Nutrition and Stress Management

Boost your energy and stress less

Good nutrition will change your life - it’s that powerful. It will quickly improve energy levels, and help you manage stress more easily.

Here’s how healthy eating helps:

1. Eating more fruits and vegetables improves curiosity, creativity, memory, joy, positivity, and overall feelings of well-being.
2. Whole grains and healthy fats slows the metabolism of your food, meaning that you have steady energy for longer instead of experiencing energy spikes.
3. Foods high in omega-3 fatty acids (like most fish) can decrease symptoms of anxiety and depression.
4. Eating less food overall decreases fatigue and sluggishness.
5. Drinking enough water stabilizes your mood and makes stress easier to manage.

And if these eating behaviours sound familiar, it’s because all of them are reflected in the My Healthy Plate nutrition guidelines.

MORE ABOUT DAILY HABIT #3: "I WILL EAT SLOWLY AND UNTIL I FEEL 80% FULL"

This powerhouse habit reduces your portion sizes and prevents overeating. It helps you learn how much food you need to be satisfied, rather than stuffed. Food tastes better and digests easily when you take your time, making meals more enjoyable. 

Eating until 80% full, or Hara Hachi Bu, is a time-tested strategy practiced by the people of Okinawa, Japan (who just happen to be one of the longest living & healthiest populations in the world!).

How do I build this habit?

1. When you sit down to eat, use a stopwatch. Gradually slow down your eating until each meal takes about 20 minutes to finish.
2. Take smaller bites and chew twice as much as usual (most people don’t chew nearly enough).
3. Take 80% of your usual serving size, and don’t go for more until you’ve waited at least 20 minutes.
4. When eating out, ask the server to provide a takeaway container immediately, then pack up a fifth of your meal before you start.
5. Avoid eating lunch at your desk.

How do I measure my success?

Monitor: Make a note at the end of each meal if you didn’t eat slower than usual or until you were 80% full.

Sources

• http://www.health.harvard.edu/blog/nutritional-strategies-to-ease-anxiety-201604139441
• https://mpra.ub.uni-muenchen.de/59149/1/MPRA_paper_59149.pdf
• https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/25080035
• https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/21784145
• https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/22855911
• http://news.psu.edu/story/380778/2015/11/13/research/3d-printing-aids-understanding-food-enjoyment
• http://www.precisionnutrition.com/all-about-slow-eating