Do you find yourself foraging for sweet and sugary foods more than usual? Do you constantly want to eat? It seems like this is becoming the norm rather than an isolated incident for many during COVID-19. Yes, it is a stressful time we find ourselves living in. Many are eating more, and craving sugar 12 percent more due to elevated levels of cortisol, which unfortunately is brought on with stress.
How to Stop
So how can we stop this vicious cycle? Be kind to yourself by incorporating strategies to decrease stress such as meditation, yoga and going for walks. Exercise is a great way to decrease the stress in our life as endorphins are released, which make us feel better and happier.
Need some tips? Here are a few that have helped our household:
- Try to control the amount of sugar you ingest to a minimum. Avoid snacks with processed sugar and high in carbohydrates.
- Portion control is key to maintaining weight!
- Think about whether you are really hungry or merely thirsty. Try drinking a glass of water or having a cup of tea before you raid the pantry or visit the snack machine. If you happen to be hungry and thirsty, a smoothie would be a perfect snack option.
- Grab an apple and spread the slices with almond or peanut butter, which is a great snack. Trust me…it helps get over the afternoon lull.
- Try dipping celery or baby carrots in hummus.
- Some options for protein snacks are hard-boiled eggs and raw almonds.
- Check your pantry or buy the ingredients to make your own snacks that are not full of artificial sweeteners.
- Here are links to three recipes:
Three Ingredient Banana Breakfast Cookies
If you happen to eat a pint of ice cream, don’t beat yourself up about it…it will only end up increasing your stress. Let it go (as they sing in “Frozen”) and make better choices the next time. I know I am trying to practice what I preach.
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