27 Apr How To Eat Your Way To Calm And Serenity

To say the least, the past weeks have been an emotional rollercoaster for many of us. Going from feeling anxious within a day or even an hour.  And that tends to show up when it comes to our diet. Looking at you, homemade ultra delish banana bread! Yep. One day we are onto the green smoothies and the next we are deep into our favourite ice cream tub. Emotional eating can take the driver’s seat for a few days, especially when we feel uneasy and anxious, which might be the two most frequent emotions you feel during times of uncertainty. Completely normal. We show you what you can eat to feel less anxious and stressed with these easy three tips.

 

It is amazing to see how many of us up-level our baking skills and bake the most delicious looking cookies and banana pancakes these last weeks. FOMO much? Gotta get onto some baking it, right? It’s completely ok until it gets out of hand and you are relying on your sugar rush to bring you joy when you are feeling low. Remember, refined sugar will give you a short time high before into a new low, with only another sweet snack to get you out of there. So, what should you eat when you are feeling meh and anxious?

 

Let’s have a look at the three tips below:

 

1, Always eat the rainbow.

 

Not the skittles rainbow that is! #sorrynotsorry. We all know that, to have a well-balanced diet containing all the minerals and vitamins your body needs, we need to eat a variety of veggies and fruits. When you are feeling a bit anxious, you should incorporate food that is high in tryptophan, magnesium, omega-3 and vitamin-E & D, which will support you in easing anxiety. Say what?!

In a nutshell, tryptophan is needed to make serotonin, which regulates your mood and cannot be produced in the human body alone. In simpler terms, that means you should eat foods that are high in tryptophan and therefore will support your body in easing your anxiety levels. These foods are oats, cottage cheese, turkey, eggs, bananas and tofu.

Magnesium is another mineral that supports easing feelings of anxiousness. You know already, that magnesium assists your (very sore that is) muscles and your nerves in relaxing. So try to incorporate foods that are richer in magnesium. These are leafy greens such as spinach, legumes and brown rice. And avocado lovers rejoice – our favourite green fruit – the avocado – is also high in magnesium. YAY! On another note, did you know, that your trusted magnesium oil that you can’t live without with all the strong sweaty yoga flows you do every day now can support your sleep? Yes. Rub or spray it on your tummy before you go to bed and you’ll sleep like a baby. You are welcome!

Omega-3 is another great one to boost to ease your meh feelings. Make salmon, mackerel, sardines and eggs your go-to foods to up your omega-3 intake. And don’t forget to load up on nuts such as pumpkin seeds, brazil nuts and almonds. Nuts are super easy to sprinkle over your favourite salads. EASY!

 

 

2. Let’s stay hydrated.

 

And by that we mean H2O. Drinking 2-3 litres a day will keep you hydrated during your day. Getting a bit bored of plain ole water? It’s super easy to spice up your water intake by adding a squeeze of fresh lemon, mint leaves or frozen berries to it. You will drink lots of water in no time. Or switch it up with some kombucha. It can make you feel you are treating yourself but still get all the good stuff of fermented drinks in.

And hey, as the weather is getting a bit chillier over the next few weeks, let’s reignite your love for hot tea, shall we? Peppermint, chamomile and rose, lemon balm teas are supporting you in relieving you from stress and anxiety that might have built up during your day. Creating more calmness. So get your teapot ready and brew a big batch, so you can sip during your day.

Afraid to say so, but your beloved coffee is not on the list. Caffeine and alcohol usually increase our anxiety levels, so if you are feeling already anxious stay away from these.

 

 

3. Listen and trust your gut feeling.

 

Gut instinct will guide you well on your journey to good health. When you feel anxious or emotional your gut can get a bit agitated, too. We all know the feeling. This is your body telling you to calm yourself before you sitting down to eat instead of rushing into your food. Taking a few deep breaths before you start your meal is a good way of easing your body into calmness. You’ll not only enjoy your meal more but also digest it easier. You are SO welcome!

Being calm will also support you in tuning into the signals your gut and your body offer you. Trusting in what your body says to create awareness, peace and mindfulness around every nourishing moment with your food.

We can easily fall into the trap of emotional eating here when feeling stressed and anxious. Turning to all things that make us feel good instantly but unfortunately, will last only for a little while. We know, that we shouldn’t reach for the ice cream, chocolate, wine or another coffee, but we are lured in by the quick sugar or caffeine high. We crave it. Aaaannd we do it anyways. No judgment there. Maybe next time before you open your fridge, take a deep breath and listen to your gut. Your gut knows what’s up – always.

 

 

With these three simple tips, you can support your mind and body with conscious food choices and plenty hydration to become less stressed out when you feeling anxious and stressed out. You wouldn’t want your body to go into overdrive even more by stepping up your sugar and caffeine game. And when your pancake craving trumps your smoothie craving, give in and make them healthy pancakes. Yummy and not too bad for you occasionally. WINNING!

Don’t forget to take a walk outside in nature for a few moments during an anxious day, any movement will do wonders for your stressed-out self as well. A juicy yin class is always a great idea or simply pop your legs up the wall will support your journey to calm. Calling a friend, or having a good cry are other great tools that are there for you to support you through another day full of anxiousness. Let’s give your mind and body the ultimate reset it needs in anxious times with the very relaxing Yoga Nidra practice below.

 

 

Yoga Nidra – immerse yourself in deep rest.

 

Head over to Power Living‘s online yoga studio, yogaholics, for all your guided yoga flows and meditations. You can access them 24/7 as many times as you wish in your own home. How good is that? In case you haven’t heard of or practiced Yoga Nidra before, you are in for a special treat. Yoga Nidra is an immensely powerful meditation technique in which the body is completely relaxed. The best part is, that you get to spend the whole time in savasana on your mat. So get super comfy, snuggle up in your comfy clothes and lie on your mat or bed, anything goes here. And get ready and Shauna guide you through a deeply nourishing Yoga Nidra practice. Once you open your eyes again, you will feel completely refreshed and calm. You are very welcome!

 

 

 

How are you staying calm when you are feeling anxious, yogis?

 

 

 

 

 

Original article published on sportluxe