Eat breakfast every day. “It seems so simple”, says nutrition expert Elizabeth Somer, R.D., author of 10 Habits that Mess Up a Woman’s Diet (McGraw Hill, 2006), Food & Mood (Henry Holt & Co., 1999), and other books, “but it’s the key to stress as well as weight management. Hundreds of studies show people who eat breakfast react better to stress and have fewer mood swings. They’re also more alert, have better concentration and work performance, and fewer food cravings and weight problems.”
Speaking engagements and TV appearances have Somer traveling two to three times a month, often across several time zones with only a few hours of sleep. “With work and two kids, I can’t afford to feel bad. Eating right is so critical to me that I can see a difference in only a couple of days if I don’t.” She advises brightly colored, antioxidant-rich fruits and vegetables, whole grains, nuts, and calcium-rich foods; magnesium and vitamins are important for stress resilience too.
“Stress really ups the damage with free radicals; eating healthfully protects your immune system and brain tissue”, Somer says. “Watch out for undermining quick fixes. There’s nothing wrong with a cup of coffee but it adds stress to your system instead of strengthening it like a good breakfast and 8 to 10 fruits and veggies a day will.”
You’re not likely to start eating well in a crisis, so begin every day right, even if it’s as simple as cereal with milk and some fruit. Carry healthy food like yogurt, cheese, baby carrots, and oranges with you, so you don’t end up in front of a vending machine deciding between chips and candy. Well nourished is well armed against stress.
By Judith Lazarus
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