Stress affects eating

People handle stress in different ways but one fairly universal manifestation of stress is an impact on eating. For some it may mean skipping meals, for others it may be overconsuming junk, but however it's handled, stress inevitably leads to an imbalance in eating behavior. One way I know that I've had a stressful, overscheduled week is to look back at what I ate. For example, last week on Thursday I had a bag of popcorn as my lunch. I was juggling a bunch of projects at once and couldn't stop to take a break so grabbed a bag of popcorn (luckily it was light) and it ended up being my lunch. It was pretty much the caloric equivalent at 500 calories so I didn't do major damage, which could've happened if I'd grabbed chips or cookies instead. Most of my week was similar with grabbing this or that and failing to sit down to enjoy any meal at all. I could probably count the number of vegetables I had the whole week on one hand, which is really unusual for me. Luckily, things got back on track by the weekend and I had more acceptable meals that included some fruits and veggies.
Thinking about my week, it's easy to see how stress and "having too much on your plate" so to speak can lead to a downward spiral of overeating and weight gain. It's important to address stress and time management issues and find ways to "lighten the load, as in stuff to do" as we try to address eating and how to "lighten the load, as in pounds." Becoming aware of what you're putting in your mouth, how that's affected by everything else going on in your life, and a strategy for managing the stress is a good step towards a more healthful lifestyle. I've found just telling others about what's happening and how you're feeling can help in finding a creative solution to time crunches. Someone else may volunteer to watch your kids or run an errand for you, for example.
This week I have a plan so it doesn't happen again. I'm going to take a set 20 minute lunch break each day sometime between 12 and 1 - as a mom, I've learned I've got to be a little flexible with the schedule - and I have the whole wheat bread, turkey breast and baby carrots all ready to go. I'll let you know how it goes.

High-calorie holiday season underway

Now that the holiday season is officially underway, like me, you probably have a million family and friend gatherings/parties in the next month. No matter what religion you do or don't practice, this time of year tends to bring people together and that always means lots of food. Thanksgiving weekend we had people over three of the four days and we didn't even have the holiday here! While it's great to get together and being hospitable is important, there are some strategies you can employ so that all the excess eating doesn't carry on throughout the entire month, weekdays and all. Here's what I do:
1) Send everyone home with the leftover dessert they brought. No need to have the calories tempting you all week long.
2) Serve lots of healthy appetizers: hummus and whole wheat pita, crudite with lowfat dip, shrimp cocktail, reduced fat cheese with whole grain crackers, mini turkey meatballs. You and your guests can fill up on the low cal starters and having those leftover all week won't hurt your waistline. Do not serve these hot apps: anything doughy and filled, pigs-in-a-blanket, anything covered in bacon. At 100-200 calories each, they are just not worth it.
3) Start the meal with broth based soup. Studies show it can help reduce total calorie intake. And again, leftovers makes a nice light meal during the week.
4) Swap one of the usual starchy sides - mashed potatoes, stuffing, rolls - for an extra vegetable like mashed cauliflower or sauteed spinach. Again, lighter leftovers.
5) Lastly, if someone gives you a nice box of chocolates or another food item as a gift, either serve it to your guests (if you have company over) or take one taste and send the rest into work with your husband for his co-workers. Spread the love and the calories!

Wishing you a relaxing and wonderful start to the holiday season. And remember, it's about being with your loved ones, not the food, gifts or decorations.