Stress and Healthy Eating

Posted: Oct 28 in Weight Loss Blog by Staff

Eating a healthful diet when you’re stressed is an act of will. Whether you live in Bonita Springs or anywhere else, you will have to stay away from the comfort foods that will lead to weight gain and negative health consequences. This is especially true if you’ve had obesity surgery like stomaphy X, where your diet must be strictly controlled anyway.

What to Eliminate

If you’re undergoing stress, you should eliminate or restrict substances from your diet that exacerbate that stress. These types of items include:

• Caffeine: In America, most people consume the amount of caffeine that’s in two cups of coffee every day. Though most people can handle this amount, if you’re under stress you’re most likely sensitive to caffeine, even the caffeine in decaffeinated coffee. This sensitivity leads to more anxiety, as well as insomnia.
• Alcohol: Alcohol stresses the body. If you’re under stress you should avoid it, especially since alcohol disrupts normal sleep.
• Sugars and Other Refined Carbohydrates Like Bleached Flour: Sugars and refined carbohydrates can lead to hypoglycemia and other problems controlling blood sugar.
• Foods You’re Allergic To: Food allergies can lead to anxiety, fatigue, aches and pains, difficulty in concentrating and depression, all of which can make it difficult to plan and eat a healthy diet. Strangely, the foods you’re allergic to are often the foods that you crave when you’re under stress.

In addition to these foods that you should avoid, there are also things you should do to help enhance your diet and relieve stress.

• Increase the Potassium to Sodium Ratio of Your Food: Substitute foods with more potassium, such as bananas, for foods that are full of sodium, like potato chips.
• Eat Prepared Meals In a Relaxed Environment: Your meals should be planned, even to the point of making a meal chart. Meals shouldn’t be eaten in a noisy or stressful atmosphere, and should never be eaten on the run.