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We are all familiar with the word "stress".
Stress is when you are worried about getting
laid off your job, or worried about having
enough money to pay your bills, or worried
about your mother when the doctor says she
may need an operation. In fact, to most
of us, stress is synonymous with worry.
Your body, however, has
a much broader definition of stress. To
your body, stress is synonymous with change.
Anything that causes a change in your life
causes stress. Whether your circumstances
are "good" or "bad"
if it is a change in your life, it is stress
as far as your body is concerned.
Stress is inevitable.
However, there are ways to minimize its
grip on your life, starting with your diet.
Dieting may not be the most exciting word
in your vocabulary, but it sure has a lot
of benefits. Eating healthy food not only
makes us healthier in general, it can diminish
the effects of stress on our bodies as well.
Most of us recognize
that certain foods have brutal effects on
the brain. Too much chocolate can leave
you dragging after the sugar and caffeine
jolts fade away. An overdose of salty chips
dehydrates the body and the brain, bringing
on fatigue. High fat meals raise stress
hormone levels and keep them high.
The problem is that these
are precisely the foods we reach for at
exactly the wrong times, as they increase
tension from work and daily life just when
we seek relief. While you may not have much
control over the events that cause you stress,
you have a lot of control over your reactions
to them, including how much, and what you
choose to eat.
At times like these,
it's really important to build some structure
into your eating habits. Some strategies
that limit your choices of food and your
opportunity to eat can really help when
you don't have the time or mindset to think.
Here are a few simple rules
to help you:
1. Try not to skip meals - eat
at least three meals a day, with a few simple
snacks. Although it may seem like a good
idea to eat less often to lose weight, skipping
meals too often and eating too little food
actually stresses your body and mind more
and reduces your energy when you need it
most. Eating regular meals can help reduce
the temptation to snack on junk foods, and
to eat too much at one sitting.
2. Try to eat at the same time
each day. Develop a routine where you don't
have to make too many extra decisions. Space
your meals and snacks out about every three
or four hours. Eat smaller meals and snacks
more often.
3. Separate eating from other
things. If you have a hectic schedule or
stress makes you feel hurried, you will
be tempted to eat while doing other things
like driving, working, walking, etc. This
can lead to overeating simply because you
don't realize how much you've eaten because
of the distractions. Hectic meals can lead
to poor digestion, poor food choices, and
feeling bad - which means more stress!
4. A stressful time may be a
good time to eat in a very structured way
- buy some healthy convenient meals. Read
the labels and follow the eating guidelines
and rules for making the best choices when
it comes to packaged foods. Some of these
choices are really quite healthy, and they
have the added benefit of being a very controlled
amount of food, reducing the chance that
you'll overeat.
5. Taking a multivitamin with
adequate levels of Vitamins B and C, calcium,
and zinc is not a bad idea, especially during
stressful times, and especially if you're
trying to reduce your calorie intake to
lose weight.
Make
your first step the decision to become healthy
and fit. Once you have firmly made that
decision you are on your way. Now take the
time to evaluate your lifestyle and really
look at it. Be honest with yourself about
your eating habits.
Changing
your diet to eating healthy whole foods
is a good way to start. It'll not only help
you lose weight and help you feel better,
but it will enhance your quality of life.
You'll have more energy….
……. and life just
feels better when you are healthy!!!
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