1. Foods do’s and don’ts when you’re pregnant
Do: Take Your Vitamins
You need to ensure that you get plenty of folate, calcium, iron, zinc and fiber. The best way to do that is to eat a variety of nutrient-dense foods and to take your prenatal vitamins. If you aren’t pregnant yet but want to get pregnant, let your doctor know so that they can recommend vitamins that support a pregnancy. Because what you eat before you get pregnant is important too.
Do: Eat the Rainbow
When you’re choosing what to eat, go for plant-based food that is well washed or lightly steamed. Try to eat every color in the rainbow to ensure that you’re getting a variety of vitamins and minerals in addition to your daily prenatal vitamins.
Do: Eat Organic – at Least the “Dirty Dozen”
You can find a list by searching for “Organic Dirty Dozen” but this link currently links to a list of the dirtiest plants that you should buy only organic to avoid pesticides and other contaminants in your diet. http://www.organic.org/articles/showarticle/article-214
Do: Remember to Eat Your Omega-3 Fatty Acids
This important ingredient will help improve neurological development in your baby. The problem is that a lot of fish, which is a good source of these fatty acids, isn’t a good choice for pregnant women due to the mercury contamination of the fish. There are alternatives, including supplementation and adding flax to your diet.
Do: Eat Nutrient-Dense Foods
The great thing about plant foods is that they are typically very nutrient dense but are low in calories. That means you can eat more. Since you’re often hungrier during pregnancy than when you’re not pregnant, this means that if you pick foods that have a lot of nutrients but are low in calories, you’re going to be more satisfied.
Don’t: Eat When You’re Not Hungry
It can be tempting to grab food all the time when you’re pregnant. But, you really don’t need to eat much more than you normally eat. In fact, the most you should eat is 500 calories more than normal for your normal desired weight. If you’re already overweight when you get pregnant, you should just keep eating normally but replace junk food with nutrient-dense food.
Don’t: Overdo Processed Foods
When you are choosing what to eat it’s far better to choose an apple than some crackers or chips. Of course, you know that. It’s hard to avoid all processed food, especially if you were used to eating it before you got pregnant. But, if you want to ensure the healthiest baby and pregnancy, don’t overdo processed food.
Don’t: Forget Food Safety Rules
If you’re unaware of food safety rules, you’ll want to read about them at the USDA Food Safety and Inspection Service website. This is the best way to learn. It’s even more important to follow these rules during pregnancy so you don’t harm yourself or the baby.
Link – https://www.fsis.usda.gov/wps/portal/fsis/topics/food-safety-education/get-answers/food-safety-fact-sheets/safe-food-handling/basics-for-handling-food-safely/ct_index
Don’t: Skip Meals
While you don’t want to force yourself to eat when you’re not hungry, it’s important that you eat your meals. If you have issues with vomiting and nausea, you can switch to six to eight small “meals” each day. For example, a small cup of plain Greek yogurt with fresh blueberries is a good meal if a couple hours later you eat a bowl of steamed veggies and rice. Eating more often can help with those problems and ensure you are getting the nutrients you need.
Don’t: Forget to Stay Hydrated
When you’re pregnant you need to drink a little more water than normal. If you normally drink 8 glasses a day, move to 12 glasses a day. Remember that fresh fruit and veggies will also keep you hydrated. Hydration will also help you cut down on incidents of nausea.
2. Food do’s and don’ts when you’re breastfeeding
Do: Eat Starchy Whole Grain Food
Unless you have a wheat allergy or have celiac disease, eating whole grain bread, starchy vegetables, and rice while you’re nursing (like baked potatoes, rye bread, and steamed brown rice) is good for you. It will ensure you get plenty of fiber.
Do: Eat Lots of Raw Fruit and Vegetables
When you were pregnant it was probably difficult to eat too many raw fruits and veggies for fear of contamination. But now that you’re nursing, you can once again eat them. Wash them good of course, but eat at least five servings per day.
Do: Eat Moderate Amounts of Lean Protein
You don’t have to eat meat but if you do, eat lean meat. Also, eggs, fish, and vegetarian options like beans will ensure that you get plenty of protein. You don’t have to eat more than normal; you just need to eat a balance of vitamins and nutrients.
