4 Tips to Keep Your Diet in Check When You’re Stressed

When stressed or anxious, many of us turn to unhealthy eating habits to cope with our emotions. This usually goes one of two ways, eating an excess of unhealthy foods (sugar, salt, alcohol), or not eating anything at all.

If you’re in the first camp, it might be 

tempting to reach for something sweet, but those chocolate chip cookies can do more harm than good. Research shows that sugar spikes can make us feel even MORE anxious. So opt for a glass of water and some protein instead, which will provide a slower stream of energy for our body to use. I ease my sugar cravings I started making grain-free cupcakes, so they are lower in carbs than normal cupcakes and they are made with nut flour which is nutritious. I also use a small amount of coconut sugar to sweeten them (each cupcake ends up with only 4 grams of sugar).

On the other end of the spectrum, forgetting to eat or avoiding food can result in low blood sugar, making you feel nervous, irritable, and more anxious than you were to start with. If you tend to skip meals when you’re anxious, opt for easy-to-digest foods like soup, broth, or a smoothie. When I'm on this side of the spectrum, or simply in a hurry, I make a smoothie with just coconut milk, collagen, some vegetable powder like vita mineral green, and vegan protein powder, and sometimes I put dandelion tea or chai tea as a flavoring. For a little fat, I may add a handful of nuts, chia seeds, or hemp. Then later I follow it up with a well-balanced meal of protein, and veggies.

For both parties, avoiding excess caffeine and alcohol is a must! Caffeine is a well-known anxiety inducer, and alcohol messes with your serotonin levels, making your symptoms worse.

Instead, opt for water, caffeine-free tea, or broth. You may not realize it, but not drinking enough water can make your anxiety symptoms worse, as dehydration can cause heart palpitations while leading to feelings of panic.

Remember, I'm always here to help email me your stress and anxiety questions at ContactToni@drToniCamacho.com. Also, stress and anxiety may be managed with herbal supplements and essential oils so click here now to check out my herbal supplements to manage stress and anxiety.

p.s. I will be on vacation from 5/4 to 5/8. So if you are running out of your supplements or need to place a new order do it no later than the end of the day Monday, so I have time to ship them before I go.

See you next week,
Toni