Does anyone struggle with emotional eating/bed? I just ask for prayers. Things are hectic and stressful. My husband is not currently working, so I am the sole provider. God has always been there for us, but the flesh fights so hard. Just want the noise to stop.
My advice is to think of food/eating as not just the result of stress, but the cause of stress. That is, certain food -
sugar in its various forms - cause more eating/failure to be sated/full. That, and you need to feed your colon/gut, that is, eat foods beneficial to your gut microbiome. There is a gut-brain connection. The various organs of the body, including the brain, can develop
insulin resistance, with too much sugar being the cause. Insulin resistance affects each organ in its own way, but the result isn't healthy. That is the background.
So,...
1. Eliminate candies, pies, cakes, sodas - the obvious sugary stuff.
2. Eliminate products with Added sugar - these are listed on the nutrition label in the US. Buy substitute products without Added sugar.
3. You may eat fruits as they generally have fiber which slows down the adsorption of the sugar in them. And these don't have the very worse kind of sugars.
4. (Very recommended, not required). Take a
probiotic to get some good bacteria in your gut. These vary but choose one with various types of bacteria.
5. Eat foods that benefit your colon. So, eat
pickled, fermented, brined, and colored vegetables. That is, pickles, relish, kimchi, sauerkraut, bell peppers, kale, other greens, etc. (Avoid the 'whites': flour based products, potatoes) Eat pulses -
peas, beans and lentils.
Oatmeal from whole (Irish/steel cut) oats or rolled oats (Quaker) are good. These can be called
prebiotics.
6. Let your stomach/colon rest, so try to limit eating to an
8 to 10 hour period a day.
7. Let your body rest and try to get at least
8 hours of sleep each day.
That is what I consider the base of a plan to eat/live better.
I also recommend eliminating gluten, or at least cutting back. So, choose a pizza with a nongluten/no gluten crust - they are not bad.
Add fiber to your recipes, such as golden flax meal and/or chia seeds (always prewet chia seeds as they adsorb much water). A little helps and doesn't detract from many dishes.
Can eat unsweetened yogurt and drink kefir (like a thin yogurt, it is bio-active milk), or use these in your no bake cooking. For example I make "overnight oatmeal" with kefir and yogurt, plus golden flax meal, and chia seeds (always prewet chia seeds as they adsorb much water), and spices like ginger, cloves, nutmeg, and cardamom - all nutritive. I serve it cold with fresh fruit - unsweetened cranberries are ideal for their tartness - and a unsweetened granola (like this). I eat this 5 days a week and make it as a batch on the weekend. 5 cups rolled oats and 5 cups of kefir/yogurt makes 10 portions, or 5 portions for 2 people.
The best vegetable oil is olive oil. Next best is avocado oil. I use canola oil as a "bulk oil' although that is rare. I use it as a binder for my meat/veggie rubs. The goal is low polyunsaturated oils. Butter is fine and is actually the model oil profile (saturated, monosaturated, polyunsaturated) that is emulated in the choices here.
The best nut is pecan, followed by almond, due to having low polyunsaturated oil. Walnuts have other benefits and are okay. (There may be more exotic nuts that are better.)
Tip: Serve a pulse - peas, beans, lentils - with rice or one of the "whites" as a means to add fiber and to reduce the amount of rice consumed.
Here is a list of sugar substitutes with relative healthiness.
Exploring the Healthiest Sugar Alternatives: A Comprehensive Guide to Types of Sweeteners
Prayer to you and all like you.
