The Staff Wellbeing Team offers a range of support to help you eat well, including weight management courses, Eat Well seminars for supporting mood, increasing vitamin D, eating at work, menopause, and more! Take a look below at the kinds of support we offer NUH staff.
Weight management courses
Eat Well, Feel Well
The Eat Well, Feel Well programme consists of 12 weekly group sessions facilitated by our Specialist Staff Wellbeing Dietitian. Sessions will last around 60 minutes. We use evidence-based interventions that cover knowledge for how to manage weight, physical activity, and psychological elements of eating, as well as goal setting and weekly weigh-ins. Sessions will take place at the same time each week.
Topics include:
- How to eat well and different food groups
- Food labelling and portion sizes
- Being more active
- Staying motivated and getting back on track
- Eating out, takeaways, and alcohol.
The course is designed to be educational and enable you to make personalised, informed choices, rather than provide set meal plans. You will set your own weekly goals relevant to you to help you implement healthy, sustainable changes that can help with longer-term goals, success, and an overall lifestyle. There are certain referral criteria that staff will need to meet to be able to attend the groups. Please complete all sections of the form below to ensure that you meet the criteria. Places will be allocated according to the answers given on this form.
To be eligible for the group, you need to:
- Be an NUH employee.
- Have a BMI of 30 or more, or for those of South Asian origin, have a BMI of 27 or above. (You can calculate your BMI here if unsure: www.nhs.uk/live-well/healthy-weight/bmi-calculator/
- Have no clearly defined eating disorder or history of eating disorders.
- Have no medical reasons where weight management programmes are not advised (e.g., pregnancy, undergoing oncology treatment).
- Be motivated to make lifestyle changes.
- Be committed to attending all the sessions.
If you would like more information, dates, or a referral form, please contact:staffwellbeing@nuh.nhs.uk.
Eat Well, Get Active
The Eat Well, Get Active Programme consists of 8 weekly group sessions, with follow-up sessions at weeks 10 and 12. These are led by our specialist staff wellbeing dietitian and our exercise advisor. Sessions will last around 60 minutes.
For the groups, the NHS 12-week plan will be used to support staff as well as for additional accountability and motivation with your weight loss journey. The course is to enable you to make personalised, informed choices rather than provide set meal or fitness plans. You will set your own weekly goals relevant to you to help implement healthy, sustainable changes that can help with longer-term goals, success, and an overall lifestyle. Within the sessions, we will talk about physical activity, and you will be shown examples of exercises and hints and tips on how to successfully incorporate these into your lifestyle.
Are you interested and wondering whether you are eligible to attend?
You need to:
- Be a NUH staff member.
- Have a BMI of 25 or higher.(You can calculate your BMI here if unsure: www.nhs.uk/live-well/healthy-weight/bmi-calculator/
- Be able to commit to attending the weekly group sessions.
- Be motivated to make lifestyle changes.
- Any good physical reason, not mentioned here, why you should not follow an activity programme even if you wanted to?
- Not have any of the exclusion criteria listed below:
In addition to the above criteria, there are some medical exclusions for attendance at this staff weight management support, including having an eating disorder or a history of an eating disorder, pregnancy, and if currently undergoing treatment for cancer. If you fall into any of these categories and feel you would benefit from further support, we would recommend speaking with your GP.
If you would like more information, dates, or a referral form, please contact: staffwellbeing@nuh.nhs.uk.
Eat Well Seminars
To browse through upcoming seminars and sign up, click here.
Eating Well for Weight Loss
In this seminar on eating for weight loss, our staff wellbeing dietitian will be discussing the essentials for healthy eating and weight loss as well as other areas such as motivation, goals, snacking, and eating out. The seminar is ideal for anyone with a BMI of more than 25 and is open to any member of Team NUH. Are you unsure whether to attend or if weight may be affecting your health? You can check your BMI here:https://www.nhs.uk/live-well/healthy-weight/bmi-calculator/
Plant-Based Eating
Are you curious about plant-based eating? In this lunchtime seminar led by our staff wellbeing dietitian, we’ll explore what a plant-based diet is, types and variants of plant-based diets, nutrients, and non-animal-based sources of these, including calcium, iron, and B12. Suitable for anyone wanting to know more about a vegan diet or just learn more about including more plants in your diet.
