Nutrition As a Stress Management Tool
You may not connect what you eat with how you handle stress, but whether you like it or not the two are very connected and you can make it harder on yourself or easier on yourself with the choices you make.
A body that is supplied with good nutrition will be healthier and that health is directly connected with how well you handle the physical and emotional stress that are a part of our every day life.
Food is a tricky issue for many of us.
We must eat to live.
We can't just avoid food like we can other things that we don't handle well.
And food is involved in many social situations and often the foods available at social functions are not the best choices for health, nutrition and a slim waistline.
Your food choices can give you energy or rob you of energy, give you a clear-thinking brain or a foggy, fuzzy brain.
The foods you choose help determine whether you will be sickly or healthy with a strong immune system.
Here are 5 rules for good nutrition: 1) Increase good fats such as olive oil and avocados and decrease bad fats such as red meats and too much full-fat dairy such as cheese, butter and cream.
Realize however that you do need some fat.
Not all fat is bad.
Of the solid mass of the brain, 60% is fat! Your brain NEEDS fat to function properly.
Stop replacing fat with "fat-free" which are usually chemicals (read the label!) and just reduce the real fats you do eat and steer towards the healthy kinds.
2) Increase good carbohydrates such as fruit, legumes, vegetables and whole grains and decrease bad carbs such as refined sugars, candy, cakes, soda, white rice etc.
Use stevia or other natural sweeteners instead of sugar or artificial sweeteners.
3) Drink plenty of water.
Your body is 70% water and your brain is 80% water.
Stay hydrated! Drink less caffeine and alcohol and more water.
And if you do drink caffeine and alcohol be aware that you need even more water to offset their dehydrating effects.
4) Take a good daily multivitamin/mineral supplement and a fish oil supplement.
5) Watch for hidden food allergies These are things you eat that make you feel unwell, sluggish, moody, or irritate your skin...
for many people this is SUGAR! If you just begin using these few simple guidelines and focus on your food as another way to manage stress you will not only feel better and handle stress better, you will look better, be a nicer person, sleep better and enjoy your life more!
A body that is supplied with good nutrition will be healthier and that health is directly connected with how well you handle the physical and emotional stress that are a part of our every day life.
Food is a tricky issue for many of us.
We must eat to live.
We can't just avoid food like we can other things that we don't handle well.
And food is involved in many social situations and often the foods available at social functions are not the best choices for health, nutrition and a slim waistline.
Your food choices can give you energy or rob you of energy, give you a clear-thinking brain or a foggy, fuzzy brain.
The foods you choose help determine whether you will be sickly or healthy with a strong immune system.
Here are 5 rules for good nutrition: 1) Increase good fats such as olive oil and avocados and decrease bad fats such as red meats and too much full-fat dairy such as cheese, butter and cream.
Realize however that you do need some fat.
Not all fat is bad.
Of the solid mass of the brain, 60% is fat! Your brain NEEDS fat to function properly.
Stop replacing fat with "fat-free" which are usually chemicals (read the label!) and just reduce the real fats you do eat and steer towards the healthy kinds.
2) Increase good carbohydrates such as fruit, legumes, vegetables and whole grains and decrease bad carbs such as refined sugars, candy, cakes, soda, white rice etc.
Use stevia or other natural sweeteners instead of sugar or artificial sweeteners.
3) Drink plenty of water.
Your body is 70% water and your brain is 80% water.
Stay hydrated! Drink less caffeine and alcohol and more water.
And if you do drink caffeine and alcohol be aware that you need even more water to offset their dehydrating effects.
4) Take a good daily multivitamin/mineral supplement and a fish oil supplement.
5) Watch for hidden food allergies These are things you eat that make you feel unwell, sluggish, moody, or irritate your skin...
for many people this is SUGAR! If you just begin using these few simple guidelines and focus on your food as another way to manage stress you will not only feel better and handle stress better, you will look better, be a nicer person, sleep better and enjoy your life more!
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