Maybe Try Some Kale.. or Somethin’
Stress comes in all shapes, sizes, colors and forms. Eating regularly and choosing healthier choices will honestly dramatically change your outlook on life and make you feel much more relaxed and focused. As college students, we all know how easy it is to pick up a burrito on the run instead of having an actual healthy meal, but this is the most crucial times of our lives to get our eating habits formed!
Since living in Buffalo, I’ve really tried to focus on planning out meals. Instead of relying on eating at work or picking something up on the way home, I’ve tried to stick to a consistent grocery list so that I always have 2 or 3 options of what to make on the fly. Having a few options ready for me at all times really does relieve a lot of my stress. Instead of having to plan an hour or so everyday to make a meal, I can take a few minutes to just warm it up. Also, it saves me a ton of money which cuts my stress down.
Throughout these past few months, I’ve really noticed how much of an impact the food I eat has on my mood. If I eat really greasy take out food, I feel really run down and unmotivated. But, after tweaking my diet a little, I’ve substituted some unhealthy food for better options. For example, instead of eating chips I now eat carrots and a little ranch. My hunger is still being filled and I get the crunchiness I crave, but my mind is in such a better place after eating the carrots than the chips. I never really believed that healthy food could have that much of an impact on your life until I really focused on what I was eating.
According to the Tactical Air Command Medical Services in their document titled Stress Management, “There are negative effects to breakfast skipping and pigging out at dinner… There is importance to three regular meals a day.” Eating healthy, exercising regularly, and avoiding drugs will create a very positive and relaxed mental state. I know, we’ve all heard this before. Take a look at your life, though. How many things do you make excuses for everyday? My weak spot is for sure chips. I can easily talk myself into having chips for a snake because I “deserve” them, when I know they’re going to make me feel like crap. These little excuses here and there add up, and before you know it, all the progress you have made is thrown out the window and you’re back at square one. Why do you think people fail at diets so often? Because we can so easily talk ourselves into cheating.
I want the challenge you readers. I want you to really think about what you eat this week. Make a mental log of the decisions you make, and really pay attention to how your body reacts. After a few days, make an effort to choose a healthier option. I guarantee you see a difference in your overall mental and physical state.
Citation: Stress management. (1989). Langley AFB, VA: Tactical Air Command, Medical Services.
