Many studies indicate that healthy snacks increase worker productivity along with other benefits. It’s not just a subjective opinion, there is actual science to back it up. Food is converted into glucose which is what our brain uses for energy. When our brain doesn’t have enough glucose we have a tough time staying alert and focused. This is why it’s so difficult to stay productive at work when you have an empty stomach.

You are probably saying to yourself “OK, if I simply eat more food I will stay more productive, right?” Not so fast. Some foods are better at creating usable glucose than others. Certain foods, like those high in carbohydrates or sugar, produce a burst of glucose which is inevitably followed by a crash of low energy.

Another important brain chemical that impacts productivity is dopamine. Dopamine is linked to brain activity that helps with alertness, creativity, learning, and concentration. High-sugar snacks like soda, artificial sweeteners, and processed carbohydrates all reduce dopamine.

Additionally, fruit is loaded with antioxidants which help strengthen your immune system. A worker with a stronger immune system obviously gets sick less which means they are absent from work less, and cost less to insure.

In fact, the Harvard Business Review wrote about a study in 2014 that supported the claim that eating fruit and vegetables during the day makes people more happy, creative, and productive.

It’s worth noting that it’s not just brain chemicals at work when a company provides healthy snack options. It demonstrates to employees that the management cares about their workplace satisfaction, which in turn improves their mood and productivity.

Bottom line: you are what you eat. Staying productive at work is best served by running on clean fuel. Fruit is a perfect example of good, high-energy office snack alternative to the typical choices of chips and candy. Check out our delivery plans to learn more!

Eating fruit during the work day is definitely a good way to increase productivity, so how does a company make sure their employees are eating healthy snacks?

That’s easy: sign up for a fruit delivery plan from America’s Breakroom. America’s Breakroom will make sure we hand-pick the freshest fruit, arrange it in an attractive display, and deliver that display to your office every week, every two weeks, or monthly.

If you don’t use a fruit deliver service, a 39 cent banana could end up costing the company over $10. Here is how…

Knowing the connection between fruit and productivity, it might be tempting to run out and buy fruit yourself instead of signing up for a delivery service. However, one must calculate the true cost of doing that versus paying a service like America’s Breakroom to handle the fruit for your office. If you don’t use a fruit delivery service, you are paying someone at your office, typically the office manager, to leave the office to pick up fruit on a regular basis. So you’re losing your office manager and another employee (covering the front desk) for that time, plus the time it takes them to set up the fruit. Additionally, if the fruit is located at a central location, like the first floor of a large building, you are paying for your employees to take the time out of their day to take the elevator down the first floor and hang out for a few minutes, a few times per day. If America’s Breakroom had set up fruit displays on each floor of the building, the productivity loss would be minimized, and it would save the office manager time in stocking multiple fruit displays.

In summary, a fruit delivery plan from a service like America’s Breakroom ensures that your employees are happy, healthy, and productive — which more than pays off in the long run.

Interested In Out Fruit Delivery Service?

Healthier, happier employees are more productive. Let’s make this year a healthy one for you and your fellow employees! Call us today at (844) 378-4866 or fill out our contact form.

Most people know antioxidants are good for you, but few can explain why they’re important, how they work, and which foods are loaded with them.

What Are Antioxidants and How Do They Work?
First, let’s go back to school. All matter in the universe is made up of atoms. Atoms are made of protons and neutrons at their core, with electrons revolving around the core. When 2+ atoms are linked they are known as molecules. Humans are made up of proteins, fats, and DNA which are large molecules with hundreds if not thousands of atoms linked together.

In order for molecules to remain stable, it must contain a certain number of electrons. If a molecule loses an electron it can turn into a free radical which are unstable, electrically charged molecules that can damage other cells. In fact, they can even damage other molecules to the point where they also lose electrons that become free radicals.

Antioxidants take damaging free radicals and give them one electron which neutralizes them as a threat.

This process is important because free radicals can cause cell damage if left unchecked. Cell damage can be a contributing factor towards causing cancer, heart disease, eye problems, memory problems, mood disorders, immune system problems, and other diseases.

Which Foods Have Antioxidants?
Most foods have antioxidants like flavonoids, tannins, phenols lignans, carotenoids, vitamin C, and vitamin E — but some foods have more than others.

Fruit like blueberries, apples, bananas, and grapes are loaded with antioxidants. Certain fruit have different antioxidants so it’s best to eat a variety of fruit.

