I had a 12 hour shift coming up and I wanted to see if I could now last a whole 12 hours eating pure paleo food; first time for everything! The more I do paleo the more surprised I get:

1. I no longer feel tired or drowsy after eating on shift.

2. I eat less, yet feel full.

3. I don’t crave non-paleo food if I do it strictly.

I will say that post 12 hour shift I came home and was craving something sweet so I did have an oat cereal bar…so I guess I wasn’t 100% pure paleo for the whole day BUT I was for the whole of my 12 hour shift and for breakfast. Indeed I did another shift today and I found that my colleagues who were eating sandwiches, crisps etc after they ate were saying how sleepy they felt and for the first time on shift, I didn’t feel tired post eating. The real test will be do it for a night shift.

I’m becoming more convinced by the day that paleo is both great for you and doable if you’re a shift worker; the key is planning. Plan your meals in advance and think about what hours your working. For example I have a run of four 12 hour shifts coming up and I know, from the times, that I will have more time to do stuff in the morning than in the evening. After a shift all I do is wash up the Tupperware (key for any paleo eater and shift worker, I think we should all have shares in Lock&Lock). Additionally because I’m now sleeping better between shifts thanks to paleo, I don’t mind getting up half an hour earlier to finish preparing my stuff for the day. I will prepare a big batch of something that won’t go off in 4 days, mostly vegetables for roasting and cooking with, and make sure the protein is separated ready to be put in the oven or wok for a quick cook in the morning; so I have fresh paleo food on a daily basis.

More recipes and shift stories to follow!