4 Stress-Stopping Snacks

By Mary Langfield, Certified Holistic Health Coach dedicated to increasing awareness to improve your health and outlook on life.

Tell your typical comfort foods to hit the road and opt for these healthier snacks when faced with your next bout of stress. Instead of mac and cheese, chips, or other fat and carb-heavy foods, choose an easy snack that will leave you feeling healthier, lighter, and happier. Think of snacks as mini meals that allow you to maintain your energy. 

For the best bang for your buck, choose a combo of protein + fat + carbohydrates. 

This combo will keep you satisfied and energized longer. Mix up the recommendations below.

1. Berries: These flavorful fruits, such as blueberries, are loaded with vitamin C and high in antioxidants and fiber. Just one cup of berries provides all the disease-fighting antioxidants you need in a single day, boosting your immune system during the cold season, promoting cell health, and combating stress. Berries also quell future hunger pains, thanks to their high fiber content that leaves you feeling full long after you eat. 
2. Almonds: These super snacks are loaded with a slew of healthy vitamins and mood-enhancers such as vitamin B, zinc, and vitamin E. They also cleanse your body with antioxidants and heart-healthy fats. 
3. Yogurt/Kefir (Plain, Unsweetened): Whether fresh or frozen, yogurt is a great alternative to other creamy impulse-eats such as ice cream because it offers your body a helping of probiotics (active live cultures that help to balance your digestive system and inhibit toxin-producing bacteria in your body) while uplifting your mood with a hearty helping of tryptophan, a chemical that aids the creation of the fog-clearing and mood-enhancing chemical serotonin. 
4. Lean Proteins: Resist the fried chicken and fries and have an egg or some low-fat cheese as a snack instead. Lean protein is great for maintaining a healthy mood because it helps to stabilize your blood sugar, which fluctuates when you’re under stress. 

Still crave something sweet? Eating a little dark chocolate everyday can actually be good for you, keeping cholesterol down and reducing the risk of clogged arteries.

If you’re interested in learning more about how little changes to your routine and diet can transform your life into something happier and healthier, contact me today to learn more about holistic health coaching!

Decision Making Technique

Last Saturday I participated in a day long workshop. The workshop was really interesting and I learned an awful lot about the importance of soil, setting holistic goals as well as making tough decisions. I wanted to pass on a snippet to you about a decision making practice that Atina Diffley of Organic Farming Works shared with the participants.

When you are planning on making a decision, say to buy a new vehicle (or shoes). Make the decision and then sleep on it and see how you feel about it the next day. Maybe sit with that decision for 3 days and see how you feel. Then switch your decision and be very concrete about it. Sleep on it again and maybe hold that decision for the next few days. By the time you have gone through both sides you should know what you really want to do about it.

Atina gave the example about buyers remorse and how using this decision making method helped her avoid that pitfall regardless of what she was purchasing.

Good luck! Let me know if you have any major decisions to be making in the near future and if this helped you decide.