Do: Eat Calcium-Rich Foods
Be careful with the low-fat and sugar-free varieties, but if you or your baby has no problem with dairy you can eat a serving or two of dairy products to get in these nutrients. There are also vegan options today that are calcium rich and good for you too.
Do: Drink Plenty of Fresh Filtered Water
Try to make it a habit to have a big bottle of fresh water with you each time you nurse. You’re going to be super busy so if you plan and have bottles made up for yourself (of water) when you sit down to feed the baby, you’ll ensure that you stay hydrated. Pay close attention to your thirst and drink water anytime you feel thirsty.
Don’t: Eat Acidic Foods
Most babies have severe problems with acidic foods. They include canned tomatoes and even dairy milk. Babies who have problems with these foods can end up with bloating, itchy skin, wheezing, diarrhea, constipation, reflux, vomiting and other problems. If you notice any problems in your baby like this, try giving up dairy first, then get rid of canned food that has added citric acid.
Don’t: Eat Anything That Produces Symptoms in You or Your Baby
No matter how hard you try, you might end up having a baby that is very sensitive to changes in your diet. The best thing to do is to transition to a very bland diet of rice and veggies and then slowly add in one thing each week, to find out what’s causing your baby’s issues. But you can usually bet it’s dairy, acidic canned tomatoes, or nuts.
Don’t: Eat Extra Calories Unless You’re Underweight
It’s a common myth that you can’t lose weight and you must eat a lot when nursing. This is not true. In fact, while nursing is a perfect time to focus on eating right so that you naturally lose the weight. When you eat right, you are giving your baby what she needs to be healthy. And, if you’re eating right, you should drop the baby weight easily if you’re otherwise healthy. If you are underweight, you want to eat the right number of calories required to be a healthy weight, consisting of healthy options.
Don’t: Use Caffeine When Breastfeeding
For that matter, don’t use any type of stimulants or drugs while you’re nursing. These things pass over to the baby and can make them grumpy and uncomfortable. It can give the baby acid reflux which is very painful for them.
Don’t: Drink Alcohol When Nursing
Many people will tell you that it’s okay to have a beer while nursing because it helps with the letdown of the milk. But, it’s not known how safe or dangerous it is because we can’t really study this issue using babies as study subjects. The best course is not to drink at all, but if you do, they say not to have more than one weak drink a week.
These do’s and don’ts will help you maintain a healthy weight and nutrition profile while you’re nursing. The main thing is to eat and drink correctly so that you’ll have plenty of energy to care for your baby.
3. Foods do’s and don’ts for babies and toddlers
Feeding your baby or toddler totally depends on you. A lot of the rules have changed, and they’re more flexible and easier for parents to navigate and feel good about doing the right thing for their child.
Do: Feed Your Baby Real Food
In the not so distant past, parents were fearful about giving children real food. They started with rice cereal and built up to other foods. But, this has been shown not only to be ineffective but even harmful, causing more problems with allergies. Try starting your baby with real food that’s mushy like mashed bananas, baked sweet potato, and avocado.
Do: Keep Nursing If Your Baby Is Thriving
Even when you start your baby on solid food, it’s fine to keep nursing as long as your baby still wants to and you still want to. Breast milk is the best for your baby and will keep offering him not only vitamins and minerals but also protection from infection and illness. Tests have shown that a mom’s breast milk changes based on the needs of the baby.
Do: Eat Meals Together as a Family
Starting as young as possible, eating meals together as a family will help teach your child many values. One of them is that they are important and that you are willing to stop everything else for just an hour or so to ensure that everyone has the nutrition they need.
As your child gets older, this will be ground zero in terms of conversations and lessons about the day. If you want to know your child, start eating dinner with them while they’re young and keep doing it as long and as often as possible.
Do: Offer Variety as They Age
You don’t want to force your child to eat anything that they dislike. Instead, always offer them a variety of healthy choices. Then let them lead the way. Even if they dislike something one day, keep offering it because after a few times of it being offered they may decide that they like it.
