Diet

Q: What part does nutrition play in stress reduction?

A: Food influences how you react to stimuli. Some nutrients have a positive effect (such as vitamins B and C) while others can play havoc (like sugar). Taking responsibility for your nutrition and health is vital.

Q: What can I do to improve my nutrition behavior and habits?

A: What works best for one individual may not be good for another. We are all biochemically unique and our dietary requirements differ. Allow enough flexibility in your dietary plans to accommodate change and exploration. Also: Consider new theories and information, but make your own choices. Experiment and observe.

Remember that nutrition is a function of lifestyle. Ailments cannot be attributed totally to poor nutrition. Nutrition is part of the whole health picture.

How you eat is important. One of the best things you can do for your body is to eat food that is most easily digested and assimilated—boiled, baked or broiled, prepared in the simplest form, with no sauces, creams, wine, etc. Avoid stuffing yourself, the “eat and run” syndrome, gulping your food (chewing food well eases digestion), and unrestrained eating (the “binge”).

Where and when you eat should also be a consideration. A relaxing atmosphere contributes to better digestion and an overall sense of well-being. Avoid eating late at night and when you are anxious or unable to eat slowly. Eating while moving, driving, standing or doing something else is hard on your body’s digestive process.

Be aware of why you eat. How often do you eat because you are bored, anxious, tired, need oral gratification or feel social pressure? Try to distinguish those feelings from real hunger.

Be concerned with what you eat, but don’t let worry about food take up too much of your energy. Try to consume more whole grains, cereals, fresh fruit and vegetables, fish, poultry and legumes (investigate alternative protein sources). Avoid too much sugar, salt, red meat, fat and cholesterol, food dyes and preservatives, alcohol and caffeine.

EASY DIET CHANGES

Q: So what should I be eating?

A: Avoid junk food snacks. Don’t buy them. Ignore that aisle in the market. Mix raisins, nuts and seeds and have them on hand to nibble.

Limit the amount of red meat and foods high in cholesterol.

Stick with polyunsaturated oils instead of palm or coconut oil.

Switch to skim milk. If you don’t like the taste, try 1% fat milk to make the transition easier.

Try tofu, a high protein soy bean curd product offering good nutrition and reduced calories. It tastes bland, but absorbs the flavors of the food around it. Try it in stir-fry meals or instead of ricotta cheese in Italian specialities.

Choose fresh fruits or, if they are not available, canned fruits packed in natural juices rather than in sweetened juices. This cuts down on sugar consumption.

Buy brick cheese and slice your own pieces for sandwiches. Processed cheese that is individually wrapped is convenient but less nutritious than unsliced brick cheese.

Buy long-cooking rice and oats and add 20 minutes to your routine or schedule. Cereals can be prepared the night before and reheated in the morning. Nutrients are refined out of minute oats and rice.

Avoid large quantities of the four whites: sugar, salt, refined flour and hydrogenated oils.

Try unbleached flour instead of refined flour. More nutrients are left in.

Make your own bread. Experiment with different flours. Slice the bread and freeze it in small quantities if you feel you can’t eat a whole loaf.

Sea salt is concentrated. You use less, plus it doesn’t contain sugar or silicon.

Instant carob tastes like instant hot chocolate mix but contains no sugar. You can then control the amount of sugar you wish to add.

Keep beans, lentils, peas, etc. on hand to throw into soups and stews. It’s an easy way to introduce legumes and complete carbohydrates into your diet.

Avoid foods with food dyes and preservatives.

Switch to bottled spring water to gain some control over the additives in the water. Read the labels for salt and mineral content.

Read can and bottle labels. Ingredients are listed in descending order. Sugar can appear as several different components: sucrose, fructose, corn syrup, etc.