Tradie Health Month: You Are What You Eat

Last week we introduced Tradie National Health Month, and we noted some of the ways that muscular aches and pains can be prevented. While muscular health is the reason for the initiative, we want to take a holistic look at tradie health this month.

Just as you put a certain fuel in your car, it is important to give your body the right nutrients to keep it working well. Following a balanced diet means eating some of every food group every day. Proteins, whole grains, healthy fats, fibre and vitamins.

Here’s why.

Carbohydrates

Often, people think they need to cut down on carbohydrates to be healthy, but the reality is that your body needs carbs. Carbohydrates are the body’s preferred energy source and working on your feet all day makes getting the right amount even more important.

The most important difference to remember about carbs is that they are not all equivalent. Eating wholemeal rolls with grilled chicken and salad is not the same as eating a meatball sub at lunchtime.

The reason carbs have a bad rep is refined (simple) carbs.

Refined carbs include sugar, white bread and pasta, and they give us an instant boost of energy that quickly depletes. If you’ve ever noticed that you get sleepy on-site an hour after lunch, you can blame those simple carbs.

Simple carbs make our blood sugar levels spike, whereas complex carbs give us steady energy all day.

Wholegrain carbohydrates include wholegrain bread and pasta, wild rice, oats and potatoes.

Protein

Protein is important for muscle repair. Many tradies are lifting a lot of weight for their job and, without adequate protein, your muscles will not be strong enough to do so.

When someone trains at the gym by lifting large weights, the weight causes tiny rips to form along their muscles. Protein is vital to fill in those rips, to keep them healthy and strong, but also to grow them if that’s their goal.

That’s why you see weightlifters drinking protein drinks, and heavy lifting jobs are no different.

It is better to consume protein from your diet than from milkshakes, which means eating lean animal products, fish and vegetable proteins.

Proteins include legumes, pulses, anomal and vegetable protein, eggs, nuts and seeds.

Healthy lunches you can keep in an esky

Sandwiches don’t have to be unhealthy, and salads don’t have to be boring. There are loads of foods that you can keep in a small reusable cooler bag from Coles. Batch-cooking a load of meals on a Sunday also means you won’t even need to think about it during the week.

Try out simple recipes like:

·         Tuna and salad in pitta bread

·         Hard-boiled eggs and salad in wholemeal rolls

·         Shredded chicken and broccoli pasta (50% broccoli, 30% chicken, 20% pasta)

·         Frittata filled with veggies and protein

·         Pre-wrapped fish tacos with wholemeal or corn wraps

·         Hummus and carrots, peppers, wholemeal breadsticks and cheese

To work out if your lunch is healthy, you can base it on Nutrition Australia’s Healthy Eating Pyramid. The pyramid shows how much of a food group you should aim to consume by stacking the most important (and plentiful) items at the bottom.

For a tradesperson, your balanced diet might look something like this:

·         Top: (5%) Healthy Fats (olive oil, avocado)

·         Next: (10%) Dairy (milk, cheese)

·         And: (10%) Protein

·         Then: (10%) Fruits & (25%) Veggies

·         Last: (40%) Whole grains

A balanced diet should include minimal fats, some protein and dairy and lots of fruits, veggies and complex carbohydrate.

Eating healthily as a tradie

It’s hard to eat healthy when there might not even be a microwave on site. There are loads of healthy recipes out there that can be kept in an esky, so try out a few and see which ones you like.

If you are an on-site manager, it is a great idea to promote healthy lunches in your workplace. Making balanced lunches the norm can help reduce the stigma that comes with male-dominated workplaces.

Felicity Thompson

and