Fueling Success: Eating Healthy While at Work, with Janet Lopez

Janet Lopez, an assistant professor at the University of Central Florida, discusses the importance of healthy eating for productivity and energy levels in the workplace. She emphasizes the role of balanced meals in maintaining stable energy and cognitive function. Janet shares her personal journey, highlighting the impact of her AVID teacher, Mr. Jackson, in encouraging her to apply for the Dell Scholarship. She advises on practical tips for healthy eating, such as meal prepping, mindful eating, and setting small, achievable goals. Janet also stresses the importance of consistency and setting boundaries with coworkers regarding food choices. To learn more, visit AVID.org/alumni.

Transcript

Janet Lopez 0:00 We have brain food; certain nutrition-rich foods enhance our cognitive ability to function and overall performance. So what we eat really impacts our productivity and our energy levels.

Dr. Aliber Lozano 0:14 Welcome to Avidly Adulting, the podcast where we tackle the wild ride of transitioning into your first career and all of the life lessons in between and beyond when life and career merge into adulting.

Dr. Aliber Lozano 0:32 Welcome to Avidly Adulting. I'm your host, Dr. Aliber Lozano, lead of Alumni Services here at AVID Center. In today's episode, we're diving into a topic that affects us all: eating, especially for those who just starting out in your professional careers, and all of us still in our career: healthy eating at work. Whether navigating office life, working remotely, or having a hybrid schedule, maintaining good nutrition can feel like a challenge. We'll explore practical tips for snacking smart, balancing the cost of meal prep versus eating out, and making choices that support your health and well-being. To help us explore this topic, I'm joined by Janet Lopez, an AVID alumni and Assistant Professor at the University of Central Florida in the College of Nursing. Let's begin this episode of Avidly Adulting, Fueling Success: Eating Healthy While at Work. So, Janet, just tell us a little bit about your AVID journey.

Janet Lopez 1:39 So I started in AVID in eighth grade, and I was in AVID from eighth to 12th grade. I don't think there are words to describe how grateful I am to be in AVID. I'm especially thankful to Mr. Jackson, who was my AVID teacher. He really provided me with the tools and skills I needed to be successful. Not only did he just provide those tools and skills, but he also believed in me and showed me that there was much more for me to achieve. I am very grateful to Mr. Jackson and AVID for that. I actually still contact Mr. Jackson to give him life updates.

Dr. Aliber Lozano 2:22 That's really great that you remain connected. Now I remember you telling me an AVID story about choosing your college and the opportunities you had. You wanted to share that story about applying for scholarships and the journey that you took for that.

Janet Lopez 2:38 Yes, so part of the requirement in AVID is to apply to college and scholarships. I had given up on scholarships because I kept getting denied, and it was very frustrating for me. Mr. Jackson, he was always there. As I said, he believed in me, and he saw things that I didn't know I could do and achieve.

I applied to Dell Scholar, and I didn't want to apply, but Mr. Jackson actually reached out to my parents, and together, they encouraged me to apply to AVID. I was just there's no point of applying to the scholarship. I've been denied so many times. I remember my parents are, "You're going to sit down; you're going to apply to this scholarship". Mr. Jackson, he reviewed my essays, my application, and we submitted it together, and I ended up being a semi-finalist, and then I actually got the Dell scholarship. So that really helped cover a lot of my costs at the university. I am just grateful that Mr. Jackson didn't let me give up, and he was just there to encourage me and push me to apply, even when I was already kind of giving up already, and I was done applying to scholarships.

Dr. Aliber Lozano 4:00 That grit and determination and sometimes believing in yourself is hard when you're having such a struggle, and you get so many no's. It's that way we can compare it to our healthy eating life habits, right? Sometimes we get so many no's. In other words, we fail so often that it's hard to take that step on again and retry to go back into a healthy eating habit that really becomes your fuel.

So let's get back. Let's get into your interest in health and health medicine, and talk about your role, what fuels you in your current job.

Janet Lopez 4:39 So I'm a nurse scientist, and I'm creating new knowledge and addressing health disparities and health inequities. I think the best part of my job is giving back to my community and serving the Hispanic Latino community. My goal is to bring culture-appropriate care so that people feel that they're being seen, heard, and people understand where they're coming from, and we can better address their health care needs and address these inequities that we see in our communities. I also enjoy working with students and now supporting their success, so I'm giving back, and I think that's just something beautiful that I'm able to do in my career.

