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Day Two: Eating for Energy

Poor eating habits are just another layer of stress we are adding onto our body and are also likely increasing your chances of an IBS flare-up. The best way to support your body through stressful times is to make eating a balanced plate a priority. Sorry, no quick wins or magic foods here!

Building a balanced plate is pretty straightforward, and yet it is something that so many struggle with. And it might be a hard truth to swallow, but if you’re not eating a balanced diet, trying to eliminate foods to find a specific IBS trigger is basically a pointless endeavour.

A balanced plate is made up of all the main nutritional players: carbohydrates, protein, and fat. If you need a refresher on what foods exactly fall under each category, just click on the macronutrient links and you’ll go to a separate post that will walk you through it.

Now before you start getting more stressed about things like macro ratios or weighing your food out or whatever… that’s not what I mean when I talk about a balanced plate. In fact, there is a pretty easy starting point you can begin with.

First, you want to focus on your non-starchy carbohydrates. This would be namely your fruits and vegetables and should take up about 50% of your plate.

Secondly, your starchy carbohydrates. This is the rest of the carb category and would include things like potatoes, grains (rice, pasta, bread, etc.), lentils and legumes. This would be about 25% of your plate, although it’s the category that can fluctuate the most based on your activity levels and your body’s needs.

Thirdly, the protein. Protein will be another 25% of your plate. It might also overlap a bit with your carbohydrates, for example if your main protein source in a meal are lentils or legumes.

Finally, you have the fat; and yes, I realize your plate is already at 100%! But fat is often not really visible on the plate, and so I tend to think of it as “sprinkled throughout”. It’s the cooking fat for your protein or a dressing on your salad. It might be in the protein itself, like the yolk of an egg or the skin on a chicken leg. But it could be there visually as well, such as nuts and seeds on a salad, or a serving of avocado. Just remember not to go overboard with the amount of fat on the plate; you need it for a healthy, balanced diet, but it is much more energy dense than the rest, so you do need to take care.

If these shares of the plate have your head spinning, you can also think of the sizes by using your hand as a guide:

• A big handful of non-starchy carbohydrates
• A fist of starchy carbohydrates
• A palm-sized serving of protein
• A thumb of fat

And don’t forget about your snacks! Balanced snacking is just as important so that you don’t end up with a quick burst of energy only to crash 30-60 minutes later. If you want some balanced snack inspiration, click here.

Cravings

If you find yourself with some intense cravings, like for fatty, greasy foods or sugary snacks, this is likely your body sending signals that it is looking for a quick, dense energy source.

Try fulfilling the cravings with sources of healthy fats instead (like avocado, nuts and seeds, fatty fish, or olives) and skip the sugary snacks for something from whole grains. If you’re really craving a sweet taste opt for fruit but make sure to pair it with a source of fat or protein so that your energy levels don’t end up crashing a short while later.

Especially during a long period of chronic stress, you might find yourself craving salty snacks. This could be due to your body using sodium for the extra stress hormone production. Go ahead and use a quality sea salt on your food and you can even slightly salt your water! (But avoid this if you have or are at risk of high blood pressure.)

Some additional nutrition tips for times of stress:

• Stay away from caffeine
• Avoid skipping meals or grazing throughout the day
• Stay hydrated by drinking plenty of water
• Pile up on the veggies
• Take time to sit down and fully embrace mealtimes to improve digestion

Day Two Action Step:

Think about the types of food you reach for during times of stress. Identify one meal or recipe that can be your healthy go-to substitute for busy and chaotic days that will help balance your stress levels. Bonus points if you make it for dinner tonight!

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