Tools for Intentional Living – Dr. J. Nickens

Everyone eats.  Many people struggle with how much (too much?  to little?), when, and what they eat.

At the same time the prevalence of mood disturbances seems to be evident in the waiting rooms of many psychotherapists. 

What might be the connection between these two personal challenges?  We know that when someone is experiencing stress, at the very time when physical and psychological reserves may be at their lowest, she or he is more likely to engage in one or more of the following:

• Overeating

• Skipping meals

• Eating mostly fast food

• Excessive drinking of alcohol and caffeine

The following suggestions may seem obvious, yet if you take a serious inventory you might find that you are depriving yourself of the balanced nutrition you need to maintain a more regulated mood, and a more comfortable relationship to food.

1. Eat a number of smaller meals during the day and early evening, and in response to hunger rather than the clock.

2. Refrain – especially at night – from eating foods made of simple sugars like corn syrup.  Soft drinks, cake, cookies, donuts and pies cause first a rapid increase then a precipitous fall in blood glucose, making it difficult for your body to self-regulate.

3. Decrease or eliminate alcohol consumption.  Alcoholic drinks are high in calories but have almost no nutritional value, contribute depressed moods, sleep difficulties, increased anxiety, the problematic reduction of inhibitions and even bladder incontinence.

4. Ensure that your diet is varied, and that you include more vegetables, fruits and grains than meat.

These simple suggestions will help to change your relationship to food and nutrition and start you on a path toward improved physical and psychological health.

For more specific suggestions consult a food and nutrition specialist such as a dietician.