Speaker 1: 1:12

We've all been there. We're cruising around in the middle of the night or you're walking past the nurse's station and there they are the lollies, the chips, the chocolates and damn Jenny's cake and you just can't resist your body's telling you I'm hungry, I need something to eat. So in today's episode, let's talk about the midnight munchies and how we can avoid those dreaded junk foods on night. Shift Shift work can be brutal, but it doesn't have to be. Welcome to a healthy shift. My name is Roger Sutherland, certified Nutritionist, veteran Law En 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 rigors 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. Health and well-being, so they have more energy to do the things they love. Enjoy today's show and welcome to a Healthy Shift Podcast. I am your host, roger Sutherland, and if you are a shift worker that is struggling with fatigue, poor eating habits and a really bad work-life balance, boy, are you in the right place, because I've been where you are, I have lived experience and my mission is to help you to not only just survive, but I want you to absolutely thrive in your shift working life.

Speaker 1: 2:46

Today I'm going to tackle the big one and I mean it is the big one and that is the midnight munchies. Now you know exactly what I mean. It's the middle of the night, you're absolutely exhausted, and those vending machines they're bright, they're colorful, or that greasy fast food outlet just is screaming come at me, come at me, get in me. But giving into these cravings can actually leave you feeling sluggish. It will definitely disrupt your sleep and I can categorically tell you that it will lead to unwanted weight gain. It's a fact because of what you're eating and when you're actually eating it. So how do we combat the midnight munchies and make better food choices? All right, you asked for it, let's get into it.

Speaker 1: 3:34

First of all, we need to understand those cravings. So let's talk about why these cravings happen in the first place. Well, night shift disrupts your circadian rhythm. You're awake when you should be asleep and you're asleep when you should be awake, and this is this body's natural body clock. When you're awake at night, your body is producing more ghrelin, which is our hunger hormone, and less leptin, which is the hormone that is our body's lifesaver, that tells us that we're full.

Speaker 1: 4:05

When you add fatigue into the mix, your brain starts craving quick energy. It's looking for quick energy because you are tired. What is it looking for? It's certainly not looking for a bowl of porridge. What it's looking for is it's looking for highly palatable carbohydrates and fats. So cue the sugar and highly processed foods. Now. Your body isn't actually hungry for junk food. Keep that in mind. It's simply looking for fast fuel.

Speaker 1: 4:35

But the good news is we can hack this process and we can set ourselves up for success. So what strategies can we employ to beat the midnight munchies? So sit down, listen up and let's cover this once and for all. So what can you do? First of all, plan your meals and snacks ahead. Failure to plan, planning to fail. It's that simple Bring your own food.

Speaker 1: 5:03

When you plan ahead, you actually remove the temptation to grab whatever's convenient. If you were to pack nutrient-dense meals that keep you satisfied and energized, thinking lean protein, healthy fats and fiber-rich carbs or whole grains. Some great options around this is Greek yogurt with berries and nuts, you can slam down a few boiled eggs with some whole grain crackers, or you can even just have a protein smoothie. This is simple, really, really simple. Not hard to keep, not hard to have, not hard to prepare. Really simple things that you can have. That will keep you away from that goddamn vending machine or when anyone says, hey, we're getting Uber who wants?

Speaker 1: 5:52

The other thing you've got to do is to stay hydrated, and I say stay hydrated because dehydration actually comes from the same place in the brain than hunger does. So you might be thinking that you're hungry, but if you are just sipping on water, this can make you reach for snacks when all you needed was water. And keep a water bottle with you at all times and keep sipping it, not chugging. Keep sipping it throughout your shift. And if plain water bores you, whoop-dee-doo, put someugging. Keep sipping it throughout your shift. And if plain water bores you, whoop-dee-doo, put some sugar-free cordial in it, or add a slice of lemon lime, or even just drink coconut water. Or put a splash of coconut water in it, do something, fizz it, do something, but stick to the water, not caffeine water, because keep this in mind is it dehydration or is it hunger? It's coming from the same part of the brain and the brain is getting confused. Maybe it's dehydration, so drink up.

