STRESS RESILIENCE – STRESS AND EATING
“Stress is the
spice of life.”
- Hans Selye
Did you know?
Chronic stress can
weaken our ability to
fight disease, but by
increasing our intake of
antioxidant-rich fruits
and vegetables, we can
boost our immune
system. Acorn squash
and carrots, for example,
are great sources of the
antioxidant beta-carotene.
And citrus fruits provide
plenty of vitamin C,
another stress-busting
antioxidant.
Facing Stress with Resilience
How do you handle stress? Are you easily able to put things in perspective, or
do the everyday stressors of life push you over the edge?
While most of us aren’t dealing with “fight or flight” events, it’s those everyday
stressors, like making it to a meeting on time, or getting the kids to their
activities that can increase our anxiety and decrease our quality of life.
You can actually make stress work for you. The key is to learn from it and use
it as a motivation for change. That’s called resilience, the ability to adapt when
things go wrong.
There are several traits associated with resilience that can help us adapt to
stressors, and bounce back more easily from life’s hardships.
Resilience Traits
Decisiveness
Sense of Purpose
Values
Flexibility
Self-Care
Humor
Responsibility
Support
Stress-Busting Smoothie
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1 banana
1, 16-ounce bag frozen
berries
2 cups vanilla soy milk
¼ cup wheat germ
Blend until smooth.
Optimism
Acting with influence instead of helplessness in the face of
adversity.
A commitment to life, and having the ability to interpret
personal experiences at life’s most challenging moments.
Important principles and beliefs.
The ability to adapt and respond in different ways. Finding
new solutions to challenges at hand.
Attending to individual needs physically, mentally,
emotionally and spiritually.
Maintaining a strong sense of humor when faced with
challenging circumstances.
Taking responsibility for your own actions, and their
outcomes, for better or worse.
Cultivating relationships and drawing on them for support
when needed.
Having a positive outlook. Focusing on the “cans” instead of
the “cannots”.
Luckily, resilience can be developed and strengthened over time. To discover
and strengthen your resilience traits, think about which traits you rely on during
stressful situations and how you use them when approaching life’s challenges.
Then, think about which traits you would like to strengthen and the types of
situations where they could be employed. Review your progress by recognizing
which traits you are strengthening, and where you might need more work.
Fact is, we can’t get rid of stress, but we can control our reactions and
behaviors associated with it.
Source: National Wellness Institiute, Wellness Management. Winter 2003 – 2004, Vol 19, No. 4.
Stress Resilient Nutrition
Don’t forget to
track your steps!
What are some of the foods you crave when you’re stressed out? It’s probably
not carrot and celery sticks. Most likely, you seek out foods like cookies, candy,
ice cream, chips and pizza, and there’s a good reason why.
When we are in a state of stress, our bodies need energy to help us respond.
This energy comes from stored sugar and fat. When the stress subsides, our
bodies need to replenish the energy that was used during the stress response, so
we are left craving foods that are high in fat and sugar.
“Stressed” is “Desserts” Spelled Backwards
Snacks to “De-stress”
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½ whole grain bagel
topped with peanut
butter
Yogurt mixed with wheat
germ or granola
Oatmeal mixed with soy
milk, walnuts and dried
fruit
Baby carrots dipped in
hummus or black bean
dip
Sliced hard-boiled egg on
a slice of whole wheat
bread
Since stress isn’t going away, the solution is to increase your stress-resilience,
practice stress management techniques, and “de-stress” your eating so you
aren’t left craving candy bars and potato chips at day’s end.
Follow these tips for stress-resilient nutrition:
Eat high quality, low stress carbohydrates and lean protein. Choose
fruits, veggies and whole grains, (whole wheat bread, whole wheat pasta, brown
rice) and lean sources of protein in the way of fish, poultry, lean meat, low-fat
dairy, and vegetarian options. Consume dense carbohydrates (pasta, bread,
potatoes, rice) in moderation, primarily during the day. Include in smaller
quantities at dinner.
Have a mid-morning snack. If you eat breakfast before 8am, eat a snack
including low fat protein such as string cheese, yogurt or cottage cheese, and a
piece of fruit.
Never skimp on lunch. This becomes the main meal of the day as we get
older, and will help prevent late-day overeating.
Eat a mid-afternoon snack about 3 hours after lunch. This will
diminish the potential stress-induced appetite around 3 – 4 pm. Again, include
some protein along with fruit or some type of whole grain.
Watch your timing. Eat at least 65% of your daily calories before 5 pm, not
Feed Your Spirit…
“You are where your
thoughts have brought
you; you will be tomorrow
where your thoughts take
you.”
- James Allen
Coming Next Week:
Fueling your body for the
10,000 Step Challenge.
after. Try to eat dinner before 8 pm and leave at least 2 hours without eating
before bed. The later we eat, the more mindless it becomes.
In addition…Plan meals ahead of time to avoid mindless eating, avoid refined
sugars, consume foods high in fiber to give a sense of fullness, drink water
throughout the day, watch your alcohol intake, and plan a few treats during the
week and take time to enjoy and savor them.