Do: Be Patient
Some babies are pickier than others. You might feel as if your child is living off nothing more than a grape and a cracker. But, babies will not starve themselves. When food is offered, they will eat until they’re satisfied. This is the best way to feed your baby so that they learn to listen to their own bodies. Be patient with your child and let them guide you on how fast they want to try things and eat different foods. If they say no today, they may say yes tomorrow.
Don’t: Feed Rice Cereal First
It used to be that doctors recommended feeding rice cereal first to get the baby used to eating solid food. But, there is nothing to prove this to be a good thing. In fact, rice cereal essentially offers nothing in the way of nutrition other than what’s added to the product. Therefore, feeding your baby real food instead is always better.
Don’t: Forget about Choking Hazards
While you do want to feed your baby a variety of foods, you want to be careful about things that can choke your child. Hot dogs should be cut up into small square chunks that a baby can pick up with their two fingers. Some foods that are too slippery (like peaches) or too hard (like pretzels) should be held back and given to them when they’re more experienced eaters and have teeth.
Don’t: Feed Your Baby Risky Adult Food
Things like raw meat and fish should be completely avoided by babies and toddlers. Babies are more susceptible to getting ill from these types of foods. If it’s risky for you to eat, it’s extra risky for them. So, don’t feed them undercooked meat, raw fish, tartar, or raw or undercooked eggs.
Don’t: Stuff Their Face
Some parents think that they need to stick the food in the baby’s mouth, but you don’t need to do it that way. If you do need to feed them to avoid a mess for some reason, only stick the food in your baby’s mouth when they are ready for it and really wanting it. If you stuff their face and make them eat more than they really should due to their hunger level, you may train your baby to ignore their natural hunger cues.
Don’t: Give Up
Babies and toddlers are developing independent personalities. Due to this they are often very persistent and vocal about what they do and don’t want. Therefore, when you offer your child a food that they don’t like, don’t get frustrated. Don’t give up. Offer it to them again another time and never force them to eat something they do not like. There are always other food sources available that will provide whatever nutrient they need.
These do’s and don’ts of feeding babies and toddlers are essential, because nothing is more important than your baby getting enough nutrients. They need a diet high in vitamins and minerals which require a variety of food choices.
4. Foods do’s and don’ts for primary school-aged kids
As children age and go on to school, feeding becomes different. Even if you didn’t have much of a schedule prior to your child entering the school system, now you do. Therefore, it’s important to maintain a schedule for the sake of their nutritional and health needs.
Do: Visit Your Child’s Cafeteria
Some schools have excellent lunches (and breakfasts) but others have really horrible offerings. It honestly depends on what side of the equation you fall on whether you and your child will enjoy the lunches or not. The best thing is to go try it out. If you like it, then you’ll know it’s okay for your child to eat there. If you don’t like it, then you know you’ll need to provide lunch.
Do: Let Your Child Take Their Lunch
If your child suggests that they’d rather take their lunch, then let them. You can teach your child to prepare their lunch the night before school with your help. If they’re asking, that means they really do not like the school lunch and are probably essentially hungry all day long. Being hungry isn’t conducive to learning.
Do: Offer a Snack after School
Most kids, especially when they first start school, are starving when they get home. They have to go long periods of time with neither food nor water, which is not natural for them. Offer a good hydrating snack after school like cuties, watermelon, grapes, or cantaloupe – not something fake like microwave pizza bites.
Do: Get Dinner on at a Reasonable Hour
It’s important when your child starts school to set up a reasonably scheduled meal time. You’ll want to ensure that each evening they have a set time to get dinner so that they can study, sleep well without having too full of a tummy, and learn better.
Do: Feed Them a Good Breakfast
It’s new for primary school children to have to eat breakfast then go several hours without food until lunch time. Not to mention lunch times are super-short these days – sometimes no more than 20 minutes including waiting in line. Therefore, feeding a well-balanced breakfast that will keep them full is important.
Don’t: Micromanage Their Choices
When you set dinner out for your child, let them self-serve. Then they can choose what to eat, and how much. Don’t give them the choice to eat snacks later if they don’t eat their dinner, but don’t micromanage how much they eat at each meal or even what they eat out of the things you offer them.
