Category: Nutrition

5 Ways to Help Your Body Deal with Stress

Last week we talked about positive ways you can deal with stressful situations.  Today let’s get into how we can help our bodies respond more effectively to stress.  Remember, our bodies respond with the “Fight or Flight” response to all stressors, whether they are real or imagined, physical or psychological.  So let’s get to it!

1. SLEEP

Be sure to get at least 7-8 hours of sleep a night.  We all can “get by” on less, but we don’t function as well.  After two consecutive nights of less than 7 hours of sleep, we start to experience some of the effects of sleep deprivation including (but certainly not limited to) impaired vision, low energy, poor judgement, and a shorter temper to name a few.  And get this!  When we sleep less, we tend to eat more, thinking that food will help with our low energy.  So make an effort to get more sleep.  It’s the ultimate “me time”!

Not sure exactly how much sleep you really need?  Try setting an alarm to wake you 8 hours after you go to bed.  If you wake rested and ready for the day before the alarm goes off, then you’ve had enough sleep.

Do you have trouble getting to sleep at night?  Try slowing things down a little earlier in the evening, drink some herbal tea (no caffeine) or do a little stretching. If you have a “monkey mind” that won’t let you relax, write down what is on your mind.  Physically transferring those thoughts from your brain to the paper can help tremendously.  And don’t forget to turn off those electronic devices at least 30-60 minutes before bedtime.  Studies show that exposure to these backlit screens can keep our brains stimulated and “awake” for up to 2-3 hours after exposure.

2. Love and Laughter

Get those endorphins flowing, baby!  Two great ways to do that are with laughter and sex.  Both release endorphins that make us feel good, release tension and get our minds off of other stressors for the time being.  So surround yourself with people who make you happy, laugh and feel good.  Watch a comedy you enjoy or go to a live comedy show.  And, if you have a willing partner who wants to help you release your tension and stress (or not), you can have a little fun between the sheets!

3. Breath/Meditation

Breathing exercises and meditation practice both train us be become more present.  They help us slow down our minds, connect with the present moment, and become more mindful and aware.  When we are more connected, we make more conscious decisions and respond more effectively to stressful situations versus unconsciously reacting from a place of defensiveness.

Here’s an easy breathing exercise to get started with.  First, make sure you are sitting comfortably with both feet flat on the floor and your hands relaxed in your lap.  Take a slow, deep breathe in through your nose, hold the top of the breath for a moment or two, then slowly release a controlled exhale out through your mouth.  Pause again at the bottom of the breath and then repeat again with the inhale.  Try doing this about 10 times and see how you feel.  If you lose count, just start back over at one.  When you finish, you may notice that your heart rate and blood pressure have decreased, your awareness and mental acuity have increased.  Hopefully you will also experience a feeling of relaxation and peace.  Ahhhhh…..  

If you are intimidated by the thought of meditation, have no fear.  There are several great meditation apps out there that provide guided meditations for everyone from beginners to advanced meditators.  Some of them include Omvana, Insight Timer, and Gaiam Meditation.  Those are just a few that I have used. But there are a whole lot more out there.  FYI: Omvana has many more in-app purchases than the other two mentioned.

4. Move it!

Exercise is key to getting your stress hormones back in check.  As I mentioned earlier, our bodies respond with the “Fight or Flight” response regardless of what type of stressor we are experiencing.  If you are being chased by a bear, your “Fight or Flight” response kicks in.  The stress hormones (adrenaline, cortisol and oxytocin) are released into the blood stream causing heart rate, breathing rate and blood pressure to increase. Gastrointestinal function slows down and the senses are heightened.  Then blood sugar and clotting factors are released into the bloodstream.  If being chased by a bear, we would run!  The physical action of running would help us to metabolize those stress hormones and bring their levels back down to their pre-stressor levels.  However, when our stressors are more psychological and have more to do with life’s demands not being in line with the resources we have to meet those demands (like time and money), we can’t physically run away from our problems (at least not usually with much success).  But we can trick our bodies into thinking that we are with regular physical activity.  Exercise simulates running from the bear, thus bringing those stress hormone levels back down to baseline.