Dr. Aliber Lozano 5:25 That sounds really great. Janet, we all love food, but we need to make sure that food is both fueling us and, a lot of the times, bring us joy. Why do we turn to food for joy, and in times when we are struggling?

Janet Lopez 5:40 So we often turn to food for joy when we are struggling, because we want to find that comfort when we're struggling. It's that quick, tangible source of pleasure and stress-relieving feeling that we get when we get to eat something that we enjoy. Certain foods can trigger the release of good hormones, where we feel that temporary emotional relief or boost of that stress that we're feeling.

Dr. Aliber Lozano 6:07 Got it. I can really comprehend, because when I'm really happy, we've done this as part of culture. When we celebrate, there's cake, there are all of these good, likely unhealthy things that if you don't do in moderation, are not good for you, and also in the other way around. When someone has passed, and we are mourning, we also turn to food for comfort.

So it's that right balance of, how do we use food in moderation, but also, how do we use food daily to fuel ourselves and provide the right nutrients? Because, as you well know in your study, what we eat is also not only affecting our health, but our mental health, our attitude as we go through the day. So why is healthy eating particularly important for professionals, especially in your first years of your job?

Janet Lopez 7:06 I think this is very important, because not only will it support our physical health, but, as you said, it's part of our emotional well-being, and also it helps us sharpen our focus. We build that long-term habit that can enhance our performance and well-being while we're at work. I think just building that habit will help us have success when we're moving on in our career, because it's part of our daily lives.

Dr. Aliber Lozano 7:37 And how does nutrition impact energy levels and productivity during the workday?

Janet Lopez 7:45 So nutrition significantly affects our energy levels and productivity. Balanced meals help us stabilize our blood sugars. So if we have a balanced meal, we're going to prevent energy crashes, that food coma that we get when we have a really good meal. Also, we have brain food; certain nutrition-rich foods enhance our cognitive ability to function and overall performance. So what we eat really impacts our productivity and our energy levels.

Dr. Aliber Lozano 8:21 Great brain food and productivity. What employer doesn't want someone smart in the room, and what employer doesn't want somebody who's being effective and efficient? If our food helps us do that, then that's what we want to really target.

Just off the cuff, what are some brain foods that work for most all of us, regardless of our demographic, our ethnicity, or some of our dietary specifics that we've inherited, or where we are in our condition today?

Janet Lopez 8:52 I think some healthy snacks or those brain foods include nuts, fruits, veggie sticks, whole grain crackers. Those are easy things that we can pack and take with us, and are just easy to store and just provide sustained energy throughout the day. Especially if we want to snack, it's important to have those small things that we can have and in small proportions, too.

Dr. Aliber Lozano 9:19 I like that you talk about healthy snack and nuts, because I'm taking that to when I was reading about what I can do with work. I'm in a hybrid environment, where I can get to work from home or the office, but when I was working full time in the office, I bought the giant container of unsalted mixed nuts from one of those large stores that you can buy in bulk, and by the time I know it, by the end of the day, that thing was down a quarter level. So everything has to happen in moderation. So it goes to my next question, how can someone avoid overeating or mindless snacking while at work?

Janet Lopez 9:57 I think again, proportions are very important. Staying hydrated and taking those mindful breaks away from our desks to eat. Also, mindful eating. That's something that I learned while I was in college, and that is really using our senses to eat. Actually smelling our food, tasting our food, seeing our food, and being aware of what we're eating. Then we'll realize, "Oh, I'm actually full, and I don't need to eat more". Mindful eating is something that I practice, and it has really helped and been a game changer for me.

Dr. Aliber Lozano 10:40 There are some tips of mindful eating, because mindful eating is a new term for me. You just reviewed about, make sure you're measuring your food, you're seeing your food, you're smelling your food, and taking into place what's going into those foods that become mindful eating while at work.

So I talked about earlier, even some snacks that I would bring in home, or lunch that I would pack. So what are the cost benefits of preparing meals at home compared to buying food daily? Because I'm in my first or second year or my 10th year, how does healthy eating also have a healthy budget?

