Healthy Eat

The value of healthy eating Healthy employees are an asset. And one of the keys  to having healthy employees is that they eat right. How so? There is compelling evidence to suggest that a healthy and balanced diet reduces  the risk of : Coronary heart disease Type 2 diabetes Hypertension (High blood pressure) Hyperlipidemia (High blood lipid levels) Obesity Eating right, matters.
As an employer You are in an excellent position to positively influence the eating habits of your employees. Simple steps you take to promote healthy eating can make a big difference in helping them adopt healthy eating practices. You can begin by having a workplace nutrition program.
Objectives of a comprehensive Workplace Nutrition Program A comprehensive Workplace Nutrition Program should aim to promote and sustain healthy dietary practices among employees, thereby reducing the risk of diet-related illnesses by: Having organisational polices to encourage healthy eating Creating a supportive workplace environment to make it easy to practice healthy eating Creating opportunities to acquire right skills in making healthier food choices It is a programme that your company can provide continually to improve and maintain the health of your employees, and ultimately, their productivity. Like the fable, keep your golden goose healthy. Feed them right. Your workplace has everything to gain from having an on-site nutrition programme.
How can help you kick start a Workplace Nutrition Program Starting a workplace nutrition program is simple and inexpensive. You can begin small and gradually build on it. For workplaces that have initiatives to promote healthy eating, enhancing and sustaining it is vital. A comprehensive workplace nutrition program addresses three key components that influence employees’ adoption of healthy eating habits. When designing a program, consider employing a combination of the following three health promotion components. These components represent a group of activities that are closely related. Some specific activity examples are listed for each component. The diagram below shows how they integrate to form a comprehensive program.
1. Organisational PoliciesA policy is a course of action that has been intentionally chosen which guides and influences decisions in an organisation. In the case of health promotion, it shows a commitment to build a culture that supports health. Likewise, in a workplace nutrition programme, it has policies to enhance health by encouraging healthier eating habits. Good policies are foundations of a successful programme. Your company can adopt policies to encourage healthy eating. Click on each for a sample template.
a.	Workplace Nutrition Policy - Your organisation’s commitment to promote health through healthy eating initiatives.
b.	Healthier Canteen Policy (for workplaces with onsite canteens) – Your organisation’s commitment to avail healthier food at canteens to encourage the adoption of healthy eating habits.
c.	Healthier Catering Policy – Your organisation’s commitment to provide healthier food at all meetings, corporate functions and receptions held in or outside the company.
2. Creating Supportive Environments Surroundings and conditions that foster and support healthy eating are important in encouraging employees to adopt healthy eating habits. Each workplace is unique. Understanding your organisation’s needs and business processes will help you better design customized programs. Below are some initiatives.
a.	Healthier Canteen Programme (For workplaces with onsite canteens)  An excellent place to begin is at your canteens. The healthier canteen program aims to make available healthier food options at workplace canteens. This way, employees are able to choose and have access to healthier meals. It involves ensuring that food served at the canteens meets these Healthier Canteen Guidelines. These guidelines are simple steps and modifications that can be made to promote healthy eating. If you need more help, there are also experienced workplace canteen operators who can help you offer healthier food according to the guidelines and workplace health consultants would be able to help you make these healthier modifications  Building awareness and personal skills The proverbial “… teach a man to fish and you feed him for a lifetime” is exactly why equipping employees with skills and knowledge to take charge of their health is crucial. Giving employees the information they need to make healthy food choices and equipping them withskills to get actively involved in changing their eating behaviours goes a long way in helping them adopt a lifestyle of eating healthily. Learning occurs in various forms. Below are some support services which you may consider.   a. Culinary classes and cooking demonstrations Food is a big attraction. Culinary classes and cooking demonstrations are an awesome way to get your employees excited. They can learn techniques on how to cook healthily and choose healthier ingredients wisely. It benefits both themselves and their families. Wellness Cooking Classes Want to cook like the experts, yet making it suitable for everyone, including family members with a chronic condition? Come join the Wellness culinary classes! It is a series of sessions where participants will try recipes developed by famous chefs that are suitable for people with chronic conditions like diabetes, hypertension etc. Even if you don’t have these conditions, these dishes are guaranteed to tempt the taste buds of anyone who tries them. Classes are held once a month at selected community centers. For more information, visit www.one.pa.gov.sg Healthy cooking demonstrations Cooking demonstrations are a hot favorite among-st employees. Learning about healthy cooking techniques and choosing healthier ingredients are some of them. You may engage experienced chefs and trainers to conduct these Healthier cooking demonstrations at your workplace or pick from our list of service providers who offer these as well. Fees apply. b. Talks, workshops and exhibitions on Nutrition  There are a number of qualified service providers in the market that offers talks and workshops on a variety of topics on nutrition and healthy eating. Click here for the full listing. For additional resources, the one-stop Health Information Centre has a collection of books, journals, pamphlets, posters and exhibits. Alternatively, HPB-Online “Education Materials” offers various resources on a variety of topics.   c. ‘Weigh to go’ – A workplace Weight Management ProgramHas your health screening revealed that your employees are tipping their scales a little too much? It takes more than just ‘slimming treatments’ or fad diets to successfully and safely lose weight and maintain it. Weigh to go, is a workplace weight management program that uses behavioral change techniques and building personal health skills to help employees achieve and maintain a healthy weight. It is a series of (a) 3 engaging and fun workshop sessions on healthy eating (b) 3 exercise-cum-workshop session on physical activity (c) 2 post workshop follow up phone calls Each workshop is 2 hours long, held weekly at your workplace. It aims to intensively engage, motivate overweight / obese employees to learn skills and make lifestyle modifications on healthy eating and getting active – two keys components in managing weight. Workplaces are strongly encourage to complement the program with some initiatives mentioned above like the (a) Healthier canteen program (if the work site has a canteen) (b) Healthier meetings and functions guidelines Breastfeeding-Friendly WorkplaceTo promote continued breastfeeding for working mums, the Association for Breastfeeding Advocacy is available to conduct lunchtime talks for staff at workplaces to help them understand and manage breastfeeding better after returning to work. The talks are conducted by ABA volunteers who are trained healthcare professionals or experienced mothers from the support groups. The two topics offered are: • Working and Breastfeeding – This talk covers the practical aspects of how mothers can continue feeding infants breast milk even after they have returned to full-time work. • Feeding Baby Right in the First Year - This topic guides parents on the best nutrition for infants in the first year of life. I Hope This artikel can help u all