Stress Eater vs. Finals Week

Hey girl, I see you sippin' on that 44 oz. soda and poppin' those Dorito's. STOP. Let me help you! Finals week will NOT get the best of us my friends. I can tell you right now that your diet during finals week is probably not ideal. Here are some foods that help with stress, AND some foods that help you think better (aka brain food).

Asparagus- these lean, green machines are high in folate, a vitamin that helps you keep your cool

Avocados- blocking certain fats that cause oxidative damage, avocados help you breath and they are full of B-vitamins, vitamin E, beta-carotene, and folate.

Berries- filled with antioxidants, berries will keep you healthy as well as sharpen your cognitive abilities. (Who doesn't need their cognition improved during finals week, am I right?)

Cashews- Since cashews are filled with zinc (a mineral that has been associated with fighting off depression & anxiety), it's the perfect snack for studying. It's also full of protein and carbs so it'll give you plenty of energy to keep on keepin' on.

Chamomile Tea- It's been said that this type of tea calms your nerves as well as helps you sleep

Chocolate- Believe it baby! Dark chocolate has been shown to lower your blood pressure! It can also put you in a better mood, no seriously!

Garlic- Garlic is full of antioxidants which you'll need if your stress levels are fighting your immune systems to the death.

Green Tea- this has been found to enhance your mental performance!

Oatmeal- Oatmeal is a complex carbohydrate. Complex carbs tell the brain to produce serotonin (a feel-good chemical) Plus the carbs will give you the energy that you'll need to start your study day off right. Oh and if you throw on a pinch of cinnamon that could help with your memory!

Oranges- Once again with the antioxidant boosters, oranges are filled with vitamin C.

Oysters- zinc machines! (the mineral that fights off depression and anxiety, remember?)

Walnuts- Walnuts are filled with alpha linolenic acid (omega-3 fatty acid) which can help prevent memory loss. I would also add that fish is packed with Omega-3 fatty acid!

Spinach- this leafy green has been related to dementia prevention (folate, vitamins E & K are the magicians inside spinach that do this trick)

Grape Juice/Red wine- packed with polyphenols, these drinks can give your brain the boost it needs!

So get to the grocery store and stock up on these foods before your next final or study session! Along with these awesome foods make sure you're getting plenty of sleep, regular meals, & plenty of water in order to stay healthy and keep your energy up during this stressful time!

GOOD LUCK and thanks for reading!

Information curated from these web articles:
13 Healthy Foods that Fight Stress
10 Foods that Help Boost your Brain Power

8 Simple Tips to Avoiding a "Thanksgiving Hangover"

We are all guilty of over-eating on Thanksgiving... and there's nothing wrong with it! One day of binge-eating isn't going to hurt you my friends. (sigh of relief) However, I do have some tips to limit yourself this Thanksgiving! I know that when I eat entirely way too much I get a stomach ache afterwards. Having a stomach ache while all of my cousins are in town is never good. We like party.

1. Dress up! My family loves to dress up for the Holidays. You can never go wrong with staying classy, am I right?? No, but seriously, dress up! If you go to dinner in a big t-shirt and sweatpants you're going to eat more because you feel lazier. I know it sounds strange but it's totally psychological. Plus you'll want to look thin and trim in your holiday dress for pictures so you won't bloat yourself with too much food.
2. Trick yourself by pulling out a smaller plate. The smaller the plate, the smaller the portions. You'll feel like you've got plenty because your small plate will be completely full of food. Rather than loading up a large plate, trick your mind by filling up a small plate!
3. Think about your portion sizes before you scoop that heaping mountain of mashed potatoes onto your plate. How many cups would that be? How many tablespoons of gravy did you almost pour all over your plate? Think before you pour and you may find yourself only scooping the amount of food that you actually know you'll want to eat.
4. Place dessert onto your dinner plate... (you'll have to make room for it, thus you'll get less food). Now some of you (if you're like me) won't like this because this means all of your dinner foods will be touching your delicious dessert. If you have this problem go ahead and use a separate plate or bowl, but limit yourself to ONE dessert. OMG that's so hard I know! Pick your absolute favorite dessert that you don't think you can live without and dish THAT up instead of all of them.
5. Variety! Don't be that guy/girl who just has a village made of stuffing on their plate. Mix it up and don't be afraid to try new foods! It's okay to get more of what you love the most, but be open-minded when it comes to other types of foods this Thanksgiving.
6. Make sure you eat breakfast (and lunch if you have Thanksgiving meal at dinner time). This will keep you energized and full until the feast. If you show up to eat with an empty stomach, chances are you're going to eat a LOT more than you normally would.
7. Hold a conversation... or if your family is like mine, multiple conversations at once at the table. Talk, joke, and listen with others while you eat. This will slow you down so that your food will actually have time to digest. When you eat slowly you are able to tell when you are full.
8. Exercise in the morning! I think it was two years ago that my cousins, aunts, and I went to the "turkey burner" zumba early morning session on Thanksgiving day. It was awesome! We all got together and danced our turkey butts off then came back to grandma's for our thanksgiving feast. Exercising is a great way to feel better about yourself this thanksgiving. Get with your family members and plan something fun! Hiking, biking, running, dancing, playing football/basketball, golfing, swimming, or even shopping are great things do to together before or after your big meal. (yes I did just justify black Friday shopping as an exercise)

The most important thing is to enjoy the time you get to spend with family/friends. Make the most of your day and don't end up spending it sitting by the toilet! Happy Thanksgiving!