Janet Lopez 11:15 Yes, so definitely, preparing meals at home is more cost effective than buying daily food. It reduces spending on takeouts, and just buying bulk purchasing bulk ingredients will reduce the cost of the meals that you're preparing. I think it's important to set a day to meal prep, or if setting a day is kind of hard for you, plan out your meals throughout your week. You could use a calendar, I think there are apps now, but I think it's important that we're being intentional with our meals throughout the week. So you will save money by just planning and preparing your meals at home.

Dr. Aliber Lozano 12:01 Yeah, and planning is hard, and meal prep is hard. I'll tell you today. Today is an office day for me, and I forgot to bring. I came in early. I forgot when I was in my car to make sure I had packed my, you'll be happy to hear this, Janet. So I was packing a little bit of oatmeal with some non-fat milk, and because I like some flavor, I put a half of a sweetener, artificial sweetener, and some cinnamon. And so I said, "Well, I'll just go and pick up something at the store," which generally for me, would have been oatmeal cookies or something similar to that.

So meal prep is hard, and I ended up going back upstairs and getting my oatmeal so that I can bring here today as a healthy snack, and making sure that I'm being fit and able to work and eat here at work. So, yeah, meal prep is hard, and what happens again when you're not preparing is challenging. As you said that it's something that we have to constantly think about, especially not only when we're on a budget, but we want to eat healthy.

Janet Lopez 13:09 Yeah, I think you mentioned the word consistent, and I think it's important to remember that sometimes we're consistent has to be perfect, but I think the word consistency is more about perseverance. Consistency is that we are on track, but sometimes we fall out of track, and that's okay. I think we're humans. We're not perfect, but the most important thing is that we will get back on track immediately. Sometimes it's intentional or unintentional that we fall off track, but we will get back on track. It's just being persistent.

Dr. Aliber Lozano 13:45 Consistent. I think that's important because, I mean, I will stop on the way to work at the store. So not only being persistent commitment, but knowing what it is, and going back to bringing food in, whether you prepare it and buy it in bulk and bring it in from your house. You know exactly what's going in, but if I stop at the store and buy a soft drink, it might be a diet soft drink and a bag of chips. Today, a small personal bag of chips is over $2. That's breaking the bank. I remember I'm showing now my age here, when there were 50 cents. It's not nutritional for me, and it's also not nutritional for my wallet.

So being consistent and, as you said, sometimes you can have a cheap meal, so sometimes I'll have that bag of chips, but not make it consistent, because we know that it's not really, with the salt and all the other ingredients in there, it's not really healthy for me, especially being a Latino and some of the things that come in with my demographics. Which leads to my next question, are there specific nutritional needs or risks to consider for young professionals from different demographics, whether they'll be cultural? Inherited? What do you think about that?

Janet Lopez 15:03 So with the Hispanic population, I also identify as Hispanic, Latina, and that's a population I work with. Diabetes and hypertension are a risk factor among this population. So I think it's important to consider our salt consumption, or how much sweets do we have? So those are things that we should consider as young, for the Hispanic, Latino young professionals. I'm sure there are different things for other populations, but for this population, diabetes and hypertension is something very common.

Dr. Aliber Lozano 15:45 I think also common, regardless of your demographic background, when we're going to college, the freshman 15. When you're also going to work, it changes your work schedule. Many people have healthy exercise habits, whether they're going to meditate for 30 minutes, or they're going to walk for 30 minutes, or they're hitting the gym and doing 30 minutes. When you go into work, your schedule is thrown off. Obesity might come into challenge, and some of the hypertension and diabetes, regardless of my background, might come into effect.

So all of these things that you're mentioning is being mindful again, and making sure that you're having those smart foods, and eating vegetables and bringing in prep meals that you know what's going in. However, we live under stressful situation. How does stress or demanding work schedule influence eating habits, and what are some ways to stay healthy in those situations?

Janet Lopez 16:48 I think stress and demanding schedules can lead to poor eating habits, like skipping a meal or indulging in junk food. I've been there. But, again, I think that realizing that, going back, "Oh, I fell off track, I can get back on track". But again, meal prepping, healthy snacks, mindful eating, can help maintain a balance during a busy time. Also, taking time out of your busy schedule to eat. Sometimes we eat in front of our desk, but just make that time to step away from our desk to eat, because that will refresh our mind and be present while we're eating. That's either with sharing a meal with someone or just eating outside. That's something that I do. I like to go outside and eat and just get some fresh air and then go back into my office. Or if I work from home, too, I try to go outside and come back in, but taking those breaks.