5. What you eat makes a difference.

“Let food be thy medicine, and medicine be thy food.” Hippocrates.  What we eat has a tremendous impact on our health, as well as our ability to effectively combat stress.  Focus on eating foods that nourish, and avoid foods that deplete you.  Since your blood sugar is already elevated during the stress response, don’t try to manage it by running to sugary comfort foods.  This will only increase your blood sugar that much more.  Besides, that dessert or sweet treat may make you feel better while you’re eating it, but once that last forkful or spoonful is gone, your problems are still there.  Instead, try eating more whole grains, beans, fruits and vegetables.  These foods are all high in fiber, low in fat and loaded with vitamins, minerals and phytonutrients that our bodies need to perform optimally.

Try to avoid caffeine.  Your nervous system is already stimulated.  Caffeine will only exacerbate the problem.  If chocolate is your go-to stress food, you’re in for a double whammy (sugar and caffeine).  Sorry.

So what should you eat?  Here are a few healthy snack ideas.  How about fresh veggies or whole grain crackers with hummus or yogurt with fresh berries? Celery or apples with a handful of nuts or 1-2 tablespoons of nut butter is another good choice that has a balance of nutrients to make you feel satisfied without exacerbating the stress response.

I hope these few tips are helpful to you.  If you have anything to add, please share and leave a comment below.

 

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Mercy Me Asian Salad

Here’s a recipe that will nourish rather than deplete your body and feed your soul & taste buds some tasty, crunchy slaw!

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As you may or may not know, I’m a pretty steadfast from-scratch kind of cook/baker.  However we all have our favorite quick go-tos to help us whip up something delicious and nutritious in a pinch. Here I used two of them.  Usually when I make a Costco run (which is about weekly), I pick up a bag or two of the Taylor Farms Asian Cashew Chopped Salad.  It’s super yummy and easy to dress up a little, if you so desire.  So this salad mix makes up the base of the salad.  The other pre-made item was the tofu.  I often marinate and bake my own, but seriously sometimes there just isn’t time.  So I usually have a package or two of baked, seasoned tofu in the fridge.  In this case, I happen to have a sesame ginger flavored one on hand.  Can we say “Perfect for Asian Salad!”?

Here are the two packaged foods used in this recipe:

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Some of the other ingredients are very seasonal for spring.  In fact, the scallions and red cabbage grew in my backyard garden and the Cara Cara oranges and asparagus were both locally grown and arrived in my CSA box.  If you haven’t heard of, or participated in, Community Supported Agriculture, I encourage you to look into it.  You get a regularly scheduled box of fresh, local produce each week and an opportunity to help support your local farmers.  Because let’s face it, sometimes we just can’t get to a Farmer’s Market (or we forget to stop at an ATM for cash ahead of time).  Now, for what you’ve been waiting for.  Here’s the recipe!

INGREDIENTS

  • 1 Package Taylor Farms Asian Cashew Chopped Salad (Costco 19 oz size)
  • 1 package Nasoya “tofubaked”, Sesame Ginger, cut into 1″ cubes
  • 1 bunch fresh asparagus, cleaned and trimmed
  • 2-3 scallions (aka green onions) thinly sliced, green parts only
  • 1/4 medium red cabbage, thinly sliced
  • 1 Cara Cara orange, diced
  • seasoning and dressing of choice

DIRECTIONS

  1. Grab a large mixing bowl.  Cut open the salad bag and dump in the veggies (wait to add the packaged toppings).
  2. Heat a medium skillet over medium high heat.  Wipe with a very thin coat of olive oil.  When the pan is hot, add the asparagus.  Season with salt and pepper.  Toss occasionally for even cooking.  You may want to cover with a lid for a couple of minutes to allow the asparagus to cook through, if needed.  When done, transfer to a cutting board and chop into 2 inch pieces.  Add the asparagus to the salad bowl.
  3. OPTIONAL STEP: If you skip searing the tofu, then just toss the tofu cubes into the salad and move on to step 4.  Otherwise, wipe your pan clean.  Add 2 teaspoons oil and when hot, toss in the tofu cubes.  Let sear until golden (1-2 minutes).  Then toss for even browning.
  4. While searing the tofu, slice the scallions and cabbage and throw ’em into the bowl.  Once the tofu is browned it can join the party too!
  5. Now chop up your orange and toss it in, along with the salad toppings that came with the packaged salad.
  6. Dressing Time!  If you prefer to use the dressing that came with the salad, go right ahead.  Personally, I like something fresh, less oily and minimally processed.  Shake on some vinegar (seasoned rice wine vinegar, apple cider vinegar or my favorite pineapple balsamic vinegar) and a tiny drizzle of extra virgin olive oil, if desired.  Season to taste with salt and pepper.
  7. Toss it all up and enjoy!  This makes a BIG salad!  Fortunately, it also makes great leftovers to wrap up in a tortilla or stuff a pita.

