Too much of a good thing can definitely be bad. Although it sounds like crazy talk, too much creamy and delicious peanut butter is grounds for an upset stomach and possibly worse. Same goes for exercise; an excessive amount can be and is detrimental to your body.
Some how, some way, we can find a special balance for healthy living, but how? Well, for me, it's a work in progress. Having just been told to lay off the gluten and dairy has added an extra hurdle in my race to find a balance. Not a big hurdle, mind you, since my diet consists mostly of fruits, veggies, legumes, nuts, fish, and lean meats. But it's an obstacle nonetheless.
Greek yogurt is the hardest thing to omit. I could polish off a 32oz. container of Plain, Non-fat CHO in one sitting! Share? Unheard of! I've cut out organic skim milk and only use unsweetened almond milk and sometimes soy. As for the Greek yogurt, my consumption is greatly reduced, but I still have some every so often.
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| This used to be a work week's worth supply.... *insert sad face* |
My biggest issue now is the constant stomach/digestive issues I've been having. I thought it's all related to my gluten and/or dairy intolerance, but I still get pretty bad. Sorry, Kelley, and anyone else around me!
Anxiety can be a major culprit of upset stomach issues and I think this is part of my problem too. I let work and life issues worry me way too much. Why is that? We have this life to live and I need to learn to just enjoy each moment without worrying about the past or future. If you have any tips that don't include drugs or alcohol, please share.
Along with changing parts of my diet, I am trying to find a balance with exercise. I feel I must workout everyday and the routine I'm following doesn't seem enough. I find myself adding extra stuff before or after and constantly searching for more ways to get my heart going. This, of course, compounds the stress and anxiety; one more thing for me to work on.
So, my habits that I thought were good in the past, have contributed to my gluten intolerance, me feeling burnt out physically and mentally, and having crazy digestive issues! How "good" is that?
What I ultimately want is to be able to have TIME to do everything. I want to enjoy peaceful time with my wife, Kelley, just watching a movie and visiting with our families. All while not being so concerned about what food to have or take along or how I will be able to fit in a workout.
Progress is being made, I think, and it seems to be a day to day thing I will deal with. To the others out there, how do you tackle these issues in your life? Don't get me wrong, I'm not just some unhappy guy drudging through life, I do enjoy life and spending time with Kelley and others, but I need to MORE.
Good and bad habits aside, I think it's time for a little something we all know and enjoy....What I Ate Wednesday! Thank you, Jenn, for creating and hosting these awesome WIAW events! I've still been lacking in the picture taking department, so I'll post some new and some recycled photos.
Breakfast
Egg white omelette with bell peppers and goat cheese; Navitas Naturals Cocao powder infused coffee
Lunch
Green cabbage and spinach stir-fry with egg whites; green tea with stevia; Chocolate overnight oat crisps
Dinner
Cucumber and red pepper salad with sliced smoked turkey deli meat; Coconut protein granola; my own version of STUFT Mama's Coconut Cookie Dough Crumble. I made mine creamier and added more protein powder, peanut flour, pumpkin puree, unsweetened almond milk, and cottage cheese. So basically, it's not a crumble and the only thing similar is some coconut flour. But it inspired me!
So, things aren't so bad when you have good, healthy food and the comfort of a loving wife and family. Luckily, I have all of those, so everything will be fine here.
How do you cope in times of stress and anxiety?
Any tips on relieving gastrointestinal distress?
Don't forget to enter my giveaway for Navitas Naturals Cacao and Lucuma Powder; it ends this Friday, 9/21!!
Happy WIAW, Have a Great Week!
I wish I knew the magic answer on how to cope in times of stress. I'm there myself a lot. Maybe we just need to add some more spice. Ha ha. :) Hang in there......... Loving the looks of that overnight oat chocolate crisp things. Mmmm..
ReplyDeleteI know, all we can do is keep an open eye/mind out for that magic answer to show itself! Until then, more spice sounds like a perfect plan to me!!
DeleteThanks for stopping by, I've been really enjoying your posts and recipes!
I hear you on the chobani and the anxiety. I have crazy anxiety now and it all started earlier this year. I still have no idea why, but when it actually started happening I was a lunatic. I actually invested in a therapist since June and have been learning simple ways to cope. I know it's hard but I try to walk away from situations that stress me out to the max that will build my anxiety. I also am trying to tell myself I don't have to be super woman every day. "Life is about living, not living uptight." - quote from Jay Z In addition to all of this, I also have eliminated caffeine. Shockingly, it's made about a 60% difference. I'm not as crazy with all of the stress.
ReplyDeleteAs far as the eats, they all look fab! I always love Stuft Mama's recipes! They pull at my sweet tooth heart strings! Hope some of this will help!
That's a great idea investing in a therapist. I will try the "walk away" approach as much as possible, thanks for the tip! I think eliminating caffeine might help too....now I just have to muster up the will power to remove my beloved green tea or coffee. Hmmmm
DeleteThanks for the great reply, and I love the picture I got thinking of sweet tooth heart strings!
It's hard to give up things you love, but sometimes you just have to.
ReplyDeleteWell, that pretty much sums it up in a nice, simple sentence. I totally agree with you and usually don't have a problem cutting out things that are bad for me, but the Greek yogurt has a big space in my heart/belly/mind! Thanks for stopping by, Fran, have a wonderful week!
DeleteYour symptoms sound just like mine! It turns out that I was allergic to dairy, wheat and rye (gluten basically), peanuts, eggs, etc. Never in a million years would I have thought that I was allergic to all of that! I'm currently seeing a naturopathic nurse, who has been recommending certain natural supplements and vitamins to help me heal my stomach. Even after you stop eating the things that were irritating it, it can take awhile before you notice a difference. Also, if you are just lactose intolerant, and not actually allergic (I didn't know which one it was) then maybe you could try taking lactaid when eating Greek yogurt. It may help!
ReplyDeleteOh geez, peanuts and eggs too? I could try cutting those out too, but that would mean a lot of things going to waste in the kitchen. I've been reading your posts and you've been getting by pretty well. Have you been feeling better with the changes?
DeleteI'm trying to not let myself have anything with a cup and spoon at night as that is my "gateway" to constant refilling. Although it's all healthy and mostly homemade veggie-based mixes, I still add other trigger foods.
Thank you for the suggestions, I will definitely be mindful of these things as I choose my meals. Have a great week!
Oh, in no way would I suggest that you stop eating peanuts and eggs, especially if you didn't have to! Those were some of my favorite foods!!! :) I do feel much much better after cutting my food allergies out of my diet. My stomach is still healing (when you eat something that you are sensitive to, it can cause damage and even after you stop eating it, your stomach could still react). I have crazy digestive issues too.
DeleteI just meant that if you don't start feeling better with the changes you ARE making, maybe you should consider seeing and allergist or a naturopath who could test for allergies or intolerances respectively.
I hope you have a great week too!
I would agree that there are some cases on what we think that are good habits could cause harm to us especially in the field of dieting. Focusing only on eating a certain food is not good for us, we should balance our diet, and for me, eating food which we call unhealthy is good once for a while but we should not consume too much of it or the most, we should avoid it. Most of the time, we know what is best for us but consulting a health professional is the safest way.
ReplyDelete