SURVEILLANCE NUTRITION

When surveillance begins, the challenge for a surveillance investigator is in being prepared for what happens next.

One should always consider good nutrition as a staple of promoting effective surveillance.  Although surveillance can involve hours of focus with little physical movement, a surveillance investigator should always consider and prepare for the role proper nutrition will play in avoiding fatigue while on surveillance as well as conducting a successful investigation. 

One of the realities of a field investigator’s task is that often by its nature, surveillance involves some unpredictability.  It’s sometimes hard to anticipate what a subject will do; where that subject will go; how much time will be spent in any particular activity, etc.  And yet a surveillance investigator is expected to monitor those activities to their conclusion, whether it take minutes, hours or, sometimes, days.

And while the target may have every opportunity to stop and tend to life’s necessities such as having a leisurely lunch, stopping for a coffee or even taking a bathroom break, the investigator has no control over any of those things.  If you are a field investigator focusing on surveillance, a little pre-planning in terms of surveillance nutrition will go a long way towards making you more comfortable and better prepared.

At the Canadian School of Private Investigation and Security Ltd., we teach our surveillance students to pack well for the job, particularly because surveillance is unpredictable. We expect our investigators to dress appropriately and pack the tools they’ll need. But one of the most essential things an investigator should prepare is a cooler containing good quality, nutritious food and the right kind of beverages.

Comfort Foods Might Not Be So Comfortable for Effective Surveillance

If you walk into any corner gas station featuring racks of convenience snacks you might be inundated with choice after choice of potato chips, cakes and cookies, soft drinks, chocolate bars and so on.  These are often the staples of road trips or the go-to foods of harried commuters.  And yes, the person shopping next to you might be an investigator on the way to a surveillance stakeout. But if so, that investigator is making some fundamental errors in food choices which will reduce their ability to focus and without a doubt, make the time spent in the field far less comfortable than it should be, thus hindering their ability to stay focused while on surveillance.

Understanding the Right Food Groups for Surveillance Nutrition

While the Canada Food Guide is an excellent source of important information and recommendations about good food choices, and investigator on surveillance seldom has the ability to prepare the variety of foods one might access at home.

That’s why you need to understand food groups in an easy and convenient way!

Simple Carbohydrates

Simple carbohydrates are the types of food you might find on the shelves of most variety stores or service stations. These are the common snacks most people gravitate towards when they need a quick pick-me-up or an immediate fix for their growling stomach.  Simply put, these types of foods are highly processed, loaded with salts, fats or sugars.  They are eaten quickly and are the fastest foods digested by the human body.  That’s part of the reason we reach for them.

A simple carbohydrate is something the body can quickly and efficiently convert to sugar. As a result, it raises the blood sugar level quickly, and gives us an almost immediate sense of satisfaction.  However that feeling of being satiated is a delusion. We fool the brain into thinking the body is full. Yet in response to the elevated levels of glucose in the blood, the body produces insulin. This insulin counteracts the sugar ingested with the net result being that you often feel what’s sometimes referred to as a “sugar crash”.  Basically, you feel hungry and irritable because of the low glucose level in your blood.

So although you might be tempted to stock up on these types of foods before going out on surveillance, don’t.

Complex Carbohydrates

Don’t let the word Carbohydrate fool you.  Unlike processed foods, which are simple carbohydrates, complex carbohydrates are actually very good for you.  These are primarily the raw, unprocessed foods we eat such as vegetables and fruits, nuts, etc.  These carbohydrates are more difficult for the body to digest.  Because the body has to work in order to break these substances down into usable energy, they are absorbed much more slowly.

That means that you can avoid the sugar high that might come from consuming a bag of potato chips, as your blood sugar level will remain far more level.  Additionally, and we believe of far greater benefit to a surveillance investigator, complex carbohydrates will make you feel satisfied for longer.  You won’t feel lethargic from having wild fluctuations in blood sugar levels, and you won’t feel ravaged and ready to chew off your own arm.

Proteins

Proteins are the most important foods to think about in connection with surveillance.  Proteins are the types of foods your body must work hardest to convert to energy. The net result of any food taking longer to digest is that it gives you the feeling of fullness and satisfaction for the longest time.  For any investigator on surveillance, food satisfaction means you are focusing on the subject, and not the messages your stomach is sending to your brain.

What About Liquids?

Anyone who has ever needed to stay up for long periods of time imagines a steaming cup of coffee or an energy drink to help keep them up.  While we never recommend so called ‘energy drinks’ because of possible long-term health consequences, there is no denying that a large percentage of the population uses the caffeine in a large cup of coffee to help with temporary mental alertness.  But is the benefit worth the cost to an investigator on surveillance?

Coffee and Surveillance

One of the main problems associated with consumption of coffee is that the beverage is actually a diuretic. That means that a cup of coffee may cause your bladder to fill quickly. You’ll probably end up urinating more than you consumed in the coffee cup, with the possibility of ending up dehydrated and thirsty.

So What’s the Problem?

The obvious problem for a surveillance investigator consuming coffee is that you likely do not have access to a bathroom.  And if there are available facilities, you may not be working with a partner who can monitor the subject while you’re gone. In fact, even if you rig your vehicle up to provide you with an ability to relieve your bladder (to be covered in a different blog), you would still be taking focus away from your primary responsibility – the subject.

What About Soft Drinks, Fruit Juice or Tea?

The problem with fruit juices, sodas and even tea is two-fold. First, most carbonated drinks and even fruit juices are loaded with sugars in the form of fructose and corn syrups.  We spoke earlier about the impact of these substances on your blood sugar level.  And caffeine, contained in many beverages including most teas, will act as a diuretic. Moreover, sometimes the mere fact that you have a bottle of some sort in your vicinity may prompt you to consume more liquid than you might otherwise have needed.

So What’s the Solution for Proper Surveillance Nutrition?

Water is without a doubt the single most important thing to take with you on a surveillance. But be careful. While you might be comfortable walking around with a water bottle and sipping it when you’re not on surveillance, we caution you to be careful when you are on the job.

Only drink water when you feel you are genuinely thirsty. Don’t reach for your water bottle just to pass the time. And be aware of the adage “what goes in…”.  Take only sips of water when you feel thirsty to avoid the possibility of urgent urination

What Should You Prepare for Effective Surveillance Nutrition?

Start with a cooler that’s fairly small and light. Something you can keep in the back of your car or in the trunk without taking up too much space or attracting attention to your vehicle. If someone happens to glance at the interior of your vehicle, you don’t want that person to think you’re taking up residence on their street.

Take along 6 sealed or fresh water bottles. If you freeze three or four of them, they will keep the rest of your food cool.

Make sandwiches with high quality, low sodium meats or fish, such as cold cuts or tuna.  Use whole wheat or brown bread with the highest fibre content you can find.

Pack carrots, celery sticks and if you wish, some dressing as a dip (sparingly as they contain sugars and salt).  Have an abundance of broccoli or cauliflower florets with you.  These types of vegetables are cruciferous vegetables, as is cabbage, kale, arugula and bok choy. That means they are fibrous and filling.

For snacks, you can take low sodium nuts such as almonds.

10 Best Foods for Proper Surveillance Nutrition

1. Fibre rich foods such chickpeas, beans and whole grains
2. Carrots and celery sticks
3. Unsalted almonds or other seeds
4. Low sodium canned tuna packed in water
5. Whole eggs
6. Low fat meats such as chicken breasts, lean ground beef and turkey breasts.
7. Broccoli
8. Quinoa
9. Fruits such as apples and oranges
10. Greek yogurt or other high protein yogur