Good Evening and Happy Saturday!
Are you surviving the cold snap? The weather has shifted and the countdown to Thanksgiving is on!
I don’t know about you but I can already feel the STRESS LEVELS rising due to the upcoming Holidays. And we don’t want that!
When people are stressed they often reach for food and that is why I am going to share some tips to STOP Stress Eating
5 Tips To STOP Stress Eating
1) Have a healthy breakfast. Breakfast really is the most important meal of the day -especially to combat stress! Eating a balanced breakfast will create stabilized energy so you can continue to make healthy food decisions even when the stress hits. A few good ideas are: egg scramble loaded with veggies and topped with avocado or a protein-rich smoothie.
2) Always pack a snack. We never know when stressful moments are going to send us running for a Snickers Bar or pint of ice cream. Having healthy snacks available at all times, such as fruit, crudite with hummus or a handful of nuts or seeds, will keep you focused and reduce your body’s stress.
3) Chew! Stress depletes our body’s ability to assimilate nutrients. Oftentimes stress eating urges are really just our body’s cry for healthy nutrition. Chewing our food well (at least 30 times per bite) allows for better nutrient absorption and therefore, less stress on our body and mind.
4) Get a move on. Exercise is the ultimate natural stress-reducer because it enhances our brain’s feel-good endorphines. When we feel better, stress melts away and the urge to eat comfort food is gone.
5) Ditch the sugar. Reach for greens. Sugar is the #1 food we reach for when stressed. The reason? Sugar increases our feeling of calmness and happiness temporarily. Yet, it also sends us crashing into low energy creating a stressful cycle of unhealthy eating. Instead, reach for green leafy vegetables which are known for stabilizing stress, nutrient absorption and energy. When that afternoon sugar craving hits, think DLG (dark leafy greens) and have an afternoon kale salad, a green juice, kale chips, perhaps, steamed broccoli dipped in hummus.
Let’s enjoy this holiday season together.
In Health and Happiness,
