5 Ways to Boost your Immunity and Stop Stress Eating while Working from Home

Do you ever find yourself mindlessly munching on junk food due to feeling stressed or bored while working from home? We all know that those foods and stress can be detrimental to our immunity, digestion, well-being, and of course the weight. The question is, is there a Better Way?

Remember, you can always turn any distractive thoughts and behaviours that come up during these unusual times (which we cannot control) into something creative (which we can control). And I would love to share few tools that many of my clients found helpful.

1. Eat a Rainbow.
Give your immune system a jump start by aiming for 2 to 3 colors during each meal in order to reach your 5 vegetables / 2 fruit per day. Every color across the spectrum of the plant-based foods are full of immune boosting and disease-fighting chemicals called Phytonutrients. Red, Orange and Green colors being the most immune boosting due to it’s rich Vitamin C content, as well as White colors such as ginger, garlic, onions and herbs/spices being the most anti-microbial, etc. Also don’t forget those tan foods like nuts, sunflower seeds, chickpeas, and other foods high in zinc (oysters, meats, yogurt), since zinc might play a role in shortening viral symptoms. All other colors being so anti-inflammatory that they can help offset the effects of stress (which does increase inflammation).
The easiest ways to get those colors are Sheet Pan Oven Roasted Vegetables or a Rainbow Salad, however soups, stews, stir-fry, as well as frozen veggies can be great too.   

2. Find Your Why.
Why are you eating? 
Test it out by asking yourself if you are really hungry next time you reach for food. If the answer is no, you fell into emotional eating snowball and need to stop for a second…and come up with the Plan B. Write down a few non-food related activities that truly put a smile on your face (such as listening to a favorite song, calling your best friend, drinking that favorite cup of tea). Brainstorm your favorite activity and try it next time you are about to munch. Other proven stress-reducing modalities to explore instead of stress eating are breathing exercises, meditation and guided imagery.

3. Prepare! 
Your environment has the Biggest impact on your health, and it is also entirely in your control to make it Work For You, not against you. So be careful what you bring home. Replace all the foods that are sabotaging your health (highly processed, junk foods) with the foods you will Thrive On! That’s all your non starchy veggies in any amount and way you like them (raw, steamed, roasted, baked, blanched, stir fried) with a little dip or a dressing on a side if you wish.  For Snacks – think roasted kale chips with tahini, baby carrots with hummus, bell peppers with almond butter, or cauliflower heads with pesto. If your taste buds are screaming out for sweets, dark chocolate with fruits and nuts are the best trio to aim for (Just a Handful).

4. Count Your Blessing.
Diring times of uncertainty, shifting your worries and fears towards things that you certainly have, and greatful for can be a game changer. There are studies found that gratitude can boost your immune system to offset its disruption by the psychological stress. There are number of other studies showing how practicing gratitude can immediately and immensely shift our mood, thoughts and attitudes, thus uplifting and moving us away from fight or flight instinct. Try it for yourself by writing down 3 things you are grateful for right now.

5. Rest, Relax, Recharge!!!
One of the last but not least powerful tools for reducing stress and boosting immune system is Rest! It’s a fact that shorter sleep duration increases the risk for infectious disease. So get your 8 hours of sleep, no matter what. Make your bedroom dark, cool, and quite to aid you with a restorative sleep. A little self-care bedtime routine can also help you drift off to sleep easier. So try a warm bath, deep breathing, self-massage with some lavender essential oil, or journaling.

Thank you for reading this – I’d love to hear your comments and tools that worked effectively for you. If you need more individualized ways to boost your immunity and reach your 2020 health goals, you can SCHEDULE YOUR VIRTUAL SESSION TODAY.