Create opportunities for healthy choices with an office fruit delivery from Eatfruit
Workplace Wellness
Create opportunities for healthy choices with an office fruit delivery from Eatfruit…
By Food Scientist and Nutritional Therapist Susie Debice BSc Hons, Dip ION
When it comes to supporting the health and wellness of your employees it’s worth considering a well-rounded wellbeing programme that embraces all aspects of physical, mental and emotional health. Diet and nutrition help provide the foundations for many aspects of wellbeing, so a regular fruit box delivery is a convenient way to help step up your office nutrition.
A well-balanced diet
A wholesome well-balanced diet provides a good range of nutrients to support the optimal functioning of many body systems – endocrine, skin, immune, respiratory, cardiovascular, digestive, cognitive and the nervous system. The nutrients gained from the food we eat have a role to play in metabolism, energy, performance and concentration.
Why should fruit be part of your employee wellbeing programme?
Fruits and vegetables contribute to a healthy diet. They help provide a good source and wide range of phytonutrients, vitamins and minerals including magnesium, potassium, folic acid, vitamins C and E, carotenoids. These nutrients are essential for our general health and wellbeing. Vitamin C contributes to the normal functioning of the immune system. Folic acid and vitamins C and E have a role to play in cardiovascular and skin health. Magnesium helps regulate the nervous system and helps support the body during times of stress. Many of the phytonutrients found in colourful fruits and vegetables possess antioxidant properties which may help neutralise the harmful effects of free radicals generated by oxidative stress and inflammation (1-3) .
“The Wellness Exchange brings workplace yoga & mindfulness sessions to companies & charities in London. Every time a company books a block of yoga, they get to donate a free session to a charity of their choice through them. They offer an end-to-end service and go to your workplace at a time that suits you, tailor your sessions to be fully inclusive & provide free equipment.
What about health and longevity?
Fruits and vegetables also provide an excellent source of dietary insoluble (cellulose) and soluble fibre (pectin, FOS) which help contribute to normal cholesterol balance, support blood sugar balance, a healthy gut and bowel regularity, help support a ‘friendly’ gut microbiome and contribute to that all important ‘full’ feeling (4-9) Scientific studies continue to reveal that including fruits and vegetables in your diet may also contribute to long term health and longevity.
The NHS suggests that eating a diet rich in fruits and vegetables may help to reduce the risk of cardiovascular disease, diabetes, stroke some types of cancer, such as bowel cancer, and help with weight management (10-18) . But how much fruit should we be eating?
Fibre – the big high five
The World Health Organisation (WHO) recommends that individuals should eat a minimum of 400g of fibre daily and according to EatWell UK, fruits and vegetables should make up 40% of a healthy daily diet (19,20) . But how does this translate into practical advice that your workforce can grasp? Well, converting this information into pieces or portions of fruits and vegetables a day is something that everyone can get their teeth into. The 5-a-day campaign was generated from the 1990 WHO healthy eating guidelines to help people understand how to achieve eating five (80g) portions of fibre a day.
When it comes to a quick visual guide for portion sizes, one medium size apple, pear or banana all equate to a single portion size. Two plums, two tangerines, two kiwi fruit, a 2-inch slice of melon or 12 chunks of pineapple also all represent a single portion. However, the 2017 Health Survey for England reported that fewer than one in three UK adults are thought to eat 5-a-day which may indicate that a fruit basket delivery could be a healthy office addition for your employees.
What the scientists say…
A 2014 study by University College London examined the eating habits of 65,000 people in England across 12 years and uncovered possible further health benefits for 7-a-day (21) . Another study in 2017 by scientists from Imperial College London analysed 95 worldwide studies on fruit and vegetable intakes and found that the greatest benefit may come from eating 800g a day, that’s 10-a-day (22) .
In fact, there are several countries that recommend more than 5-a-day such as Canada, Denmark, Australia and Greece. But it’s not just the number of portion sizes a day that’s important. According to researchers your daily target should consist of a balance and variety of fruits and vegetables to help support the intake of a range of different vitamins and minerals. So, make sure your office manager chooses Eatfruit, a fruit box delivery scheme that offers a variety of fruits and flavours.
Workplace wellness
Work-related stress, depression and anxiety continue to be significant health conditions in the workforce of Great Britain. National Statistics collated from the Labour Force Survey reported the total cases of work-related stress, depression or anxiety in 2017/18 was 595,000 and the total number of working days lost due to this condition was 15.4 million days. That’s an average of 25 days lost per case and 44% of all work-related ill health cases and 57% of all working days lost due to ill health (23) .
Some of the commonly reported workplace stressors include workload pressures, tight deadlines, too much responsibility and lack of managerial support. Establishing an employee wellness programme which offers advice on stress management, mindfulness techniques, communication skills and healthy diet and lifestyle tips could be a step in the right direction for helping diffuse escalating office tensions and bringing the wellbeing of your workforce into consideration.
