Heal the Effects of Stress with Whole Food

Are you hungry to heal your body? Do you seek food as a resource for healing?

How does your stress reflect your food choices? Did you know that

whole food is widely recognized as a means for you to gain nutrition to fuel, cleanse and

repair your body? These are important facts to address when you are under stress or

trying to heal from stress in your life.

Stress hits individual cells just as it does your whole body. This means cells move

out of a state of growth and reproduction into the fight-or-flight mode.

This is a beautiful built-in survival technique- BUT if the fight-or-flight mechanism

becomes a habit, stress becomes chronic causing fatigue and illness.

In the fullness of life with work, family and play, it is not unusual to start skipping

meals or reaching for processed foods. Sometimes it is fun and necessary to take

advantage of “fast food”. However, when you resort to routine dining out, eating

processed, fried and over sweetened foods, you will experience increased inflammation,

allergies, poor gut health, sleep disturbance and moodiness thus setting the stage for

chronic disease.

Often you do not consciously make food choices that reflect how you really want

to feel. You may eat because you are hungry or something looks tasty, to get “full” and

relax. The solution to balancing incoming stress on your body is to make conscious food

choices to reflect how you want to feel. This means how you want to feel after lunch

AND in 10 years!

Your body works very hard to obtain nutrients, neutralize toxins, eliminate waste

and restore depleted resources. Eating whole food, fresh, unprocessed and free of

preservatives is an essential way to assist your body to repair from AND prepare for

further growth. This is an important time to employ stress management techniques such

as paying attention to how you are nourishing your body, readdress your priorities and

consider changing current patterns. You may be ready to take more control over your

nutrition by preparing whole food in your own kitchen.

Often people say to me,“eating healthy is expensive”, “I don't know how to cook”

or “my family is too busy to eat at home.” These are important concerns that I need, as

a nurse practitioner and health coach, to further address.

Consider opportunities to learn more about how preparing nutritious “fast food” at

home could transform your health and wellbeing. By preparing affordable, nutritious

refueling meals and sitting down together for conversation and connection, you have a

recipe for counteracting the stress of the day, nurturing your body and cultivating

emotional bonds for wellness. I encourage you to allow your hunger lead you home to

your kitchen!

Dawn is a Family Nurse Practitioner, Board Certified Integrative Health and Wellness

Coach and owner of Begin Again: Health & Wellbeing LLC in Owatonna.

To reach Dawn please call 507-676-7308