Eat Well for the Menopause
Join our staff dietitian for a special seminar exploring diet and nutrition factors that can be helpful in managing your menopause, including those that may impact symptoms and prevent future conditions linked to the menopause.
Our 75-minute seminar will cover phytoestrogens, bone health, heart health, caffeine, alcohol, sleep, and exercise.
Food to Support Mood
In this seminar, we explore more about the connection between the two. This session will be run by a student dietitian under the supervision of our specialist staff wellbeing dietitian. We include: how food makes us feel; emotional eating; triggers and tactics; and helpful strategies.
Improving Heart Health with Diet
This seminar will focus on how you can improve your diet to help manage your cholesterol and blood pressure. We will look at a range of dietary aspects to consider, including salt, fats, and alcohol, as well as some lifestyle factors that can help, such as physical activity.
Vitamin D Seminar
Vitamin D, also known as the sunshine vitamin, is integral to supporting our health. Often, vitamin D is highlighted even more in and around the winter months, which we are rapidly approaching! Additionally, you may have heard Vitamin D mentioned even more recently in relation to the coronavirus and whether or not it has any impact. In this seminar, we will look at what vitamin D is, how it is made and obtained through diet and supplementation, at-risk groups, and how much you need.
Eating Well at Work
Regular, healthy, balanced meals, snacks, and drinks throughout the working day are vital to keeping us focused, efficient, alert, and appropriately energised—vital for ourselves, our work, and our patients. In this seminar, we will explore how we can eat well at work, including planning, what to include, easy snack options, how to eat well if you work shifts, ideas to consider for break times, and how to encourage our colleagues and teams to eat well at work.
Fresh Fruit and Veg Stall at QMC & City Hospital
Come and get your favourite seasonal fruits and veggies at great prices at the main entrance of the QMC, from Monday to Friday, 6am-4pm, with cash or card payment options. Available outside main outpatients at City Hospital every Monday, Wednesday, and Friday, 8am-3pm. A great way to meet your five a day!
£2 Staff Meals
The hospital Eat Well restaurants continue to offer all NUH staff subsidised £2 hot meals at lunchtime. Meat and vegetarian options are available. Subject to availability. Must show NUH ID at till.
Staying Hydrated
We meet so many staff who are seriously dehydrated at work. Staff are allowed to drink on wards as long as water bottles are kept in a discreet place. Fluid is so important in the body that even when levels drop only slightly, we begin to feel the consequences. Low levels can cause headaches, poor concentration, dizziness, tiredness, and a dry mouth. Maintaining hydration can also help prevent weight gain, so don’t forget to keep your water bottle topped up at work.
Fluid intake will vary from individual to individual, as many factors can impact this, such as temperature, weather, and exercise. For adults, it is stated that typically the average adult needs between 1.5 and 2 litres a day, equivalent to approximately six to eight glasses of water, nonsugary drinks, or milk. Fruit juices and smoothies also count towards your fluid intake, but they contain free sugars that can damage teeth, so limit these to a combined total of 150 ml per day.
You can find out more information about hydration at the links below:
https://www.bda.uk.com/resource/fluid-water-drinks.html
https://www.nhs.uk/live-well/eat-well/water-drinks-nutrition/
Useful British Heart Foundation Resources
Understanding Cholesterol: Understanding Cholesterol
Saturated Fats: Saturated Fat
Food Portions and Labelling: Taking Control of Food Portions and Labels
Keep your Heart Healthy: Keep Your Heart Healthy