Stress Creek - packing the picnic
Chronic stress often feasts on a steady diet of caffeine to keep you going, chocolate to soften the edges and alcohol to numb the feels... not exactly a recipe for health! This recipe is exasperated even further when 'food' is our stress! The 2016 report on Obesity in Canada suggests that two thirds of the adult population is overweight or obese... two in three people! Yes, for many of us food is stressful!
We have become a fast moving, sedentary culture... kind of a contradiction right? Not really, think about it; we want everything fast, we want it convenient, and easy; but we want to chill out while it's all happening! There's an App for that... you probably have it on your phone!
I believe that more and more people are trending towards health; I believe that more and more people are looking to take control of their health and what they are eating; and that makes my heart happy!
I was blessed with the option to be an at home mom; I also came with a built in 'I want to make it myself' motivation that has served my family very well! I love being in the kitchen, I have a long standing love of using whole fresh ingredients; we were never big consumers of process foods... infact the standing joke at my kids school was that my kids could trade two of my homemade cookies for a fruit roll up, a granola bar and a juice box!
So what about the working mom, the stressed out mom, the tired mom, the mom who really doesn't want to be in the kitchen? There are tonnes of process and lightly processed options; and even more so quick and easy ways to make a healthy meal available that no one should be eating tv dinners! You can do this! Pick a one pot recipe that is packed with veggies and give it a go! Get familiar with product labels and if process is your only option find the your best process option; it isn't about perfection it's about the next best choice!
I'm a big fan of big batch cooking! I make a big pot of soup, or stew, or chilli, or pans of lasagna and I freeze meal portions... you're in the kitchen once; and you have meals to spare for days when time doesn't have your back! Don't even get me started on leftovers; they are my saving grace day to day!
Busy lives with high stress levels have nutritional requirements that quite frankly must be met in order to maintain optimal health. blah blah blah right? Actually yes it is right, when we nourish and fuel our bodies we are much better capable of successfully navigating an otherwise stressful life! Beyond eliminating what you can in terms of stress, above the quick fixes of legs up the wall and essential oil jewellery, there is food!
Before I get into the foods that will actually work in your body to reduce stress; let's get the four top stress feeders outta the way! No one is really going to like this list but here it is:
1. Caffeine - stimulates your nervous system and increases cortisol levels, a cup in the morning to get
you going if that's your thing is ok but find something else to sip on throughout the day if you need to calm down!
2. Refined sugar - this stuff is everywhere!!! beyond that fact that it is void of any nutrients it also spikes your blood sugar, which leads to irritability and poor concentration
3. Alcohol - a few sips may make you feel like you're relaxed but alcohol stimulates the same hormones that stress does and they have been found to actually 'feed' each other; alcohol can actually prolong feelings of tension brought on by stress, and stress can reduce the pleasant effects of alcohol and spike cravings for more
4. High Sodium Foods - fluid is attracted to sodium, so you will retain fluid causing more work for your heart, increasing your blood pressure, which can lead to bloating, water retention, and puffiness, draining your energy levels and increasing stress
Ok so that is a little painful I know, but it isn't all bad, here are six of my best picks for foods that high stress folks should be adding to their diets to support reducing the harmful side affects of chronic stress...
1. Snack on nuts - yes they are high in fat and should be added with portion control, however they are packed with vitamin B a mood booster, pistachios pack potassium which is proven to lower blood pressure
2. Red Peppers - these delicious beauties are packed with Vitamin C which is known to help lower cortisol levels
3. Salmon - always check your sources here but omega 3 is proven to help reduce anxiety and wild caught salmon is a great source... or talk to your nutritionist about a good quality supplement!
4. Spinach - high in magnesium which helps regulate both cortisol and blood pressure - magnesium is flushed from the body during periods of high stress so it's important to ensure you are getting enough in your diet - beans and brown rice are also great sources of magnesium
5. Oatmeal - known to help your body generate destressing neurotransmitters like serotonin oatmeal is a 'feel good' comfort food for sure! It's also a complex carb so it doesn't spike your blood sugar the way breads or pastas will, helping you stay fueled longer!
6. Dark Chocolate - saved the best for last! yes chocolate also lowers cortisol, but only in its dark greater that 70% cocoa form about 1.4 oz worth... if you're watching calories know that this stuff packs a punch!
So knowing that these foods are good for you, knowing that they will help you reduce the effects of stress in your body; how do you incorporate them? I will dig into this a whole lot deeper when we get to nutrition week, however will power and nutritional empowerment start at the grocery store! Buy these foods, skip the fruit loops and potato chips this week; and have a plan on how they are going to get used!
In my kitchen there are three jars of nuts readily available for snacking at all times, and you will likely find a dark chocolate bar in the door of the freezer too... my afternoon snack is often a half a red pepper and a handful of pistachios or almonds, you will find the same things packed in both my daughter and my husbands lunches.
Four years ago I began 'lining' plates with spinach; a handful of fresh spinach under the scrambled eggs, the mashed potatoes, the spaghetti squash; easiest hack ever to get a serving of greens into everyone! Over night oats are a quick and delicious way to enjoy oatmeal; and I am a self proclaimed lover of the cookie... the deal I have with myself is I can only eat cookies if I make them myself; oatmeal cookies are my fave!
