wait for it I've almost completed a complete low GI resource as a shift worker for you , for PM and night shifts , and this is literally a shopping list and it will tell you about absolutely everything what you can swap , what type of foods that you can have , and it's just as simple as picking off the list and going oh okay , I've done all the work for you and it'll be a free download . All you'll have to do is hit the button to download it . It's that simple and then you can go through it , have a look at the list , pick off the list the foods that you like and enjoy a stable sugar intake overnight , instead of these spikes and crashes , and that will absolutely make a difference to you . I really want you to watch out the website ahealthyshiftcom over this coming week . This has been released on the Monday , the 21st of October , and it should be out in that week . Absolutely should be out in that week . I will certainly be talking about it , but just have a look for it and then what I'll do is , once it's up , we'll go back and we'll put a link to it in the show notes for you . I'm just sorry . I just didn't get it done in time for the release of this podcast .

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Now , remember , it's all about making small and sustainable changes . You don't have to go oh , that's it , I'm going all GI , low GI straight away . Just make small changes that can improve your day-to-day energy and long-term health . So give those low GI foods a try during your next shift and let's see how they work for you . And , as always , if you need help navigating nutrition , meal prep or managing your shift work lifestyle , don't hesitate to reach out . I'm here to help you thrive and not just survive . Thanks for listening to A Healthy Shift . If you found this episode helpful , share it with your fellow shift workers and make sure you hit follow so you don't miss any future episodes . Take care and stay healthy . Thank you for listening . If you enjoyed this episode , be sure to subscribe so you get notified whenever a new episode is released . It would also be ever so helpful if you could leave a rating and review on the app you're currently listening on . If you want to know more about me or work with me , you can go to ahealthyshiftcom . I'll catch you on the next one .