7 Stress-busting Nutrition Tips

Stress. It’s one word that’s sure to make you feel that familiar pit in your stomach. We’ve all felt stress, whether mental or physical, and we’re all looking for ways to help our body and mind deal with it. Luckily there are ways to cope, and one of those is through what you eat.

According to the National Institute of Mental Health, long-term stress can cause irritability, sleeplessness, and digestive problems, and over time can lead to more serious problems like heart disease, high blood pressure, and depression or anxiety.

Uncontrolled stress can take a serious toll on your body and your mind, but fighting back with good nutrition can get you back on track. The tricky thing is, that may be exactly the opposite of what you want to do right now.

At the exact time that you need to be eating healthier, your body may be trying to get you to crave less nutrient-dense foods. And giving into those cravings can make your body more at risk for stress-related issues.

But recognizing the issue ahead of time can help you get the comfort you crave while still getting the nutrients you need. Mix the tasty foods below into your meal plan to boost your mood and reduce the negative effects of stress.

1. Probiotics

Research shows that stress has the power to negatively affect the good bacteria in our gut. Reducing the quantity of good bacteria in our gut seems to increase the negative effects of stress, but our diets are directly associated with the bacteria in our gut.

Yogurt is the most well-known source of probiotics, but don’t miss out on other sources like sauerkraut, tempeh, kimchi, and kombucha. In addition, these foods may help with your immune system, which is also dependent on your gut health.

2. Fiber-rich carbs

Now that we know how important it is to maintain a healthy gut when it comes to our mental health, fiber is another critical component in this relationship.

You can get fiber from a variety of foods, such as starchy vegetables, fruit, and whole grains like brown rice, quinoa, buckwheat, oats. Not only do these foods help boost the healthy bacteria in our bellies, but these forms of carbohydrate also can increase the stress-reducing hormone serotonin.

3. Omega-3 fatty acid

Those fishy foods have a super power and that’s omega-3 fatty acids. Your body can’t make these essential fats by itself, so you have to get them through food.

Fatty fish are also rich sources of B vitamins which play many vital roles in the body, such as calming the nervous system and balancing mood. If you’re not a fan of fish, a krill oil supplement can help you get the same benefits.

4. Rhodiola rosea

This herb may be garnering new attention, but it’s been used as a traditional medicine in eastern and northern Europe for centuries.

Taking a rhodiola supplement in the morning can help you support cortisol levels, and unlike other stimulants like caffeine, it doesn’t seem to increase your heart rate or blood pressure.

5. Chamomile

Long touted as the tea of choice for chill grandmas, chamomile has some helpful calming effects. A 2016 study of new mothers found that drinking chamomile tea every night for two weeks led to better sleep quality, which is understandably critical in those first months of early parenthood.

6. Chocolate

Yes, chocolate is a treat. But a little bit of dark chocolate, which is the highest in flavonoids and lowest in added sugar, can be a great mood booster.

Ingesting chocolate has also been to decrease perceived stress, which in itself takes a toll on the body. In one study some stressed out medical students were able to decrease their perceived stress by eating a small amount of chocolate every day.

7. Antioxidants

We hear a lot about antioxidants, but once you understand their function, it’s a no-brainer that a diet rich in these molecules can do wonders for stress.

Make an antioxidant smoothie by adding several sources of antioxidants like berries and dark leafy greens to get a variety and balance of nutrients. You can also add some of the other foods on this list like yogurt, flaxseeds, and chocolate to compound benefits.

Chocolate Beast Smoothie

Need a meal replacement or weight gainer shake? Give our Chocolate Beast a shot!

Chocolate Beast recipe:
- 2 cups whole milk or chocolate milk
- 1/4 cup peanut butter
- 2 frozen bananas
- 1 scoop chocolate protein
- 1 cup full fat Greek yogurt

Using whole milk, it’s 1200 calories, 66g protein, 117g carb (105g net carbs), 12g fiber, 57g fat as well as >100% DV vitamin A and calcium

Give it a shot and let us know what you think!

The 80/20 Rule

Fountain of Health

Agua, high quality H2O, plain ol’ water or my favorite, Adam’s Ale. No matter what you call it, water is absolutely a cornerstone to life. Water comprises ~70% of our body and plays a role in every bodily function. From temperature regulation and lubricant of joints to detoxification, adequate water consumption is necessary for an optimized lifestyle.

 As the hot season is rapidly approaching, one way to prepare is by making small changes today in the amount of water you drink. Usually I suggest people get half to a full ounce of water per pound of body weight, but as it gets warmer and you sweat more, that amount can be increased individually. Or as I saw on a meme once, “if you drink a gallon of water a day, you won’t have time for people’s drama because you’ll be too busy peeing.”

