I bet you know them too! The urge of needing something sweet or salty right away, especially during stressful days.
I know that all too well because I’m a stress eater too. And whenever I experience stress dates and celery sticks are my go to snacks…or any other fruit that’s around.
When you experience stress, troubles or lack of sleep your adrenals start to release more adrenaline or even excessive adrenaline which can be toxic and corrosive to the body. If your blood sugar went down too far because of long breaks in between eating, the adrenals also produce cortisol and your cortisol values/blood sugar goes up. This can then lead to cravings because your body is asking for fuel (simple sugars and minerals).
For some people it can thus be very helpful to eat light meals every 90 minutes instead of eating 3 times a day. That way the blood sugar is kept stable and the adrenals get a break. There are 3 crucial components that these light meals should contain: natural sugar (from fresh), sodium (from greens/veggies) and potassium (from (dried) fruits, greens & veggies).
Some examples snacks would be:
- Dates, celery sticks & apple
- Pear, lambs lettuce & berries
- Cucumber, berries & honey
- Sweet potato, kale & lime juice
Eating pomegranates before a meal or whenever cravings occur can also help to curb cravings.
In general a diet rich in minerals and critical clean carbohydrates (fruits) is essential because it keeps our body nourished and satiated.
Stress affects not only the adrenals but also the liver, as the liver has to process the excessive adrenaline. That’s why it is also helpful to eat a diet that is very low in fats. When we eat fats the liver puts all its energy into breaking down those fats and stops all other processes like cleaning out toxins, keeping up the immune system, producing hormones,…
However, diet is not the only thing to consider. There are some other important aspects as well:
- Reduce your stress level! I know sometimes that’s easier said than done but it sure is worth the effort. Take a deep breath and be present. Something that can also help to calm down are essential oils like lavender, Stress Away™ or Peace & Calming either by inhaling the smell through the palms of your hands or by diffusing it with a cold steam diffusor. (If you want o know more about the oils you can sign up to my newsletter or dm me if you want to become a YoungLiving member.)
- Take some ME time! Treat yourself with a nice spa or essential oil massage or inhalation. Even if it’s just for a few minutes, take a time-off with a nice cup of tea (peppermint tea is well known to suppress appetite and also helps with nervous stomach) and read a book. You can also diffuse peppermint and citrus oils with a diffusor which is what I do everyday.
- Get enough sleep! This is something that is essential too because if we don’t get enough sleep our body starts producing stress hormones. It’s one of the things that I’m not necessarily good at because at the moment I get about 5-6 hours sleep which is totally not ideal for me.
- Be easy on yourself! Don’t pull yourself down for eating sweets when cravings occur. It’s ok! It is your body trying to tell you that it needs glucose. We all have those cravings more or less sometimes. Try to reach out for healthy snacks, meaning fruits as best as you can.