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Lunchbox Veggie Wraps

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One day at lunchtime, about a month ago, I was sitting down to dig in when my kids stopped me and said, “Mom!  That wrap is beautiful!  You should take a picture and put it on Facebook!”.  At the time, I hadn’t really given much thought to my quick-lunch-from-whatever-was-in-the-fridge.  But they were right, it was beautiful and they reminded me to not let an opportunity to motivate or inspire others to pass me by.  So I did it!  It got some attention, so I figured why not give you the recipe.  The wrap is perfect for a lunch at home or on the go, since it travels well.  It’s quite versatile.  You can basically whip something like this up with whatever you’ve got available.  Just use your imagination (and your veggies!).

INGREDIENTS:

  • Mixed salad greens
  • 1 small to medium size tomato, seeded and chopped
  • 1/4 avocado, diced
  • 1 small handful shredded carrots
  • 1 green onion (aka scallion) thinly sliced
  • clover sprouts
  • 1 Tablespoon balsamic vinegar
  • Whole wheat tortilla (Here I used a “Food for Life” Sprouted Grain Tortilla).
  • 1-2 Tablespoons Hummus (I like the spicy version!)

DIRECTIONS:

  1. Throw the veggies in a large bowl.  Drizzle with balsamic vinegar and toss to combine
  2. Heat up your tortilla, either on a preheated skillet or in the microwave (about 30 sec.)
  3. Smear the hummus on one side of the tortilla, cover with your salad.
  4. Roll it up, slice it in half and dig in!

So there you go!  Your very own beautiful, delicious, nourishing bistro lunch. Enjoy!!

meltrinidad1 Comment

Craving Sweetness in Your Life? Reach for the Sweeter Things, and I Don’t Mean the Cookies.

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Add sweetness to your life. You’ll need less from your food.

Do you have a sweet tooth?  You are far from alone. Many of us do. Sugary treats are sweet and delicious.  But beware! Anything more than the rare treat can wreak havoc on our bodies. Sugar lowers our pH levels making our bodies an ideal environment for cancer proliferation and disease. It rots our teeth, ages our skin and often leads to weight gain. Increased sugar in the blood stream taxes the pancreas too, possibly leading to insulin resistance or diabetes. YIKES!  Who knew that dessert could do such a thing?!?

No doubt about it, sugar can also be very addictive for some individuals. Eat a little and you crave more and more. But here is the big question… Are your cravings physical or emotional? 

When those cravings hit, take a moment to take a deep breath and ask yourself, “Do I really need something sweet to eat, or am I craving more sweetness in my life?”  Food is a quick, easy replacement for true sweetness, but it often leaves us feeling remorse or even shame.  “Why did I eat that?” “I shouldn’t have.”  Either way, you are going to have to deal with your feelings.  So you get to choose, will it be before hand while you determine what you are truly craving, or afterwards when you are beating yourself up for it.  Please remember a sweet, enjoyable experience should never leave you with an emotional hangover or regret. 

If your body needs some quick energy, and your blood sugar is starting to dip, then of course, you need to eat something sweet.  If that’s the case, then why not reach for a sweet, juicy piece of fresh fruit?  Not only will you be giving your body the quick carbohydrate that it needs, you’ll also be nourishing your body with needed fiber, vitamins, minerals and phytonutrients that it needs to perform optimally.   What an act of self-love! All while indulging in something sweet and delicious.  Its a win-win!  If you are used to very sugary, processed treats then it may take a while to appreciate the sweetness of “nature’s candy”, but as your body adjusts to less processed sugar, so will your taste buds.

So what are some ways you can add a little sweetness to your own life, without food?  Is it a chat with a friend, a spa treatment, giving to others, a form of creative expression, meditation?  It will be different for everyone.  But I encourage you to just listen to your inner guide, your intuition.  It will never steer you wrong.  I invite you to try incorporating at least one of these “sweet treats” into your day, everyday.  See what happens.  You may find that you crave sweet foods less.  And if you care to share, please leave a comment below and let me know how you plan to add more sweetness to your life. I’d love to hear from you!

Have a sweet day!

meltrinidad2 Comments