 If it is hard to remember to drink water through the day you can try getting a water bottle and set an alarm to fill it up every hour, empty or not.

If you don’t like the taste of water try adding cucumber, lemon, or mint to the water to spruce it up. You can even drink unsweetened green tea that will provide antioxidants as well. Whatever way you find helpful, do that.

 Finally, and least of all, eat more vegetables and fruits. Any fresh fruits and vegetables are great ways to increase your fluid intake through your food. Aim for at least 3 colors of produce on each plate to have a variety! Some water-rich produce include: cucumber (97%); lettuce, celery, zucchini (95%), spinach (92%); broccoli (91%); carrots (87%); tomato (94%); watermelon (92%); grapefruit & strawberries (91%); cantaloupe (90%); peach (88%); apple (84%); pineapple (87%); raspberries (87%); apricot (86%); blueberries (85%); apple (84%); cherries (81%); banana (74%).

 As always, if you have any questions, comments or concerns, feel free to contact me. We can discuss an eating and hydration plan just for you.

Get Ahead of the Carve: 7 Health Benefits of Pumpkins

It’s that time of the year - pumpkin everything!  However, let’s think beyond the pie crust or spiced lattes and explore the many health benefits of pumpkins.

1. Maintain healthy weight

Pumpkins are actually very low in calories and provide some good nutritional value. For example, 1 cup of cooked pumpkin is only 49 calories but is jam-packed with fibrous carbohydrates (12 g {3g fiber}), protein (2 g) and fat (0.2 g).

2. Build healthy bones

Usually bone health isn't at the top of our list for nutritional considerations, but that doesn't mean it's not important.  Pumpkins are high in magnesium with 11% of your referenced daily intake (RDI). Even though we link calcium and Vitamin D to strong bones, magnesium is actually responsible for transporting the calcium in the body.

3. Reduce blood pressure

With high blood pressure affecting 1 in 3 adults, using natural food intake for reduction is a fantastic helpful first step for your health. As we already know, pumpkins are high in magnesium, but they are also high in potassium (16% of RDI), which make this combo great for blood pressure regulation. Applying pumpkins with a low sodium, fruit and vegetable rich diet help to take your blood pressure regulation a step further!

4. Reduce stress

Family and friends make the holidays great, but all of the great foods add to the festive experience! Pumpkin, and other Thanksgiving Day foods such as turkey, contain tryptophan, an amino acid that has been shown to help manage and even reduce stress. 

Outside of Thanksgiving, a good approach could be to hit the gym and get a good workout, then come home and pair it with a nice pumpkin dish to help you relax and kickback.

• Vitamin B2 (11% of RDI)

5. Reduce your risk of injury

A consistent fitness routine is an essential aspect of a healthy lifestyle. In order to stay consistent, injury prevention is of critical importance. Pumpkin is a great source of Viitamin C (19% of RDI), which boosts collagen production to maintain healthy skin and connective tissues in joints.

6. Boost your heart health

One of the main variables of heart health is managing your LDL or “bad” cholesterol. One great natural way to reduce these levels of LDL are through fibrous fruits and vegetables. As previously mentioned, pumpkins have a great kick of fiber (3g). Although very high, pumpkin does not provide your recommended daily intake completely, so pairing pumpkin with whole grains can be a healthy way to meet those recommendations.

7. Strengthen eyesight
With age comes new worries for our health. One concern is the diminishing eyesight. Pumpkins are here to save the day! They are high in Vitamin A (245% of RDI) which is good for boosting vision health. Vitamin A also helps to reduce the risk of macular degeneration as we age.

Fad Diets

Within nutrition, there is this strange sort of tribalism that I have seen over the past few years.

One side says it has to be this way and the other side says it has to be that way. A lot of the times I feel the true intention of the message gets lost in the quest to be right. Let’s take fad diets for instance. There are those who promote the miracles of the ketogenic diet and its ability to shred weight immediately. Then there are those who will argue the complete opposite and chastise those who say anything positive about the ketogenic diet approach. It’s not so black and white, and ultimately the people who need the information most, get lost in the battle that ensues and never get an answer to “what diet will work best for ME?”

 Here’s the deal, diets, in general, tend to be restrictive and this proves to be less sustainable over time. The only reason I see to restrict food is when it has been identified to cause an allergic reaction or is medically relevant. Rather, I try to introduce new ideas, behaviors, and foods. Introducing foods as opposed to taking away gives more variety. In regard to the fad diets, this restriction and taking away of foods is why I see many people cycle through them instead of staying on them.

