The American Psychological Association publishes annual reports on stress in the United States. According to reports this year, we’re more stressed in 2021, than last year. (1) The ongoing pandemic and political unrest leave 75% of us on edge. Throw in work, family, finances and social media intake, we need healthy tools to help us destress and let go. Creating lifestyle goals with diet and exercise is great. But understanding how stress affects us is crucial to reaching those goals.
Meal planning for weight loss helps us reach goals. But we have to stick with it. Stress is sneaky and upends the best well-laid plans. Bring awareness to your stress and learn to respond with healthy tools. Stress management is crucial to shaping the enjoyable lifestyle you desire.
Comfort Eating Happens
We’ve all been there. The kids stress you out, work stacks up and you’re avoiding looking at the massive pile of the laundry building up. You need something. Chocolate. Something crunchy to take the edge off. It’s 5 o’clock somewhere, right?
At that moment, we’re not craving carrots. We want comfort, a hit of dopamine, some pleasure to take the edge off reality. A study done by the Centre for Physical Activity and Nutrition in Australia shows chronic stress triggers cravings for energy-dense foods. Especially food is high in sugar and fat. (2). Over time, diets rich in sugar and fat lead to weight gain and obesity.
It takes a lot of effort to eat healthy consistently. Preparing for those moments ahead helps us navigate without bombing the meal plan. The next time that moment comes, because it will, take note of what you reach for. Awareness is the first step to making better choices.
Lack of Time
We all have the same amount and it’s never enough. Quarantine in 2020 hit the pause button on our busy schedules. In 2021, we’re right back to it. Doing too much, leaving little to no margin in our day is stressful. Try adding in meal planning, finding healthy recipes, cooking, and grocery shopping. Hitting the easy button with fast food and take-out is a common solution for busy, stressed-out Americans.
My wise mom gave me the advice – keep life as simple as possible, life gets complicated on its own. DishQuo app simplifies meal planning and grocery shopping for you. Saving you plenty of time on creating a plan, finding recipes, and going to the store. The huge weight of eating healthy just got lighter and quicker.
How Can We Manage Stress Without Food
Stress will come. Plan before it hits and you’re more likely to cope better. Take time to reflect on things that bring you joy. A relaxing bath, journaling, or doing a puzzle are easy to do and don’t need a lot of planning or time. Take note of these things and have them on hand for a hard day.
It’s easy to scroll social media or read the news when we want to disconnect. But many studies show it has the opposite effect. Take a break from these apps and engage your mind elsewhere.
If disconnecting with a weekend camping trip refreshes you, schedule them regularly. Trying to plan for that when stress hits, may not be possible. Taking an enjoyable quarterly trip helps you handle stress better when it does come.
Being proactive instead of reactive with stress management not only helps deal with stress but creates an enjoyable lifestyle. The more we create a life we love, the less stress will impact us when it does come.
1) https://www.apa.org/news/press/releases/2021/02/adults-stress-pandemic
2) https://www.sciencedirect.com/science/article/pii/S0899900707002493?via%3Dihub
0 Comments