More Antioxidants the Better, Right?
This is a classic example of “too much of a good thing.” Like with most things, antioxidants vs free radicals are all about balance. Free radicals have a positive role to play in the body as our immune system uses free radicals to kill harmful bacteria. Therefore, it is not recommended to take pill supplements that are artificially stuffed with antioxidants. Instead, it is best to get a more moderate dose of antioxidants from food such as fruit.

What Causes Free Radicals?
Living your healthiest life is not just about eating enough foods with antioxidants. It’s important to reduce the factors that cause antioxidants.

– Air pollution
– Cigarette smoke
– Alcohol intake
– Toxins
– High blood sugar levels
– Polyunsaturated fatty acids
– Radiation, including excessive sunbathing
– Infections by bacteria, fungi or viruses
– Excessive intake of iron, magnesium, copper, or zinc
– Too little oxygen in the body
– Too much oxygen in the body
– Intense and prolonged exercise, which causes tissue damage
– Excessive intake of antioxidants, such as vitamins C and E

Interested in Making Your Employees Healthier?

Healthier, happier employees are more productive. Let’s make this year a healthy one for you and your fellow employees! Call us today at (844) 378-4866 or fill out our contact form.

The Center for Disease Control (CDC) reports that 88% of Americans are not eating the recommended amount of fruits and vegetables per day. The CDC recommends 10 portions of fruit and vegetables per day. While that may sound like a lot, it’s worth keeping in mind that a portion is quite small at only 80g, which is the equivalent of a small banana or a handful of blueberries.

Eating more fruits and vegetables can lower your chance of heart disease, stroke, cancer, and premature death. In fact, scientists say that if everyone ate 10 portions of fruits and vegetables it could prevent up to 7.8 million premature deaths worldwide per year.

Is eating some fruit and vegetables better than no fruit and vegetables?

For those among us who will never be able to eat 10 portions of fruit and vegetables, it’s worth noting that some fruits and vegetables are better than none. Just 200g, one-fourth of the recommended amount, results in an 18% reduced risk of stroke, a 13% reduced risk of cardiovascular disease, 4% reduced risk of cancer and a 15% reduction in the risk of premature death.

Eating 200g of fruit and vegetables is good, eating 800g of fruit and vegetables is even better. That level of intake results in a 24% reduced risk of heart disease, a 33% reduced risk of stroke, a 28% reduced risk of cardiovascular disease, a 13% reduced risk of total cancer, and a 31% reduction in premature deaths.

Which fruit and vegetables are the most effective?

Some fruit and vegetables are better than others. Citrus fruit, apples, pears, leafy greens, broccoli, cabbage, and cauliflower are the best at preventing strokes and heart disease.

The best cancer reducing fruits and vegetables are green beans, peppers, carrots, broccoli, cabbage, and cauliflower.

The researchers surprisingly did not see any different results with raw versus cooked fruit and vegetables.

So how do fruit and vegetables result in all these health benefits?

Broccoli and cauliflower are full of compounds called glucosinolates which activate enzymes that may help prevent cancer.

Fruit and vegetables reduce cholesterol levels, blood pressure, and boost your immune system. Plus, the antioxidants lead to a reduction in cancer risk.

Can’t I just take a multi-vitamin to get the same health benefits?

Not really. If you’re looking for a short-cut your best option is a large fruit & vegetable smoothie.

Any health benefits to fruit juice?

Yes, but it’s not nearly as impactful as simply eating the fruit of vegetables.

So what happens to me if I ignore this advice and eat no fruits and vegetables?

Your risk of heart disease, obesity, diabetes, high cholesterol, high blood pressure, and cancer will skyrocket.

Interested in Making Your Employees Healthier?

Healthier, happier employees are more productive. Let’s make this year a healthy one for you and your fellow employees! Call us today at (844) 378-4866 or fill out our contact form.

Everyone wants to be happier, but simply wishing to be happier isn’t enough. But there is an easy way you can increase your happiness: eat more fruit. Eating fruit is a sure-fire way to increase happiness according to an October 2014 study from Australia’s University of Queensland.

This particular study measured
– Life satisfaction
– Mental health
– Psychological distress
– Vitality
based on subjective scores submitted by the participants.

12000 people were surveyed about their fruit and vegetable intake and asked to rate themselves on a 1-10 scale. The study concluded that the ideal amount of fruit per day would be 5 servings.