However, I do see that most of the fad diets promote the case for reducing the intake of processed foods and increasing the intake of whole foods. This point alone is at the heart of almost every talk I conduct with clients. Notice it’s not restricting processed food intake but reducing. We need to be able to indulge in foods that bring joy and happiness. We need to be able to partake in a stress-free meal with family and friends.

 If I could have you take away just one thing after reading this, it would be that I want people to be skeptical about the information they receive. Just because someone eats good food, does not make them an expert on food, no more than someone with lots of money is a financial advisor.

As always, feel free to contact me with any questions, comments, or concerns.

Be good to yourself and be good to others!

The New Norm

There is a plan to get the economy back up and running after the shutdown and get people out after being quarantined. I imagine that most people will be excited and ready to get back to a sense of normalcy. But why is a Dietitian talking about economy and social interactions? Well, I’d like to express a few things that have been learned from this pandemic that can be used without social restrictions.

One, social distancing is a great way to thwart the spread of a communicable illness, be that virus, bacteria or other disease. Grocery stores have recently, as of the past 2 years or so, provided one of the best ways to prevent spread by their online click list features. You select what you need, they shop for it, and you go pick it up at a convenient time for you. As a father of 4, there really is not many better options to reducing pain and anguish that will most assuredly be had by telling my kids they don’t get candy at the checkout counter. What I have found, is that one of the best ways to maximize savings from this feature, is to make a grocery store list as if you were actually going to the store. Making a list will reduce the chance for random clicks of items we don’t actually need and reduce stress of brand or type selections that need to be made. I imagine if you try this feature, you will find its convenience can be justified even when social distancing is less of a factor.

Second, and right on the heels of number one, is that the value of a good game plan cannot be understated. A game plan gives us the best chance for future success in unexpected times. How does this apply to nutrition? Making a game plan can look like a list of staples to have in the pantry, a calendar with meals for the week or month on it, or even the shopping list as above. As we have seen the grocery stores can run out of items and a well-stocked pantry can alleviate a lot of problems. My pantry is never without items to create a chicken and rice casserole or at the very least, beans and cornbread. Each of these dishes can be scaled up or down accordingly and can be used for multiple days of meals. So, in the event that the grocery stores run out of meat for hamburgers or milk and eggs, I always have pantry items to make a meal on the fly.

I think finally, and most surely not the least of all, we have found the importance of good, quality interactions. We have been quarantined, and if we have been following the rules, we have not been around our friends and family aside from those in immediate household. I know I missed my grandfather’s 96th birthday. God willing, 96 more after this year. Take the time to realize who you miss and why you miss them. Take the time to identify those who are enhancing your life and your path forward, like a Dietitian who laughs and smiles with you as you make progress towards your wellness goals. And when it’s all said and done and we can get back to them, don’t leave their presence again without making it absolutely clear how important they are to you. It’s been tough and it will be tough going forward, but adversity reveals strength and character.

Be good to yourself and be good to others!

Put Some Umph In It

Day 7,051 of Quarantine and I am about sick of making 3 meals a day. I anxiously await the Left-over days I have planned on my schedule to have a break from creating a new dish. I am losing steam and there is only so many peanut butter and honey sandwiches with cinnamon I can make.

One of the things I remember best about being in the field training when I was in the Army, was the MRE’s - Meal Ready to Eat. Some were good, some were less good, but all were a surprise. I fancied myself the Emeril Lagasse due to my ability to mix the components of the provided meal to make a spectacular dish. I added tabasco, Tony Chachere that I kept in my pack, or mixed the cheese filled pretzels in the gumbo! Let’s be honest, it was the best thing I had available, it was probably not that great. However, this got me thinking how to spice up meals that I am making at home.

How can I put some UMPH! to craft mac-n-cheese though? Well, I am glad you asked. Get a can of black beans, drain and rinse the beans, and add them to the mix, now you have added some fiber and protein to the concoction. Have any frozen peas, broccoli, or green beans? Steam them or heat them in the microwave and add those in too. Make the meal colorful and exciting! It’s a great way to get more nutrients and if you have kids, it’s a great way to get them to eat vegetables they usually wouldn’t eat.

Just remember, as a Texins’ Member, you have access to a Registered Dietitian (that’s me!). If you have questions, comments, or concerns, do not hesitate to email or send messages on the Texins’ Facebook page. We are all in this together, in our own separate locations. It will end, and we will be back together someday.

Be good to others and be good to yourself!