Have you ever been stressed out before? You may think that is a silly question, but we need to prepare ourselves for stressful situations because they are different for everyone. What might be stressful to one person may be relaxing to someone else. It is important to recognize stress when it presents itself. One reason is to help prevent us from becoming a ‘stress eater.’ It is easy to turn to so-called ‘comfort foods’ at times of stress. And, of course, we are not reaching for broccoli or celery. We tend to turn to chocolate, muffins, donuts, candy, potatoes chips, processed foods, fatty and fried foods, etc. For some, stress can actually trigger our brain to crave sugar, fat and salty foods. But such foods can weaken our immune system and cause unwanted weight gain and some chronic health problems. You can take control in times of stress by doing something other than eating like taking a walk or calling a friend, distracting yourself from eating especially since you are really not even physically hungry. When you are hungry, include foods like romaine lettuce, spinach, salmon, pistachios, cashews, oranges, bananas, avocados and drinks such as green or chamomile tea. These foods can help lower your blood pressure and help calm you. So does deep breathing throughout your day too. So the next time you are stressed, stop and think before you grab that donut! Food is not the answer; try some of these other effective stress-less tips. You’ll feel more in control and much calmer in the long run.
Check out this tasty creature 🙂 Calming Caterpillar