Sometimes when our lives get busy or a difficult issue arises, it's easy to grab junk food, sodas, or even alcohol to handle the stress. These empty calorie items can take an edge off the moment, but often they cause binging without really satisfying.
An ideal way to take the edge off when you're stressed is to turn to healthier "comfort food." The Merriam Webster definition* is: "food prepared in a traditional style having a usually nostalgic or sentimental appeal."
Those taste treats with a little more nutrition and a positive emotional connection can help you cope with "stuff." Three of mine are a bowl of mac and cheese, a toasted bagel with peanut butter and honey, or a dish of chicken fried rice. The mac and cheese makes me smile because I'm a kid again. The bagel is the confidence boost of a typical breakfast for my successful professional self. And, the chicken fried rice gets me to grin because it's a healthier mash-up that serves an older me. When things get crazy or difficult, there is power in grabbing a comfort food to settle your soul!
Try This: Comfort Food Power
This week, focus on three comfort foods that make you smile. Let these be the ones you turn to when things are crazy. What are yours?
The key is to have them top of mind and to recognize why they have a positive effect on your spirit. Plus, if they are easy to prepare, in minutes you'll have a nice break from the hectic world.
* Merriam-Webster definition of Comfort Food: https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/comfort%20food