Stress and The Importance of Balancing What We Eat

It's almost the Holidays, which can often mean multiple dishes of food, the stresses of food portions, and the effects of how we feel after we eat. Many suggest steering clear of favorite treats all together for their high-carb, high-sugar content. However, some also suggest partaking in the food festivities in moderation to prevent unneeded stress.

Science suggests that the Holidays can impact weight gain and/or loss (Abdulan et al. 2023), emphasizing the controversies of obesity, unhealthy weight loss, and even stress. Because it can impact either weight scenario, it is best for one to manage their stress during this time: the time that is said to be most fun spent with loved ones.

There are three wellness tips you can adopt to maintain your peace during the Holiday season. The first thing is to be mindful of a nutrient-dense diet. You may not need to remove anything from your diet but rather add more fruits and veggies to it. Other times, you may need to remove a few things, but what I have learned is that removing certain foods in your diet does not always have to be lifelong. In other words, you might not be able to eat that slice of pie now, but you may be able to next week!

The second thing is to practice moderate physical exercise. Depending on where you are in your wellness journey, you may be required to increase your cardio workout. However, in some cases, a simple 15-min. walk could suffice. Before I do any exercise, I try to stretch to avoid injury to my muscles.

The third thing is trying a new wellness exercise like meditation or deep breathing. And, if you are spiritual, there is an additional thing you can add to your wellness plate. Some religions suggest that moderation in all things is key. This can particularly be seen in Christianity, Buddhism, Islam, Hinduism, Judaism, and many more. Many of these religions specifically practice intermittent fasting to prevent over- and under-consumption of things like food. When I personally fasted, I noticed that my cravings for certain foods went away for a while, like sugar, and was replaced with cravings for nutrient-dense vegetables and fruits.

There are many other things we worry about in life. Food consumption should not be one of them. As long as we listen to our doctors on what practices we can implement and what foods we can eat to preserve or regain our wellbeing, then what and when we eat can become one of the best parts of our day. Here's to the Holidays!

References

Abdulan, I. et al. (2023). Winter holidays and their impact on eating behavior--A systemic review. Nutrients, vol. 15(no. 9), p. 4201. https://doi.org/10.3390/nu15194201