‘Focus only on what you can control and don’t waste energy worrying about things that are outside your control’
One thing we can control at the moment is our diet. What we eat and drink has such a huge impact on not only our health, but our mental wellbeing – our feel good factor that is so important. In one of my previous emails I remarked how easy it was to reach for sweet things; ‘I’ll just have a treat as I’m feeling a bit down’ (I know it because I’ve done it) but it doesn’t help, and it doesn’t make you feel better for very long.
Try and plan your meals and follow a structure, just like we’re having to plan and structure our lives a little differently, its a great opportunity to improve how we eat.
Here are some top tips:
- Always eat breakfast – it’s the most important meal of the day and will boost metabolism and mood.
- Limit the amount of caffeine you drink – it can cause anxiety and gives you artificial bursts of energy.
- Have protein with every meal – protein makes you feel fuller for longer. Nuts, seeds, eggs, fish, meat, greek yoghurt and whole milk are all good sources.
- Eat colourful fruit and vegetables – these are high in antioxidants and boost your immune system. Peppers, broccoli, spinach, blueberries and strawberries for example.
- Eat good fats – we all need healthy fats for good brain health, think oily fish, olive oil, avocados, nuts and seeds.
- Avoid high glycaemic index foods – foods such as white bread, white pasta and anything sugary cause a spike in your blood sugar levels. Stick with wholegrains.
Eat plenty of fruit and vegetables – these provide us with amazing vitamins, minerals and fibre.
This is something I made earlier this week, it was a warm salad of butternut squash, red peppers and tomatoes with crumbled feta and an olive oil, lemon and parsley dressing. Full of all the good things above. Why not give it a try?