Be Prepared for the Holidays to Keep Your Health Goals on Track

Life is filled with stress. Between work, family, and even the holidays (have you ever tried to find a Christmas gift for a picky relative?), stress can seem nearly impossible to escape. Luckily, there’s an easy fix. Food choices are one great way to help alleviate stress—although perhaps not in the way you’d think. Studies have found that what you eat has a major effect on how you feel. While high sugar and high fat foods may be what you feel like reaching for when life’s daily stresses get to you, in the long run, they won’t solve your problems. In fact, they may exacerbate them. When you eat simple carbs to make yourself feel better, you may succeed in the short run, but you’re also adding to your body’s total stress load. Although being stressed may have you reaching for traditionally unhealthy comfort foods, foods that provide real comfort and help beat stress are the ones that are actually good for you. So what steps should you take to beat the cycle of stress eating and start feeling better? Read more…