Fit for Work

Helping Teams Thrive

By Sean Willers
Personal trainer, health coach and founder of Willers Fitness

Picture this: You’ve got a critical presentation in an hour, but your brain feels like it’s swimming through molasses. Sound familiar? That afternoon brain fog isn’t a personal failing; it’s likely that your lunch is making its presence known.

As HR professionals and workplace leaders, you might obsess over creating environments that maximise productivity, use ergonomic furniture, the best software for workflow, amazing work retreats and so on. But there’s something super-simple that has a profound impact on our brain’s function: our food. 

The hidden productivity killer in your workplace

When Brigham Young University researchers studied workplace productivity, they discovered something shocking: employees with poor dietary habits were 66% more likely to experience significant productivity loss compared to their healthier colleagues. Think about that: a two-thirds drop in productivity that has nothing to do with skills, motivation or engagement. 

Workplaces that prioritise healthier food and drink options create an environment where sustained energy and mental clarity become the norm. By investing in employee wellbeing through smarter dietary choices, businesses can unlock higher productivity, better morale and a more vibrant and focused team. 

Keeping your brain function in gear

The dreaded post-lunch crash can easily turn afternoon meetings into exercises in staying awake, but we should not have to navigate an energy rollercoaster because of what we ate for lunch. 

High sugar snacks, so often found in the tearoom at work, are only going to spike your energy levels for about 30 minutes. Then comes the crash — bringing irritability, brain fog and plummeting productivity along with it. 

What works instead? Encourage balanced meals combining protein, healthy fats and complex carbs. This winning combination delivers sustained energy without the crash.

A wholegrain sandwich with avocado will fuel productive work for hours, while that chocolate croissant — while tempting — is a recipe for mid-afternoon zombie mode. 

Feeding the Brain for Peak Performance

Your brain is metabolically expensive — despite making up just 2% of your body weight, it consumes 20% of your energy. Skimping on brain fuel is like putting low-grade petrol in a high-performance engine. 

Foods rich in omega-3 fatty acids (salmon, walnuts, flaxseeds) literally build better brain cells. Antioxidant-rich berries protect neural connections from oxidative stress. B vitamins found in wholegrains support the neural circuits that power decision-making. 

The gut-brain connection and mood regulation

The science is clear: your gut is essentially a second brain, producing over 90% of your serotonin (the happiness hormone) and communicating constantly with your actual brain. A troubled gut means a troubled mind. 

Processed foods, artificial sweeteners and excessive caffeine create gut inflammation that manifests as anxiety, reduced concentration and even depression. 

Action step: Many workplaces have started providing free kombucha at work alongside their coffee station. It’s a simple change that employees credit with improving both their digestion and their ability to focus.

Leading by example is also a really good way to normalise behaviours; You’re the boss? Bring in a batch of homemade flapjacks or fresh fruit smoothies for the team to share. It will still feel indulgent, minus the sugar crash. 

Hydration: The simplest performance hack

Research shows cognitive performance drops measurably with even mild dehydration, before you even feel thirsty. Even mild dehydration — as little as 2% fluid loss — can affect memory, mood, concentration and reaction time.  

Action step: Make hydration easy. People in your team can easily forget to stay hydrated if they’re locked into a report, or have back-to-back meetings.  

You need to provide quality water stations throughout your workspace (you could also consider branded water bottles as onboarding gifts).

Offer water breaks, like you would tea or coffee, to normalise staying hydrated through the day. There are apps to gamify this that you could share in your team so they have reminders during the day.

Think about when you’re eating, for maximum productivity

When we eat matters almost as much as what we eat. The body’s natural rhythms affect how we process nutrients and convert them to energy. 

Skipping breakfast might seem like a time-saver, but it essentially forces your brain to run on fumes during peak morning productivity hours. Similarly, heavy lunches divert blood flow to digestion, exactly when you need that blood feeding your brain. 

Instead, encourage eating patterns that support natural energy cycles. Morning protein helps with focus. Lighter lunches prevent afternoon crashes. Regular, small meals maintain stable blood sugar better than three large ones.  

Putting nutrition at the centre of your wellness strategy

As workplace leaders looking after teams and their wellbeing, you can’t dictate what employees eat (nor should you) but you can create environments that make healthier choices easier, such as: 

1. Rethink workplace food options: If your vending machines and cafeterias offer primarily processed, high-sugar options, you’re setting employees up for failure. 

1. Make it social: Nutrition challenges, cooking demonstrations and team lunches centered around healthy eating create community while improving health. 

1. Model good habits: Leaders who prioritise their own nutrition send powerful signals about what the organisation values. 

1. Structure work to support eating well: Back-to-back meetings with no breaks virtually guarantee unhealthy eating habits. 

Nutrition isn’t just about physical health but is also a core component of cognitive performance, emotional regulation and creative thinking. When we fuel our bodies properly, we show up as our best selves at work.