Celebrating Holidays: The Healthy Way Of Course!

Today was my last shift for a couple of weeks thanks to some well-deserved holidays. That’s right, no driving too or from work in the dark and more importantly – no alarm clock!

As we all know, shift work wreaks havoc on our sleep-routine making us constantly tired and lethargic – in fact you can probably relate to wondering around in a zombie-like state more times than not.

But at the end of the day, nothing can replace sleep.

And whilst there are things which we can do to help reduce the effects of sleep-deprivation (good nutrition, exercise and stress-reduction techniques like yoga and meditation), there are certain things which we cannot change. i.e. a crazy and erratic roster.

So whenever the opportunity arises (whether it be when you’re on holidays or just days off), always allow some restorative time to help your body return to some kind of equilibrium because if you push yourself too hard and for too long, you will burn yourself out – mentally, emotionally and physically.

And on that note – it’s time to celebrate with some Capsicum and Sundried Tomato dip … and a glass of vino of course!

Ingredients

1 garlic clove
100g sundried tomatoes, drained
1/2 red capsicum, deseeded, roughly chopped
120 g unsalted cashews
20g olive oil
20g vinegar
30g Parmesan cheese, cut into cubes

Method

Place all ingredients into a food processor until a rough, but evenly chopped consistency is achieved.

Health benefits
Red capsicums are rich in beta carotene which the body converts to vitamin A. Vitamin A is important for healthy skin and for boosting the immune system (which is important for shift workers who tend to have a lower immunity and resistance to infection), than our non-shift working friends.

The wine? Well let’s not discuss the wine. I am on holidays after all!

A Well-Deserved Vacation Away From Shift Work

Having just gotten back from a well-deserved vacation away from the crazy hours of shift work AND subsequently my alarm clock – I must admit that I have never felt better.

My trusty alarm clock was left far away from the inside of my suitcase, resting where it should be – beside my bedside table.

Now if you’re a shift worker having some time off and going on vacation is absolutely essential because your body is more than likely severely sleep-deprived and in desperate need of some well-earned rest.

But the human body is an amazing machine.

You can push it and keep pushing it even when you are absolutely exhausted. But doing this day in, and day out for many years is certainly going to be detrimental on your health long term.

However the good news for shift workers is that just going on a mini-vacation will do wonders for your health and energy levels. For example taking 4 days off and going away on a camping trip to escape the city life will certainly go along way into helping you to recharge your batteries.

In fact just allocating 10-15 minutes each day to clear your head and unwind is going to help improve your health and well-being enormously.

Remember that you can only stretch an elastic band so far until it will snap.

So make sure you find some time out from working shift work – whether it’s a mini-vacation, or just a 10-15 minute break during the day. There are always subtle things that you can do to help tie you over until your designated holiday or vacation break comes around each year.

And speaking of a well-deserved vacation away from shift work, what’s been your favourite holiday destination?