Don’t: Make Them Clean Their Plate
The worst thing you can do is force your child to clean their plate. Sure, there are starving kids all around the world and maybe even in your own city. But forcing your child to clean their plate won’t help any starving kids anyplace. Instead, it might make your child ignore their real hunger cues, putting them on a path of obesity.
Don’t: Restrict Food for Overweight Kids
If you notice your child is overweight, don’t restrict their food. In fact, you don’t even have to tell your child they’re overweight. Instead, research “nutritionally dense low-calorie food” and you’ll find a plethora of options to add to your dinners to help anyone in the family stay healthy, full, and become their normal weight.
Don’t: Pressure and Bribe Kids with Food
It’s very tempting to bribe little Johnny with a Twinkie if he gets good grades, goes to bed on time, takes a bath, brushes his teeth and so forth. But, it’s a horrible idea and while it may get immediate results, it will set up your child to become an overeater – especially of reward foods and junk foods.
Don’t: Forget to Show Love
It might seem weird to you, but food means love to many people. Therefore, instead of only showing your family you love them when it surrounds food, find other things to do it and other ways of demonstrating love to your child.
Primary school-aged children are venturing out of their parent’s grasp. You can’t control everything they do. Therefore, if you teach them good choices at home, you can be assured they’ll make them when they’re elsewhere.
5. Food do’s and don’ts for tweens and teens
During your child’s tween and teen years, they are trying to differentiate themselves from you, their parent. But even so, this is a time when what you do really affects what they do, since children learn from their parents’ example.
Even when they think they’re doing something different, they end up doing what you do. That’s why parents who are overweight tend to have overweight children. Some of it is genetics, but some of it is poor dietary choices.
Do: Set the Example
Your child watches everything you do. Therefore, if you really want them to make good choices surrounding food, then you need to also ensure that they see you making good choices. Not only that, you don’t want to be seen struggling and having a lot of emotions around food, because that will pass on to them.
Do: Provide Variety
Everyone has different taste buds. What tastes great to you may taste like garbage to your child. Some of this is genetics and some of it is just that your child may take longer to warm up to some foods. The trick is to provide variety. That way if your child hates broccoli it’s okay not to eat it, because tomorrow night there will be green beans which they love.
Do: Eat Healthy Snacks
One of the biggest downfalls of humans and diet is snacking. Snacking in and of itself is not bad for you. If you’re hungry, you should eat. But, you want to ensure that you have a variety of healthy snacks. The key to a healthy snack is that it is not processed and it is a whole food. If you have a lot of whole food snacks around and no processed food snacks, it’s more than likely your child will choose healthy even if they’re not home, because they will have developed a taste preference for those healthy foods over the processed foods.
Do: Offer Regular Meal Times
Even as your child enters the busy tween and teenage years, they still need to have stability at home. Breakfast, lunch, dinner and healthy snacks need to be offered in reasonable time blocks. While sometimes your child may need to miss dinner for practice or for other activities, you can keep it warm for them until they get home.
Do: Get Them Involved
One way to ensure that your tweens and teens not only understand the importance of a healthy meal but also enjoy it, is to get them involved. Let them plan one meal a week including grocery shopping, budgeting, and preparation. Not only will this make them more likely to appreciate your efforts; it will also teach them what to do as an adult. A lot of healthy kids end up overweight once they leave home due to not learning how to prepare healthy food.
Don’t: Criticize, Judge or Threaten
One of the worst things you can do is be negative with your teenager around food. If they have nutritional issues, the whole family should work on it – not just the one child. If they’re eating what you’re offering and are still overweight, underweight, or have other problems surrounding food, you’ll need to heal the entire house in a positive way.
Don’t: Have a “Do what I say” Mentality
Kids don’t really fall for this. If you smoke, your child has a much higher chance of smoking. If you eat an entire box of donuts every week, your child likely will too. If you have issues surrounding food, you will pass it on to your children if you aren’t careful. The best way to teach children about food is to realize that they’re going to do what you do, not what you say.
