Studies show that when we are stressed, only 33% of us make healthy food choices. Only 33%. Stress was one of the biggest issues I had to overcome during my eating clean journey. Some people prefer chocolate or some type of sweets when they’re stressed, but I used to reach for a bag of Doritos or some kind of chips because crunchy and salty food is what seemed to help relieve my stress. In all actuality, it didn’t relieve anything because after experiencing a moment of “peace,” I would then feel anxious because I just downed a half a bag of Doritos! It’s a vicious cycle.
Of course the best thing to do is get your stress under control. Using breathing techniques, meditation, yoga, and good old-fashioned exercise are great ways to reduce stress levels. But another thing I noticed is that once I started eating clean, I wasn’t nearly as stressed out as often. I felt more able to handle life’s daily up and downs without feeling the effects physically in the form of stress. I do have to wonder if there is something in “junk food” that contributes to stress, but that’s a whole other issue.
I’m human, though. I still get stressed out now and again. What do I do now instead of eating Doritos? Sometimes I still eat or drink something, but what I reach for is clean. Here are some clean snacks ideas:
- Carrots – they satisfy that need for something crunchy. I typically eat them plain, but sometimes make a clean dip to go with them. I usually buy the baby carrots, but you can always buy regular carrots, clean them, cut them up and keep them handy in the fridge so they’re readily available. Most fresh veggies would satisfy that need for crunch, so use your favorites. Of course fruit is always a good snack to have on hand as well.
- Garlic Pita Chips – these give me both salty and crunchy, and they are delicious! Plus, I love garlic and it’s so good for us (and these taste much better and are healthier than Doritos). They are very easy and quick to make.
- Clean and Healthy Hot Chocolate – for the chocolate lovers out there, this hot chocolate is super easy to make and it tastes great. I absolutely love it!
I have also picked up a lot of ideas for clean snacks from the Eat-Clean Diet books and Clean Eating magazine. Both the books and the magazine are must-haves for anyone who wants to eat clean all the time, especially when stressed. Some of my favorites include: cucumber salad, rice pudding, and protein power bars.
The majority of the time instead of reaching for food now, I exercise, but sometimes a girl just has to eat.
You make a great point about how eating clean helps you manage stress. I think so many people don’t realize the effect that junk food and fast food has on stress hormones.
One fitness expert I know calls potato chips edible cancers sticks here’s why:
“Am J Clin Nutr 89: 773-777, 2009. Chronic intake of potato chips in humans increases the production of reactive oxygen radicals by leukocytes and increases plasma C-reactive protein: a pilot study.
Both chips and fries contain relatively high concentrations of acrylamide, which is a potentially carcinogenic compound found in starchy foods that have been heated.
So in this study, which probably wasn’t hard to fill with volunteers, each subject ate 160 grams of chips each day (about 3/4 of a LARGE bag) for 4 weeks (containing 157mg of acrylamide).
At the end of 4 weeks, all subjects had increased levels of oxidized LDL and C-reactive protein (a measure of inflammation). There was also a significant increase in free radicals and a massive immune system response. It was as if the body was being attacked by the chips, or more specifically, the acrylamide (and probably all the other good stuff in the potato chips).”
This is only a small part of the big picture too. When I feel stressed, I just workout or I use my hula hoop or watch a funny video.
How interesting, mneave, thanks for posting that!
And yep, working out does wonders for getting rid of all that negative energy.