Speaker 1: 6:51

The next thing that we need to do is we need to make sure that we are balancing and stabilizing our blood sugar. By eating balanced meals before and also during your shift can prevent those sugar crashes that lead to those cravings. So make sure that each meal includes protein, fiber, healthy fats. Now, a good example of this that you could have is a chicken and avocado wrap with a handful of nuts on the side. There you are there's chicken fats, nuts delicious. This will keep your blood sugar steady and it will prevent those 2am junk food cravings. Come on, how hard is it to put a chicken and avocado wrapped together with a handful of nuts? Come on, it's not that hard and this will help you. It'll make a big difference. What we need to do is we need to be mindful. Stop and avoid that mindless snacking.

Speaker 1: 7:48

Eating out of boredom is a massive issue on night shift. Before reaching for a snack, ask yourself, ask yourself, stop and ask yourself this question Am I actually hungry or am I just tired and bored? Because everything that you put in your mouth, that is excess energy, is going to either cause you digestive issues or you're going to gain weight One way or another. That's where it's going. If it's boredom, find a distraction, go for a quick walk, a stretch chat with a co-worker or just focus on some deep breathing exercises by counting. Box breathing can be a great craving crusher. Just box breathing Four seconds in, hold for four seconds, four seconds out, hold for four seconds, four seconds in Because you're focusing on the counting. You're actually going to take your mind off it. Plus, it's going to put you into a nice parasympathetic state, which will be really good as well.

Speaker 1: 8:47

Now the other thing that we need is to have some healthy emergency snacks on hand. We need to keep these in our locker. Now I actually have a book that is free and it's free for you to download that you can actually get, which has got non-perishable locker and kit bag snacks in it. And if you are an Instagram user, if you go to my Instagram and you actually type the word locker in any post at all, you will be sent the link to actually download this free book, which will help you. So sometimes you just need something. So keep non-perishable healthy options in your locker or your kit bag, and some great choices here are protein bars, but keep an eye on make sure that they've got high protein, and when I say high 20 grams or more of protein, and that they've got low sugar.

Speaker 1: 9:45

And also be very cautious of those artificial sweeteners on night shift, when your gut is highly sensitive. What about a handful of mixed nuts? You can have some tuna pouches. You can get some rice cakes. Put some nut butter with it. Or, if you feel like a little bit of a treat, have yourself four or five squares of dark chocolate Ideal, all right. No, not the dairy milk, it's got to be dark chocolate, all right. And something that's higher than 75%, please, okay.

Speaker 1: 10:15

Remember that Creating a routine around your meals and snacks can actually help to train your body to expect food at those certain times, which will reduce those random cravings. And if you aim to eat at set times during your shift, just like you would during the day you are setting yourself up to survive Thrive, not just survive, you will go really really well. All right, look, I get it. Night shift eating is really really tough, but with a little planning and some awareness and scheduling it in, you can actually beat these midnight munchies and fuel your body in a way that keeps your body energized and fuel your body in a way that keeps your body energized. A lot of the reasons why we actually succumb to these cravings is because we're spiking and crashing it, and that's the problem is. We then tend to overeat these highly palatable carbohydrates and fats. When we can keep ourselves energized, focused, we're feeling great. And it's not about being perfect, please. It's just about making better choices, one shift at a time. Okay, that's it. That's wrapped up.

Speaker 1: 11:27

So if you found this episode helpful, can you do me a favor? Can you share it with your fellow shift workers? Share it onto your stories and tag me in it. Let me know what you thought about it. Share it onto your stories and tag me in it. Let me know what you thought about it. And don't forget, hit, follow, turn on the notifications to a Healthy Shift podcast so you never miss an episode. And until next time, take care of yourself and make your shift a more healthy one, armed with those strategies. I'll catch you on the next one. 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.