Don’t: Keep Sweet Drinks or Artificial Drinks Around
Teenagers the world over are known to drink a lot of soda. The problem is, it’s probably one of the leading causes of obesity. The best thing you can teach is to avoid drinking your calories. Make soda a special occasion drink such as birthdays and holidays, or once a week movie night or game night.
Don’t: Stop Them from Preparing Meals
When and if your tween or teen decides they’d like to prepare meals, let them. Guide them regarding budget and healthy food choices, but let them make it themselves. This will help them learn how to fix meals for themselves when they are on their own, which is going to happen sooner than you think.
Don’t: Encourage Meal Skipping
One thing that teens do often, especially girls, is to skip meals. The meals they most often skip are breakfast and lunch. The reason is due to time. Often girls are in a big hurry in the morning and the lunch at school isn’t very appetizing and it’s not very long either. Even if you can only get your child to drink smoothies or eat fruit during these times, ensure that they consume something.
Teenagers are a whole new territory but even teenagers claim in polls that the most influential people in their lives are their parents.
6. Food do’s and don’ts when you’ve got a cold
The age-old question of whether you feed a cold or starve a fever is often confusing. The truth is really that you should eat when you’re hungry and always stay hydrated. Here are some more do’s and don’ts that you should consider when you have a cold.
Do: Eat More Calories When You Have a Cold
To get better your body needs more calories to fight off the cold. But of course, you don’t need to stuff yourself. Just try eating a little bit every couple hours, so that you’ll have the caloric intake to fight off the cold.
Do: Drink Broth
You can drink any type of broth you feel like drinking while you’re sick with a cold. Some people don’t like broth. If you find it flavorless, try using stock instead. It is saltier but it’s okay for just this time with a cold. The important thing is to stay hydrated. Being hydrated will help your throat, help you process phlegm, and more.
Do: Eat at Regular Intervals Like Normal
If you normally eat three meals a day and two snacks each day, try to stick to that schedule. This will help you ensure that you’re eating enough calories by keeping track of the clock. If you are too sick to cook, don’t be afraid to order in to ensure that you get enough food.
Do: Eat Smaller Portions
Sometimes when you’re sick it can be hard to eat due to a stuffed nose or a sore throat. The food might hurt going down. In this case, you’ll want to eat smaller portions of food to ensure that you can get something down. Just eat more often.
Do: Eat Fruit Popsicles
To help you stay hydrated, a good fruit-based popsicle is good for you. Even though it has sugar in it, the extra calories will help you during your cold to get better faster. This works especially if you find it hard to get and you know you’re likely not getting enough calories.
Don’t: Restrict Food
That old saying mentioned earlier is just not true. Restricting food does not help you get better when you have a cold. Some people believe that water fasting will help due to improving digestion, but that’s not true. If you want to, make green smoothies instead of fasting, so that you at least get the right nutrients.
Don’t: Eat Junk
It’s a big mistake to use a cold as an excuse to eat a bunch of junk. Ordering a big cheesy pizza or eating a bag of chips or the entire leftover cake in the fridge because you feel too sick to prepare food is a terrible idea. The junk will just make you feel worse.
Don’t: Eat Acidic Foods
A lot of people think that drinking orange juice will help them fight off a cold, but the truth is that it might irritate your stomach. If you have a lot of sinus drainage already, which can cause stomach upset, you may want to avoid citrus, tomatoes, and other acidic foods.
Don’t: Eat Fatty Foods
Try to avoid fatty foods like fried foods, pizza with cheese, and hamburgers. Instead, focus on eating mostly carbs, veggies and lean proteins. Fat is hard to digest, as are most meats (because they’re often high in fat). Focusing on low-fat carb rich soups, stews, and meals will help you more.
The main point is that you should eat nutritionally dense foods, soups, and a lot of liquid when you are sick. It’s the perfect time to break the “eat your calories don’t drink them” rule by making smoothies too.
These do’s and don’ts may help you cope with your cold and get well faster. Remember to also take your vitamins while you’re sick with a cold. Wash your hands a lot to avoid transmitting your cold to others and let people take care of you if they want to.
7. Food do’s and don’ts when you’ve had a stomach bug
When you have a stomach bug it feels like the end of the world. You don’t know if you have food poisoning or if you have the flu. It can be hard to tell sometimes. But, people do get 24-hour stomach bugs all the time. If yours is lasting longer than 24 hours or you have a fever over 102 degrees Fahrenheit, seek medical attention.