Based on the data if someone went from eating no fruit to eating fruit they would experience a .24 increase in their happiness score. While that doesn’t sound that significant, it’s actually slightly more than the increase seen with a job status of unemployed to employed.

America’s Breakroom staff have observed the smiles on the faces of employees as we delivered displays of fruit, but it was reaffirming to see a study conclude what we already felt we knew: fruit makes people happier!

So is fruit really generating this kind of impact? Some scientists attribute the increase in happiness to B vitamins which increase serotonin — a chemical known to put people in a happy mood.

Bonus Info: The study found that fruit has more of a positive effect than vegetables.

It’s worth pointing out that this study was based on subjective scores given by the participants. And people who eat a lot of fruit are likely taking better care of themselves physically. While it’s difficult to prove that fruit is the only reason the people are happier, it is certainly a contributing factor.

Fruit is low in calories and high in fiber, so it helps keep people feeling full. This results in less unhealthy snacking which often leads to maintaining a healthy weight or even losing weight.

It’s not a big leap to say that if a person is healthier they are happier. Healthier people are less likely to get sick with minor or even more serious conditions like high blood pressure and heart disease.

Perhaps the reason is even simpler: fruit is tasty so it brings a smile to anyone who eats it.

Want to Make Your Employees Happier?

Healthier, happier employees are more productive. Let’s make this year a healthy one for you and your fellow employees! Call us today at (844) 378-4866 or fill out our contact form.

Adults in the U.S. spend a lot of their lives at work. As a matter of fact, studies estimate the average person spends about 1/3 of their lifetime at the office.

Sustaining your energy throughout the day is essential to maximizing productivity in the workplace. It’s challenging to identify the nutritious snacks from the large assortment of unhealthy options, but once you do it makes all the difference. Here are some tips to help you navigate the tricky territory of office snacks and ensure that you can feel good about what you’re eating.

It can be difficult to compare the health of one snack to another, however, snacking in moderation is a good rule of thumb to live by in or out of the office. A midmorning or midday snack is extremely beneficial for productivity during the workday, but it’s important to realize that a snack is not a meal. Most snacking options available in the office are limited to candy, chips, and various other prepackaged items, all of which embody on-the-go convenience. Although a snack-sized portion may appear innocent, chances are it contains a meal’s worth of calories, and likely won’t satiate you for very long. Exploring better, healthier alternatives for snacks to munch on in the office can make all the difference in future health.

It’s safe to say that we’ve all been preached about the benefits of fruit at one time or another — and for good reason. From vitamins and minerals to antioxidants and fiber, fresh fruit can help ensure you get the key nutrients you need to improve and stabilize your overall health and wellness. Even a simple switch from your everyday bag of chips to a piece of fresh fruit can offer you a surplus of benefits including: weight loss, increased energy throughout the day without a crash, overall feelings of wellness, a boost in brain power, an improvement in mood, focus, and self confidence, and so much more! Fruit can be the addition you need to supercharge your life.

We love supporting our fellow local businesses, which is why we want to make them healthy and productive. Let’s make this year a healthy one for you and your fellow employees! Call us today at (844) 378-4866 or fill out our contact form.

If you’re like most Americans, you overdid it with the cookies and eggnog over the holidays, and your pants are fitting a little more snugly. Gym membership signups skyrocket this time of year as we all try to work off the extra pounds. “THIS is the year I will get healthier!” we always tell ourselves, and all too often we stray from that path soon after.

Let’s break the cycle with nature’s dessert: FRUIT!

To help everyone in your office with their 2018 New Year’s resolutions, consider signing up for a fruit delivery service like America’s Breakroom. Fruit is the smart, natural choice for healthy snacking, especially when you consider the high-calorie, sugary, and fatty alternatives that fill the typical office break room vending machine.

Substituting fruit as a snack has benefits to your productivity and healthcare costs.

Fruit is filled with vitamins, minerals, and fiber to give you energy and keep you from over-eating at lunch. Eating a nutritious diet that includes fruit improves mood, focus, attitude, and self-confidence, which can only lead to increased work productivity.

Healthy people simply do not go to the doctor as often. Studies show that every $1 spent on corporate wellness programs reduces a company’s healthcare costs by $3.27.

We love supporting our fellow local businesses, which is why we want to make them healthy and productive in 2018. Let’s make this year a healthy one for you and your fellow employees! Call us today at (844) 378-4866 or fill out our contact form.