Easy and Effective Ways to Combat Stress

Everyone gets stressed out from time to time, but if it starts to interfere with your day-to-day life, you could be dealing with something a bit more serious. The next time you start to feel those overwhelming feelings creeping on you, try these simple tips for combating stress naturally.

  • Don’t let it go too far. It’s much easier to manage stress when it first begins than when it starts to spiral out of control, so watch out for the warning signs early. If you can tell that it’s going to be a stressful week, prepare in advance so that you can manage your tasks without becoming overwhelmed.
  • Address the physical side effects. While stress itself is mental, its side effects are often physical. When you start to get jittery or your feel your heart racing, do some relaxing stretches, practice breathing exercises, or simply close your eyes and count to 10 to counteract those feelings.
  • Watch your diet. Before you start stress eating or grabbing unhealthy fast food while rushing to work, stop and plan your meals. What you eat can have a big impact on your mental state, so be sure to try to eat fresh fruits, vegetables, and lean proteins to stay energized. Try to steer clear of caffeine!
  • Do something silly. Take a break from life (even if it’s just for five minutes) to laugh at a silly video or dance it out. Sometimes that’s all you need!

Top 10 Instant Stress Busters [Lifehacker]
7 Best Ways to Bust Stress [SheKnows]
15 Easy Ways to Bust Work Stress [Men’s Health]

How Much Oil Should You Consume?

Oil has a reputation for being bad for the waistline, but select oils are very beneficial when consumed in moderation. This helpful guide from the USDA provides simple, accessible descriptions of the main types of oils, then helps you to make informed decisions about which to use. Here are the highlights:

What are oils?
Oils are fats that become liquid at room temperature. Things like canola oil, corn oil, sunflower oil, and olive oil are common, as well as the oils found in foods like nuts, olives, avocados, and some fish.

How are oils different from solid fats?
Solid fats contain more saturated fats and/or trans fats, while oils contain more monounsaturated and polyunsaturated fats. Saturated fats and trans fats raise the “bad” cholesterol in your body, which increases the risk of heart disease.

Why are oils important?
It is important to consume oils because they provide essential nutrients. Oils are the major source of essential fatty acids, which are necessary for your health, and they are also provide the majority of your body’s Vitamin E.

How much oil should I consume?
The average American adult needs anywhere from five to seven teaspoons of oil per day, depending on factors like your gender, age, and level of physical activity.

What Are “Oils”? [USDA]

How to Steer Clear of Saturated Fat in Your Diet

Saturated fats are some of the main things that you should watch out for when you’re trying to lose weight or improve your health, but unfortunately they’re very common in many of the foods on the market today. If you want to cut saturated fats from your diet, these three foods are some of the main ones to avoid.

  1. Butters and margarines. This is a tricky subject, because butter and margarine have both positive and negative qualities. When choosing a spread, first compare both the trans fats and the saturated fat contents of each product. Whichever one has the lowest number of trans and saturated fats is the healthier option.
  2. High-fat meats. Meats like steak, ground beef, pork, and sausage with visible, marbled fats are always very high in saturated fats. Dark meat poultry and poultry with skin on it also contains much more saturated fats than other types. Choose leaner cuts of meat, chicken, or fish instead, or you can substitute ground beef or sausage with ground turkey.
  3. Dried coconut. While coconut is a common topping on many cakes, cookies, and candy bars, it contains about 57 grams of potentially harmful saturated fats per serving. This is an alarming 286% of your recommended daily intake, so be sure to limit the amount of dried coconut that you consume.

Top 10 Foods Highest in Saturated Fat [Healthaliciousness]
Saturated Fats Are Primarily Found in What Groups? [SF Gate]
Saturated Fat [CDC]
Fat and Oils [Better Health Channel]

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