Feed Love
In uncertain times like these, eat your veggies — lots of them
By Neil Grimmer, Founder & CEO of Habit with Jae Berman, Head Coach of Habit
On November 9th, we woke up to a very uncertain world. No matter how you voted, no matter what outcome you hoped for, as a country we had moved into uncharted waters. The mix of emotions on display has been powerful. For many it’s a combination of fear, anger, and resolve. For others, it’s a moment of acknowledgment and ebullience.
World markets plunged, and then they rose. Students took to the streets in protest. We all drew in our collective breath, assessed our degree of heartbreak or jubilation, and began the anxious process of waiting for what comes next.
Everyone reacts to uncertainty and instability in different ways but one thing is for sure, this kind of volatile change affects all of us; how we sleep, how well we minister to ourselves (or how poorly), and it most certainly affects what and how we eat and drink :).
Eating the stress away
Walter Bradford Cannon first described the human physiological response to extreme stress as a “Fight or Flight” response. Well, I don’t know about you, but as evidenced by the empty take-out containers and drained red wine bottles strewn across our counter over the last week, I propose we add a few more stress responses: Fight, Flight or EAT & DRINK.
Food plays a powerful role in our lives, it nourishes us, it fuels us, and in times of stress and anxiety, it comforts us. But too often we undermine our own health in the pursuit of the quick comfort that food can provide.
Stress can be a killer, we know that. Studies have shown that sudden emotional stress (especially anger) can trigger heart attacks, arrhythmias and even sudden death. Chronic stress has been shown to exacerbate existing health conditions, and lead to ultimately worse health outcomes.
The unhealthy eating that often accompanies periods of stress, attacks our bodies both psychologically and physiologically as excess amounts of adrenaline and cortisol coupled with poor nutrition wear down the immune system.
Often, we think that food can take those feelings of stress away. If I eat this ____food (fill in with your go-to food) I will feel better. And in the immediate moment, while the food is in your mouth, maybe it does soothe you. But as you probably already know, that feeling is usually fleeting. It is a double loss. The food will not make the feeling go away and it typically makes you feel worse.
First take control of what you can: Yourself
You’ve all heard the airline steward say, “Place the oxygen mask on yourself before putting it on others.” The same dynamic applies here: You need to take care of yourself physically, mentally, and spiritually before you can step out in the world to fight your fight, or help others with theirs.
When everything around us seems beyond our control, turning inward and finding the simple stability of self — that constant that responds in the best ways only to you — is a powerful grounding force. It is proof that not all is chaos, and not all forces are beyond our control.
We often look at eating healthy food as following the rules or “being good.” Another angle is to look at healthy eating as a sense of empowerment that gives us fuel for success. When we take cares of ourselves, we can’t help but notice how much better we feel, and that feeling is extra gratifying because we take control of our own feelings with the food choices we make.
Feed the spirit
Here are some strategies from Jae Berman, the Head Coach of Habit, for making it happen. Pick one or a few ideas from the list below, mix in your own and take some action.
● Breathe. When you’re about to reach for that Snickers bar, take a couple deep breaths while counting to 10. Repeat.
● Better yet, get the junk out of the house. Out of sight, out of mind. When life is stressful, avoid temptations.
● Start the day off right with a balanced breakfast with protein, carbohydrates and fats made of whole real foods.
● Eat clean. Go for whole, real foods and avoid processed ingredients. The body does not need the fake stuff right now.
● Eat vegetables. Lots of them. Fill half your plate with vegetables as often as possible.
● Choose wisely. If you just can’t manage to cook during a stressful time, choose restaurants and cuisines that will steer you in a healthier direction.
● Stay hydrated. Stress can take quite a toll on the body. Even if you’re sitting down during a stressful period, your body is on overdrive, and that is dehydrating. Get lots of water in.
● Move your body. Go for a workout. Take a walk. Grab a moment to get the blood pumping. Don’t necessarily focus on what you think is the best workout for you, but rather what you think will make you feel better in this moment. If you think high intensity intervals will help, do it. Even just a stroll outside during your lunch break can help calm the stress hormones.
● Sleep! Sleep is usually the first to go during periods of uncertainty, but it is often what we need the most. Take time to get ready for bed, along with staying in a nice dark room for at least seven hours. Also, try to limit your internet consumption before bed, stressful news does not help you calm down your nervous system.
● Do something fun. Watch a funny movie or two-minute YouTube clip. Get a massage. Get out in nature. Spend time with people who make you happy, and eat a healthy meal together.
● And if you’re going to eat that bar of chocolate, slice (or 3) of pizza, or drink that glass of wine, by all means, enjoy it. Guilt should never be on the menu.
Feed love
What the world needs right now is real hardcore humanity. It’s the kind of humanity where we embrace our differences, and where we demonstrate our profound love and respect for one another. But we all need to have the emotional and physical strength if we are going to pull it off — to feed love, not hate.
Let’s start by nourishing ourselves, fueling our bodies and souls, and feeding our love. Because as we all shake ourselves awake from this past week, one thing has become profoundly clear — we need love now more than ever.
With love,
Neil & Jae
#FeedLove
