Food and Mood

Despite all of the efforts you might make to plan your meals ahead and make healthy snack choices, there may be times when it all goes “out the window”, especially when it comes to stress.

If you’re like most people, you probably don’t crave carrots and celery sticks when you’re stressed out. Most likely, you seek out high fat, high sugar foods such as 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. After all, “stressed” is “desserts” spelled backward.

De-stress Your Eating

Since stress isn’t going away, one of the ways you can help combat stress eating is to “de-stress” your eating so you don’t later find yourself surrounded by empty candy bar wrappers or potato chip bags.

1. Eat high quality, low stress carbohydrates and lean protein. Oatmeal, eggs, yogurt, whole grains, fruit.
2. Have a mid-morning snack. If you eat breakfast before 8am, have a mid-morning snack including protein and fiber. NuGo Fiber d’Lish bars make a great mid-morning snack. They contain both soluble and insoluble fibers, which will keep you feeling full longer.
3. Never skimp on lunch. This becomes the main meal of the day as we get older, and will fill you up to help prevent late-day overeating.
4. 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 and fiber such as fruit or a whole grain.
5. Watch your timing. Eat at least 65% of your daily calories before 5 pm, not after. Try to leave at least two hours without eating before bed. The later we eat, the more mindless it tends to become.
6. Eat real dark chocolate. Studies show that dark chocolate may help boost your mood. With NuGo Slim, you can enjoy a high protein, high fiber snack coated in real dark chocolate!

A few more ideas…

• Consume foods high in fiber to provide a sense of fullness.
• Drink fresh water throughout the day.
• Watch alcohol intake.
• Plan for a few treats during the week, and enjoy them.