Dr. Aliber Lozano 17:53 Got it. Because combining a state change, moving from one location where you are, from your office and outside, and even combining, having a collegial conversation with someone is also healthy in addition to what you're eating. So now you're combining strategies in what can lead to having healthy eating habits while at work, and even while at home. If you're in your office at home, then move to a different space, or perhaps go outside in your patio or your yard.

And this is another question that you have. You have healthy boundaries for yourself, right? Leave your workspace to eat, even if it is for those five minutes or 20 minutes or 30 minutes, talk to someone while you eat. But how can someone set boundaries with coworkers when it comes to food, especially when we have to decline donuts or having additional unhealthy snacks in meetings?

Janet Lopez 18:52 I think it's important to know that no is you can still be kind when you say no to someone. If you decline someone a donut, say, "No, thank you," not this moment. Setting those boundaries can be hard for people, but we have to learn how to say no. Because we can be kind. Sometimes we're "Oh, they might think that they might feel a certain way if I say no". But I think many times our coworkers understand, and we can politely decline a snack or offer to bring healthier alternatives for a meeting.

I think sometimes it's important to communicate and plan with your coworkers about healthy eating habits. I know I just started at the University of Central Florida, so I'm fairly new here, but I know during our department meetings, wellness and health comes up, and that's a moment that we can people are allowed to express something that they want to bring to the department or improve upon. Those are moments that we can talk about healthy eating or talk about the alternatives. I think most of the people are very supportive, and they're willing to listen.

Dr. Aliber Lozano 20:14 I mean, when we were working at our offices full time as a manager in the organization, sometimes I would bring a treat to the staff and bring a box or two of donuts. Saying no and having willpower for the individual is a start. But also, when someone came to me and said, "We appreciate everything you're doing. And of course, it's your choice. But will you choose next time to bring some apples or some tangerines?". Until someone spoke out, I didn't do that. And then so the next time, I would bring one box of donuts. And then the weekend that I had gone to that store that I buy in bulk, I was able to buy some apples or some tangerines that gave people a healthy alternative to eat. And would either treat themselves to a sweet or, because there is a cheat day, if you will, or they could balance their choices with healthy eating or the donut.

So I agree with you. It's having to say no and having some willpower, or bringing in some healthy eating yourself or asking that person or your organization is a good start. If you had to recommend one simple change for healthier eating at work, what would that be?

Janet Lopez 21:33 I would say planning is very important, but also setting small goals. I think that's very important. Small changes, start incorporating vegetables or cooking a meal once per week. Gradual adjustments can make things a more sustainable habit. I don't know if you've heard of SMART goals, but we use those a lot in nursing, and I'm sure I've also learned it in AVID about SMART goals. So being using SMART goals and just work towards that. And then planning and using your proportions and being mindful of what you're eating and while you're eating and be kind. I think it's good to have a good relationship with your food.

Dr. Aliber Lozano 22:32 So nice. And having a good relationship with yourself. Healthy eating begins with health, self-respect. That's a quote I'm paraphrasing from an unknown author.

But even having those healthy choices. I remember in transitioning from working, from home, mainly, I would leave in the morning to take a walk so that I would have a state change and come back to the office, my home, and I started to pick up a habit of picking up coffee. And I'm not a large coffee drinker. And so the introduction to that was a latte. And then what I realized not only the cost of a latte per day, but the calories in the latte that were in there. And the choice, as I had to make was, then, do I have a diet soft drink if I'm going to have caffeine now, or do I just drink regular coffee with some sweetener and low-fat milk and make those type of choices as we continue to make those choices at work, whether you're working from home, whether you're working in office, in a hybrid situation, and especially as you're getting this new routine as a first or second year professional?

You gave us some tips about writing SMART goals. Are there any apps or resources or tools that can help young professionals or anyone who's looking to start on a healthier approach to eating while at work or just in general?

Janet Lopez 23:57 I don't use any apps. But I did look one up. It's MyFitnessPal. At work, where I work, there are a lot of resources. We have an online website where we can all go and, if we're looking for nutritional information or mental well-being. So there are resources. Most jobs have resources where you can go and seek help. There are also books, but and there's also new technology, like Whoop, Apple. You can track stuff on your health. But I think using these apps or technology that helps you track helps you stay motivated and track your nutrition. But I personally don't use that. I am more about writing down my goals, or I journal, and I think that helps me, but every person is different, and I think I prefer the journaling and writing things down.

