Living on processed food every day is the fastest way to accelerate your shift work fatigue when you work irregular hours.

Consuming foods provided by Mother Nature on the other hand, is the fastest way to boost your energy and help fight off that overwhelming feeling of exhaustion.

When my husband and I “discovered” this concept some years ago (our household was made up of 2 very exhausted shift workers at the time) – our life took on a completely different direction.

This 180 degree shift in our eating habits inspired us to establish our very own organic vegetable garden full of Green Super Foods, along with preparing daily vegetable juices.

In fact as I type this article, the kitchen bench is over flowing with green spinach and lettuce – harvested straight from the vege patch this morning.

So why green? What has turning green got to do with overcoming shift work fatigue?

Well it’s actually quite simple.

You see when you consume dark green leafy vegetables – particularly in the form of a juice, it’s very easy for the body to absorb which means it’s able to reap the benefits much more quickly.

Green vegetables also contain chlorophyll which is Mother Nature’s most effective energy booster giving you instant, long-lasting energy.

They’re also high in alkaline which helps the body to work more efficiently – as opposed to most processed foods being quite acidic.

Quite simply, an efficient body means more energy for you!

Think about it? Have you ever seen a burger grow from a tree or a vine?

If it’s not designed by Mother Nature, chances are it’s not good for you. In fact it could actually be quite detrimental to your health. Goodness knows what’s in half the fast food that we see in food outlets around the world today.

So the next time you’re feeling tired, exhausted and sluggish – think green. Besides having a good night’s sleep it’s certainly the next best thing for helping overcome shift work fatigue.

And I’m not talking about consuming a whole packet of green M&M’s!

Are you tired, unmotivated and struggling to overcome a high rate of sick leave? That’s not a trick question by the way.

Because when you work shift work the term ’sick leave’ pretty much goes hand in hand. In fact it’s pretty much a given when you work crazy and irregular hours.

But despite what you may think, when you’re struggling to overcome a high rate of sick leave – the solution can be easier than you think.

Of course I’m not talking about serious illnesses here. Medical intervention is always going to be necessary if you fall seriously ill.

I’m referring to those shift workers who are prone to continual sickness – no matter what they do.

As shift workers we’re certainly more susceptible to suffering from colds and flu, headaches, migraines, stress and even depression.

And let’s not forget about feeling tired and unmotivated all of the time.

In fact it’s really easy to get caught up on the shift work treadmill (and I’m not talking about the one that is actually good for you here!)

It’s the one where you feel too exhausted to exercise and too exhausted to cook yourself a healthy meal which results in – you guessed it, feeling even more exhausted.

You feel a bit like you’re encountering Ground Hog Day – with an emphasis on constant tiredness and ill health.

So how can you overcome it?

Well just as I mention in my book Surviving Crazy Hours, you need to begin by focusing on all of the things in your life that you can change rather on those which you cannot.

For example, you may not be able to change your rosters or the fact that you work night shift – but you can certainly change what food you put in your mouth. And this simple thing on its own can make a HUGE difference in how you feel.

Start by taking a good hard look at your pantry and refrigerator. Does it contain a lot of fresh produce or is it filled with boxes, cans and packets of food?

Because gaining more energy and improving your health begins by eating more live foods - that is food that has not been processed to death.

And what’s really exciting is that you will quite literally thrive the more live foods that you eat because they are really easy to digest. Most people are blissfully unaware of just how exhausting the very act of digestion is on its own.

So if you’re sick of feeling tired, unmotivated and you’re struggling to overcome a high rate of sick leave, throw out all of the junk that’s currently sitting in your refrigerator or pantry and replace them with foods that are as close to nature as possible.

Essentially anything that has a ‘list of ingredients’ has at some point, been processed. Eating processed food will only accelerate your exhaustion - the complete opposite to what a shift worker is trying to achieve.