Feeling sluggish, blah, and unmotivated at work, at home, or with the family? Low energy and motivation can hinder productivity, and low productivity increases stress and frustration. What if I told you that the foods we eat also have a huge impact on our stress levels, overall mood, and ability to get after our goals? Follow the tips below to reduce stress, boost energy, and hustle hard.
1) Build a Healthy Plate
Ensure you're getting a variety of nutrients by building a healthy and well-balanced plate. Fill your plate ½ with veggies and fruit, ¼ lean protein (think chicken breast, turkey, fish), and ¼ complex carb (brown rice, oatmeal, quinoa, etc.).
This well-balanced plate will reduce stress and increase energy and productivity. Make sure to include a little bit of healthy fat (avocado, olive oil, nuts, etc.) to help with satiety. Eating a well balanced meal also helps to stabilize blood sugar so you’re not getting hangry (hungry +angry) mid-day.
2) Fill your Plate with Brightly Colored Fruits + Veggies
A diet high in fruits and vegetables is going to provide you with essential nutrients, give you energy, help fight off illness, and reduce stress levels. When we eat nutritious foods that decrease stress, our attention, energy and productivity improve.
Start your grocery trip by walking the perimeter of the store where you will find all the brightly colored, non-processed foods. Frozen fruits and veggies are okay too (and usually less expensive!), just make sure there are no added sugars or other preservatives. When in doubt, choose color!
3) Limit Foods Linked to High Stress and Chronic Medical Issues
Processed foods, added sugars, caffeine/alcohol, and trans fats have been shown to have a negative impact on mood and overall health. High stress eating can lead to chronic medical issues, weight gain, and fatigue.
Focus on adding foods that fuel your day and provide you with steady energy, and limit foods that are deep fried, high in added sugar, and can sit on a shelf for a long time.
Summary
Follow the tips above to fuel your body to reduce stress, boost concentration and energy, and increase productivity so you can feel your best.
Our food intake and ability to fuel our body is such an important part of our overall well being and stress levels, so make sure your eating is supporting your physical and emotional health!
Sick of stress getting you down? My signature 1:1 coaching program helps you address eating for low stress and so much more for a comprehensive approach to help you prevent and manage stress so you can reach all of your goals.
Book a discovery call so we can talk more about how to take charge of your life and your goals.
------About Dr. Julia
Hi! I'm Dr. Julia. Health psychologist, stress and sleep expert, and creator of the Master Stress Method.
I have worked with thousands of individuals in major hospitals, university medical centers, and primary care settings to improve their stress levels, sleep, and overall emotional and physical well being.
My current focus is helping busy professionals prevent and manage the high stress that is getting in the way of their productivity, mood, sleep, and their ability to reach their full potential.
My 8-week, 1:1 coaching program has helped hundreds of stressed out, overwhelmed, and burned out clients significantly reduce their stress and anxiety, improve their sleep, and maximize their productivity, in just 8 short weeks.
I can't wait to help you stop the struggle with stress, for good. Let's chat :)