Trying to Overcome Fatigue and Stress? Here are 6 Self-Care Food Practices to Adopt Starting Now
The Covid-19 pandemic and the resulting prolonged isolation have tested the mental health of even the best of us.
As the restrictions slowly ease and life returns to normal, we will, once again, find ourselves caught up in the rat-race, so absorbed in the daily commotion. Getting a little break may feel like a blessing.
As we get sucked deeper into the vortex of the daily life, finding appropriate time dedicated to yourself can be quite difficult.
Although the idea of self-care may seem futile to many, it is absolutely crucial for your physical as well as mental well-being. And perhaps one of the easiest ways of incorporating it into your daily routine is to start with the food you put in your stomach.
Even though it may not be anything close to a deep tissue massage, it will surely improve your stress and overall mood, resulting in a healthier, happier you! Because after all, we are what we eat.
Here Are 6 Ways You Could Start
Ditch the Diet
The notion of dieting, detoxing, or “cleansing” usually brings about feelings or actions related to restrictions, guilt, and of course, stress. And since when were these things associated with good self-care?
Good self essentially involves properly fueling your body with healthy and the basic foods it needs for its survival, rather than holding back on food, which will only result in low energy levels and you feeling miserable the entire time. Not only that, but fad diets and cleanses don’t exactly provide adequate nutrition and you’re left feeling hungry and deprived.
That’s definitely not even close to self-care. On the contrary, dieting often perpetuates a stress cycle that makes you feel worse constantly.
Instead of choosing to go down a dietary path, it may be better to improve your eating habits, like incorporating more green into your food and limiting added sugars instead of cutting back the amount of food you eat.
An easy way is to review your grocery list to ensure you’re buying products that fulfill your daily dose of essential nutrients.
In fact, if you prefer to shop online, Lidl is a great medium through which you can get your hands on a plethora of healthy grocery items at discounted rates. You can even check out the Lidl leaflet for upcoming special offers so you get double the advantage of your grocery shopping.
In here, you may find a number of breakfasts, and vegetable options, all at jaw-droppingly low prices.
Lidl does this by taking advantage of its sourcing and operational differences which are then passed onto the customer in the form of lower price rates, setting it apart from the rest of the businesses in this sector.
Get Colourful With Your Food
Adding a variety of colors to your plate is a great way to ensure you’re getting a wide range of nutrients.
This could include tomatoes, lemons, carrots, greens, mushrooms, etc. This will lead to more diversity of immune-boosting as well as inflammation-fighting vitamins, antioxidants, and phytonutrients.
Incorporating some color into your food can not only make it more appealing but result in a more satisfying state afterward. Don’t be afraid to add more color as the more you add, the better when it comes to nutrition.
Limit Use of Added Sugars
When you’re down in the dumps, it can be tempting to reach for the sweet goodies in your kitchen. And while these may provide you with a quick boost of energy, you may soon experience a crash resulting in you feeling even worse later.
Not only that but eating sugar-laden foods in excess amounts can lead to an increased risk of obesity, type 2 diabetes, as well as a number of cardiovascular diseases. Apart from that, indulging in sugary treats can trigger blood sugar drops which may, in turn, make you feel jittery, anxious, or even short-tempered.
Get Comfortable with Herbs And Spices
A variety of herbs and spices are not only used to jazz up bland dinners, but pack in a ton of health benefits as well.
They help beef up the immune system, lower cholesterol as well as blood sugar levels and help fight against a number of serious diseases such as cancer.
They can be used to prepare different teas that may help relieve stress and anxiety, and even improve sleep.
Prepare Infused Water
Scaling up your water intake is perhaps one of the keys as well as easiest components of practicing self-care, yet overlooked the most.
Your body is made up of almost 70% water and hence, staying hydrated is absolutely vital for the smooth functioning of the body.
Unfortunately, many of us are unable to take our daily 8 glasses of water due to the hustle-bustle of daily lives.
A great way of amping up your water intake is incorporating infused water into your everyday life. This can be done by adding a little excitement and flavor, by steeping fruits and vegetables such as strawberries, grapefruit, lemon, cucumber, etc. in your carafe.
This will make your water fresh, colorful, and healthier making you gravitate towards it more.
Befriend Nuts and Seeds
Seeds and nuts such as pumpkin seeds, chia seeds, almonds, pistachios, and walnuts are a host of nutrients. Just a handful packs a powerful punch of vitamins, minerals as well as heart-healthy fats.
In fact, according to research, indulging in nuts at least twice a week may actually reduce the risk of heart disease by almost a quarter.
Many fitness fanatics seem to avoid them, fearing a rise in their daily calorie intake. And yes, seeds and nuts are high in calories. However, when taken in moderate amounts, these can provide a big health boost to the consumer.
They can be easily incorporated into your daily diet by sprinkling some on top of salads, soups, and smoothie bowls. Therefore, don’t waste any more time and start crunching your way to better health!