Do: Drink Lots of Clear Liquids
Clear liquids are the best choice when you are sick with a stomach bug. Whether you have diarrhea or you’re throwing up or both, clear liquids will help hydrate you and also give you some calories and nutrition to help you get better.
Do: Eat Healthy Carbohydrates
We’re always told not to eat carbs, but complex carbs are good for you. Rice, potatoes, whole grains like rye bread, oatmeal, and vegetables are good choices. These foods will provide energy and help your stomach feel better.
Do: Suck on Ice Chips or Popsicles
You need to stay hydrated, especially if you’re sick with diarrhea or vomiting. In fact, if you get too dehydrated you can end up with a secondary problem called dehydration which also causes stomach pain, vomiting, and diarrhea.
Do: Eat Lean Protein
If you do feel up to it, try adding a little lean protein to your food. For example, skinless lean chicken breast or legumes added to your soup will help you get extra calories without adding too much fat to your already upset tummy.
Do: Eat Garlicy Foods
A natural antibiotic, adding garlic to your broth is a great way to give yourself an added boost to get over your illness faster. Garlic can also actually heal the stomach so that you can get better faster.
Don’t: Drink Caffeine / Coffee / Soda
The problem with caffeine is that it can cause some people to experience contractions that cause them to defecate. When you already have a stomach bug, you don’t want anything encouraging more of that.
Don’t: Eat or Drink Dairy Products
When you are already sick, trying to eat dairy products can make your tummy troubles much worse. The reason is that dairy is already hard to digest for some adults and children.
Don’t: Eat Spicy or Greasy Food
While spicy food can help with a cold if you have a stuffed nose, it’s not a good idea to eat it or fatty foods when you already have diarrhea. You really don’t want to experience the runs when you’ve eaten spicy food. You also don’t want to throw up spicy food because it will cause you more pain and damage.
Don’t: Force Yourself to Eat
While you do want to try to eat, if you can’t stop vomiting it’s best to give your system a rest. Don’t starve yourself on purpose; try eating popsicles, broth, rice, mashed potatoes (without dairy) and foods that are easy on your tummy before giving up. Eating bananas can also help.
Don’t: Drink Alcohol
Alcohol can irritate your digestive system, which is the last thing you want when you have a stomach bug.
The stomach bug is never fun. It can ruin your entire week. But, you can make yourself get better faster if you eat regularly, get plenty of fluids, and rest.
8. Food do’s and don’ts when you’re feeling low
One of the most dangerous times for anyone when it comes to maintaining their diet is when they are feeling low. Emotions can really mess with your willpower. But, there are things that you can do to avoid falling for emotional traps and ruining your diet. Thankfully, you can improve your diet and feel better.
Do: Eat Foods Rich in Tryptophan
Tryptophan is a precursor to serotonin, the feel-good hormone. Eating foods high in tryptophan can help you get better sleep at night, which can improve your mood during the day. Foods with tryptophan include seeds, nuts, legumes, soybeans, meat, fish, dairy, and eggs.
Do: Eat Food High in B12 and Folate
It can be difficult to find food high in B12 today because the traditional foods such as meat, fish, soy and so forth often are also depleted. The best course of action is to get a blood test to ensure that you have plenty of vitamin B12 in your body. As for folate, that’s easier to get. Just eat a lot of leafy greens, veggies, beans, and avocado.
Do: Eat Food High in Vitamin D
A deficiency of vitamin D can contribute to depression, low feelings, and even body pain. This is another situation where you should get your levels checked and if needed supplement. The best way to get vitamin D is from the sun, but food like tuna and salmon have a lot too. Plus, fortified dairy and dairy substitutes, as well as cereal, also have plenty.
Do: Eat Lots of Antioxidants
Antioxidants enable your body to fight off free radicals and are a very important part of your diet. But, they are plentiful too, so it’s not hard to get enough if you eat a wide variety of plant-based food. Wild berries, artichokes, kidney beans and even dark chocolate have antioxidants.
