Sleep is the #1 protector that gives us the armor to fight off the challenges (stressors) we face during the day. Sleep affects our stress response, which impacts our hunger hormones. A lack of sleep raises cortisol, which demands we get glucose (sugar) to fuel the brain. This is why we crave a combination of carbs and sugar. It gives the body what it seeks as quickly as possible. When we are "stressed out" we look for something to calm us down to deal with this chemical response in the body. It makes sense, but in the end, we feel sluggish, depressed and irritable, which causes us to reach for something to make us feel better in the moment, only to repeat the cycle. Making the right choices becomes crucial to ditch the cascading hormone response that will cause you to eat those foods that will lead you to feel like crap. Check out are my top 5 tips to avoid this trap ...
Here are my top 5 tips to avoid stress eating: 1. Drink 8 oz of water before eating something!!! Try warm water to stimulate healthy digestion. This helps to stave off cravings. 2. Delay eating your first meal. This will help you to keep blood sugar stable throughout the day versus that rollercoaster of energy highs and lows. 3. Crowd out sugar and carbs by eating a healthy combination of protein, healthy fat and fiber for your first meal. Try for eggs with avocado and some veggies. Or a smoothie with a collagen protein powder, kale, flax, hemp and/or chia seeds and full fat coconut milk. These options will start you off on a path to making better food choices, fill you up and give you a sustained supply of energy. 4. Get some movement. Put your shoes on and start moving. Give yourself 10 minutes and keep going if you can. Just start. 5. Breathe. This is huge to calm your stress hormone response, moving us out of our sympathetic nervous system (fight & flight) into our parasympathetic nervous system (rest & digest/calm). Try a 4-7-8 breathing: Breathe in 4 counts, hold at the top of the breath for 7 counts and exhale for 8 counts. To set up your personalized healthy nutrition, movement and lifestyle plan to thrive, contact me at kristin@kristinfitness.com or visit my website at kritinfitness.com