The best and least stressful way to use foods is to keep adding good food to your daily intake, eventually you will crowd out the choices that are fueling stress, and you will have replaced them with ones that are fueling health! One better choice at a time!
We have become a fast moving, sedentary culture... kind of a contradiction right? Not really, think about it; we want everything fast, we want it convenient, and easy; but we want to chill out while it's all happening! There's an App for that... you probably have it on your phone!
I believe that more and more people are trending towards health; I believe that more and more people are looking to take control of their health and what they are eating; and that makes my heart happy!
I was blessed with the option to be an at home mom; I also came with a built in 'I want to make it myself' motivation that has served my family very well! I love being in the kitchen, I have a long standing love of using whole fresh ingredients; we were never big consumers of process foods... infact the standing joke at my kids school was that my kids could trade two of my homemade cookies for a fruit roll up, a granola bar and a juice box!
So what about the working mom, the stressed out mom, the tired mom, the mom who really doesn't want to be in the kitchen? There are tonnes of process and lightly processed options; and even more so quick and easy ways to make a healthy meal available that no one should be eating tv dinners! You can do this! Pick a one pot recipe that is packed with veggies and give it a go! Get familiar with product labels and if process is your only option find the your best process option; it isn't about perfection it's about the next best choice!
I'm a big fan of big batch cooking! I make a big pot of soup, or stew, or chilli, or pans of lasagna and I freeze meal portions... you're in the kitchen once; and you have meals to spare for days when time doesn't have your back! Don't even get me started on leftovers; they are my saving grace day to day!
Busy lives with high stress levels have nutritional requirements that quite frankly must be met in order to maintain optimal health. blah blah blah right? Actually yes it is right, when we nourish and fuel our bodies we are much better capable of successfully navigating an otherwise stressful life! Beyond eliminating what you can in terms of stress, above the quick fixes of legs up the wall and essential oil jewellery, there is food!
Before I get into the foods that will actually work in your body to reduce stress; let's get the four top stress feeders outta the way! No one is really going to like this list but here it is:
1. Caffeine - stimulates your nervous system and increases cortisol levels, a cup in the morning to get
you going if that's your thing is ok but find something else to sip on throughout the day if you need to calm down!
2. Refined sugar - this stuff is everywhere!!! beyond that fact that it is void of any nutrients it also spikes your blood sugar, which leads to irritability and poor concentration
3. Alcohol - a few sips may make you feel like you're relaxed but alcohol stimulates the same hormones that stress does and they have been found to actually 'feed' each other; alcohol can actually prolong feelings of tension brought on by stress, and stress can reduce the pleasant effects of alcohol and spike cravings for more
4. High Sodium Foods - fluid is attracted to sodium, so you will retain fluid causing more work for your heart, increasing your blood pressure, which can lead to bloating, water retention, and puffiness, draining your energy levels and increasing stress
1. Snack on nuts - yes they are high in fat and should be added with portion control, however they are packed with vitamin B a mood booster, pistachios pack potassium which is proven to lower blood pressure
2. Red Peppers - these delicious beauties are packed with Vitamin C which is known to help lower cortisol levels
3. Salmon - always check your sources here but omega 3 is proven to help reduce anxiety and wild caught salmon is a great source... or talk to your nutritionist about a good quality supplement!
4. Spinach - high in magnesium which helps regulate both cortisol and blood pressure - magnesium is flushed from the body during periods of high stress so it's important to ensure you are getting enough in your diet - beans and brown rice are also great sources of magnesium
5. Oatmeal - known to help your body generate destressing neurotransmitters like serotonin oatmeal is a 'feel good' comfort food for sure! It's also a complex carb so it doesn't spike your blood sugar the way breads or pastas will, helping you stay fueled longer!
6. Dark Chocolate - saved the best for last! yes chocolate also lowers cortisol, but only in its dark greater that 70% cocoa form about 1.4 oz worth... if you're watching calories know that this stuff packs a punch!
So knowing that these foods are good for you, knowing that they will help you reduce the effects of stress in your body; how do you incorporate them? I will dig into this a whole lot deeper when we get to nutrition week, however will power and nutritional empowerment start at the grocery store! Buy these foods, skip the fruit loops and potato chips this week; and have a plan on how they are going to get used!
In my kitchen there are three jars of nuts readily available for snacking at all times, and you will likely find a dark chocolate bar in the door of the freezer too... my afternoon snack is often a half a red pepper and a handful of pistachios or almonds, you will find the same things packed in both my daughter and my husbands lunches.
Four years ago I began 'lining' plates with spinach; a handful of fresh spinach under the scrambled eggs, the mashed potatoes, the spaghetti squash; easiest hack ever to get a serving of greens into everyone! Over night oats are a quick and delicious way to enjoy oatmeal; and I am a self proclaimed lover of the cookie... the deal I have with myself is I can only eat cookies if I make them myself; oatmeal cookies are my fave!
The best and least stressful way to use foods is to keep adding good food to your daily intake, eventually you will crowd out the choices that are fueling stress, and you will have replaced them with ones that are fueling health! One better choice at a time!
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