Do: Eat Foods Rich in Complex Carbs
Green veggies, starchy veggies, lentils, and whole grains are all high in complex carbs. Remember that your brain needs glucose to work properly. Your brain only burns glucose – not fat and not protein. Therefore, avoid eating a low-carb diet that requires that you give up healthy complex carbs.
Don’t: Eat Added Sugar
When you’re feeling low it’s tempting to stuff yourself with sugary snacks and desserts. They do make us feel good for a short time. But, there is always a crash after. Therefore, avoid eating added sugar – especially when you’re feeling low. That doesn’t mean you can’t have something sweet like fruit. It only means not to eat processed added sugar.
Don’t: Eat Artificial Sweeteners
A study at Northwestern University by Dr. Ralph Walton showed that for people who are already feeling low, ingesting aspartame caused their depression symptoms to worsen. Therefore, it makes sense to avoid all artificial sweeteners. If you need to add something sweet, try honey, maple syrup, molasses, stevia or fruit.
Don’t: Drink Alcoholic Beverages
The reason you should not drink alcohol when you’re feeling low is that alcohol is a depressant. You might feel temporarily better while you’re intoxicated, but it will make the situation much worse. Just avoid it while you’re low or at least limit it severely.
Don’t: Eat Fried Foods
Fatty food will make you feel heavy and more depressed than you already feel. You may be thinking about eating comfort foods and often those are the fatty foods. French fries, country fried steak and so forth sound like a good idea at the time. But, after you always feel more low and depressed.
Don’t: Eat Fast Food
Sometimes when you’re low you feel too tired to cook. But, avoid the drive-through like the plague. If you must eat out, find a good place to eat that offers fresh food, salads, and fruit plates. This course of action really will make you feel better.
If you find that you’re feeling low for a long period and not just a few days, make it a priority to seek some professional help. Diet alone can’t cure every problem, but it can help avoid making it worse.
9. Food do’s and don’ts when you’re feeling stressed
When you are experiencing stress in life you might be tempted to stuff a Twinkie in your mouth to give yourself a quick sugar high, but that would be a big mistake. Sugar may give you a boost for a moment, but you will crash and feel even more stressed out afterwards. Plus, during the time you’re stimulated, you may even feel more stressed out.
Do: Eat Turkey
Foods with tryptophan can calm you down and make you feel better, and turkey is particularly tryptophan-rich. Avoid high fat by taking the skin off and eating white meat. Stick to one serving and eat it during your normal meals to avoid eating too many calories.
Do: Eat Lean Beef
This is another food with tryptophan that can help you get some calm into your life. Follow the same rules. Eat only one serving. A serving size of meat is about the size of the palm of your hand. Prepare it by braising it or broiling it, without adding extra fat or butter to it.
Do: Eat Whole Grain Bread
So many people today are afraid to eat carbohydrates. But, your body needs complex carbs to feed your brain. If you are feeling stressed out, eating some whole grain bread can help feed your brain and make you feel better. Don’t eat the whole loaf; just add a serving to your meals or spread peanut butter on it for a snack or breakfast.
Do: Eat Salmon
Salmon is rich in Omega 3s, which is also brain food. Since emotions like stress center in the brain, eating a diet rich in Omega 3s can help. Incidentally, salmon is also high in tryptophan.
Do: Eat Greek Yogurt
Greek yogurt is higher in protein than regular yogurt. Avoid the ones with added sugar. Instead, choose plain Greek yogurt and add fresh fruit, a little honey or maple syrup and eat a serving every day to help you get enough calcium, protein, and nutrients.
Don’t: Drink Coffee
Some people are very sensitive to caffeine. If you’re experiencing a high level of stress, try eliminating any beverages with caffeine. Caffeine can cause you to be shakier, moodier, and just more stressed out in general.
Don’t: Eat Candy
Stressed out people sometimes crave sugar. But, it’s the worst thing you can eat. Try eating whole grain bread, cereal, or fruit instead of sugar when you get a craving. You’ll be glad you did, because eating sugar can cause problems with your blood sugar levels, making you even more stressed.