Dr. Aliber Lozano 25:12 I appreciate just writing things because, as I said earlier, and one of the things that our founder said, I'm paraphrasing her, Mary Catherine Swanson, when I have a vision, when I'm thinking about a goal, how do I know what I think until I see what I write? So writing down your plans, in this case, being nutrition and your diet, so that you can be rightly fueled for work is a good step.

And yeah, I too use. The challenge has always been using your device, whatever brand you have, usually has a tracking measure. I'm always trying to see through that icon, and if I've reached the 10,000 steps, in addition to the other ways that I add exercise and health and fitness into my life. But those are some good advice, tips that we have there.

I'm going to add this because a lot of people, or some people, also travel for work. What are some tips? I know Janet, that you have for those of us that are traveling, or those people that are traveling for work, and it's limited. What should we do to make sure that we are making a conscious choice to continue our healthy eating habits, or that might be a choice where we decide to give ourselves a break, but what are some tips that we want to continue those healthy eating habits?

Janet Lopez 26:37 I think if we do, we're not going to have an opportunity to cook unless we do have a stove or somewhere to cook. But if you do go out to eat, I think it's important to look at the menu, select things that have more vegetables, or read the nutrition labels, because nowadays, you can see how many things, how much calories most restaurants or places provide the nutrition of the meals that they're providing. So I think looking at that would be something that could help. Also, if you're going to buy snacks, because sometimes we do get snacks, go for the healthier options. Or if we're not able to have a healthier meal, I think just having a smaller proportion of what we would have of that meal that might not be so healthy.

Dr. Aliber Lozano 27:27 Thank you for that advice. I'll tell you a little secret here. It's always a work in progress, and that's what you've also mentioned for us. It's start with the goal. Make sure they're attainable.

I will say, when I'm at an airport, and I don't travel as often anymore. That's when I actually go through the fast-food option, because I don't get it out every day and very often. Yet I know the amount of calories and, of course, the amount of salt that is in that stuff that makes it so good. But that's some things that I do. But when I travel, I use your advice. I will either bring again now I get to put in a zip lock just some nuts. It's not only a healthier option, but if you try to buy nuts, either at a hotel or at the airport, or you have to go somewhere to pick up some of this food, if you're trying to be healthy while traveling, it becomes more expensive. So meal prepping and planning ahead when you're also traveling for those opportunities where you can is also really important.

Janet, I really want to thank you for your advice and helping us explore healthy eating habits while at work. Some of us are working from home, some of us are working in an office, and some of us are doing a hybrid. But what does it mean? And I like your takeaways here. These tools will help inform us make choices to improve our mental and physical health, and not to mention our wallets that we've been talking about.

I want to thank our subscribers for tuning to Avidly Adulting. And remember, as Janet has let us know, healthy eating doesn't have to be complicated or expensive. It's about making small, intentional choices that fit your lifestyle and support your well-being.

Since we're talking to Janet, I wanted to end with this quote from Hippocrates, and most of you will be familiar, because most health professionals have to take a Hippocratic oath. The quote is, "Let food be thy medicine, and medicine be thy food". Taking that away is what we put into our bodies is going to reflect in our daily lives. It'll really reflect on our attitudes. You've heard when you haven't eaten or skipped a meal, as Janet said, you're hungry, and people don't want to be around you, and especially in the professional setting, we need to watch our professional behaviors. If you go into a food coma, then it might affect your attention span.

So food is medicine, and let that medicine be thy food when you're making these healthy choices and healthy eating while at work. If you found today's episode helpful, share it with a coworker and a friend, and don't forget to subscribe for more tips to thrive in your first or second year of your career. Until next time, be good today. That's enough, and together, let's strive to be great tomorrow.

Avidly Adulting is powered by our AVID alumni and is brought to you by AVID. To learn more about AVID, visit our website at avid.org. If you are an AVID alumni, join our network at avid.org/alumni. Thanks for listening to Avidly Adulting. Join us the first and third Mondays of every month as we feature guests and topics to help you navigate your first career with laughter, insights, and life lessons, because adulting isn't just a job, it's an adventure. [Music]