Don’t: Drink Alcohol
Alcohol is a depressant and might seem like a good choice when you are experiencing stress. It can slow you down, but the boomerang effect of alcohol isn’t worth it. Instead, you want to avoid anything that will deliver a big punch to your blood sugar too fast.
Don’t: Eat Processed Food
Sometimes nothing sounds more satisfying than a big bag of potato chips or a big box of sugary popped corn or even a frozen pizza. But the fact is, eating processed food is not good for you. The chemicals in the food can add to your stress levels by affecting your health. Plus, it’s too easy to overeat.
Don’t: Eat Ice Cream
Eating a combination of sugar and fat (and salt in some cases) seems like a dream concoction that always makes you feel better, right? Sure, maybe for the short term. But in the long term, you can end up in a cycle of stress eating which can make you overweight and unhealthy. It’s not worth it.
You can’t beat all stress through food, but you can avoid adding to your stress by making poor food choices.
Next time, we’ll talk about food do’s and don’ts while you’re on holiday.
10. Food do’s and don’ts when you’re on holiday
A vacation is a time to live out your dreams and try new things. And, you can try new things and have a good experience if you’re careful. Just don’t bother eating things that you know give you problems so that you can enjoy your vacation.
Do: Try Local Food
One of the great things about traveling is the ability to try local food. Food is part of every single culture. You never know what new and healthy food you may discover along the way. You don’t want to visit anyplace and miss out on whatever food they’re famous for making.
Do: Share with Your Family
You can cut down on calories of even the most decadent food by sharing it with your family. Remember, you’re trying the food, sampling if you will – there is no need to eat it all. Get one dish and share it with the family and order healthy food to fill up on.
Do: Drink Fresh Filtered Water
When you’re in a new place – even if it’s just a new city or a state, you need to be careful about drinking unfiltered tap water. Instead, drink filtered or bottled water while you’re on vacation to avoid getting any type of intestinal bacteria that can ruin your entire holiday.
Do: Eat Fine Desserts
It’s important that you do eat at least one dessert that makes the holiday awesome. Don’t eat something that isn’t made in a great way, though. Why waste your taste buds on a boxed cake or frozen pie? Instead, focus on eating the best dessert possible, or skip it if nothing like that exists.
Do: Forget about Calories
When you’re on holiday it’s not really the time to count every single calorie. You can use good planning to stay within range, but don’t ruin your entire holiday by stressing over every single bit of food you put in your mouth. If you eat right most of the time, indulging a little during the holiday is fine.
Don’t: Eat Too Much Sodium
The one thing you do want to watch when you’re on holiday when it comes to food is salt (sodium). Eating more sodium than you’re used to can mess with your vacation by causing you to swell up and feel bloated. When you do eat something high in sodium, have just a taste and drink extra water.
Don’t: Eat Stuff You Can Get at Home
What’s the point of eating bagged potato chips when you can eat them at home? Don’t waste your holiday doing the same old things. Instead, if you can go to a place that makes homemade chips, eat those.
Don’t: Be Afraid to Try New Things
Going to another country can sometimes bring out food fears from childhood. But, it’s important to try new things. One way to be safe is to stick to cooked plant-based food. Even if it’s street food it will be safer.
Don’t: Gorge Yourself
No matter how good things are that you choose to eat, never overeat. Eating past the point of satiation can cause a lot of problems, including weight gain. Worse, when you’re on vacation you don’t want to feel stuffed and bloated because you want to be able to do a lot of walking.
Don’t: Have Regrets
No matter how well or badly you do while you’re on holiday, it’s important to ensure that you have no regrets. Set up a plan and whether you succeed or fail, enjoy your holiday.
Eating when you’re on holiday is part of enjoying a new culture or experiencing your roots. Don’t be so strict on yourself that you leave the vacation feeling unsatisfied. When you get home, get right back on your normal diet and any damage done will be reversed in no time. Remember that eating right is a compound effect over time, and every single moment doesn’t have to be perfect.
Related Info Products:
Fast Fat Burning Meals Cookbook – Paleo, Vegan, Real Food Recipes
Easy Bbq Recipes – Delicious Meals
High Cholesterol – Preventing Stroke and Heart Attack