The Petite Foodie

Stress Comes From Many Things. It’s What We Eat, What We Think & How We Move. Today, I Share Our Cancer Story and My Top 5 Hacks For Reducing Stress In The Body!

We all crave a life that is peaceful and fulfilling. I know we all want the most out of our days. We want to look a certain way, feel a certain way, and have the life that all of those “perfect moms” we see on Instagram have. But is that reality? Are they actually living their best lives? Maybe, but it’s doubtful!

So, I have a question for you. What does a “healthy life” mean to you, and how can you live your best life today? Well, I have some thoughts to share on this topic.

Our Health Journey

A few years ago, my husband was diagnosed with cancer (read full story HERE), which he BEAT thank God. But, while we’ve always been “healthy “, this diagnosis threw everything we thought we knew about health and wellness into a tailspin. I did a ton of research about disease cells and how they thrive in an acidic/toxic environment. That’s really when I dove headfirst into a full-on healthy living lifestyle.

Toxicity is not just caused by the things we put in our body, but it’s fueled by our thoughts too. Stress, anxiety, fear, and worry all create toxicity in the body. Health is so much more than the physical body. It’s how we move, it’s what we eat, and it’s what we think. So what are some things we can do to reduce stress? Making excuses that we don’t have enough time in the day to take care of our health is not the solution. It’s part of the problem! So let’s chat about our options.

Top 5 Tips For Reducing Stress In The Body

1. Start The Day With Movement:

Start each day with a workout, or some sort of physical activity, to get your head on right. Now the workouts don’t have to be anything insane like bench pressing 400 pounds, but getting up and getting moving does wonders for our physical health AND our mental health. Exercise has been proven to reduce the body’s stress hormone, so why wouldn’t you do it? I have some home workouts to get you started on my Instagram page under the “workouts” highlight.

2. Delegate:

Delegating easy tasks around the house to a spouse or a child is huge! Even if they don’t do it the way you would want to do it (and trust me I am a giant control freak), taking things off your plate that don’t need to be on your plate will reduce your stress level.

For instance, teach your toddler how to unload the dishwasher. Even if he just takes the dishes out and stacks them on the counter, that’s one less thing for you to do. Give your child a list of snacks and meal options to choose from so that he can pick from those and build his own lunch/snack is another huge helper.

I have a chalkboard in the kitchen that lists snack options: berries (already washed and in a bowl in the fridge), veggies (already cut up on a platter in the fridge), pretzels with peanut butter, popcorn, etc. Then when it’s snack time, you don’t need to lift a finger. AND they love the responsibility. I promise!

3. Quiet Time for Everyone:

I know that we think of quiet time when it comes to our children, but we need it just as much as they do. It’s a reset and a refocus for everyone. When I start to get stressed throughout the day and start to lose my temper, I can almost guarantee we’re close to quiet time! The kids spend an hour and a half in their rooms, and I spend time alone. I do lots of things during this time. I play guitar/sing, I read my bible, I write blog posts, I catch up on work, I make myself a fancy coffee drink, I bake, etc. After we all go our separate ways, we come back and finish the day stronger than we started. It’s a perfect reset.

4. Eat Healthy Foods:

Things that you put into your body actually change the chemistry of your body, thus affecting the body’s pH. Making excuses that healthy eating is hard or expensive is not a solution. It’s part of the problem. It just takes planning and a little preparation! It takes throwing out the junk in your pantry and stocking the shelves with fresh produce and healthy snacks. If it’s in the house, you’ll eat it. SO DON’T TEMPT YOURSELF!

I’m not going to say it’s easy to go from a McDonalds-every-day-diet to a kale-salad-for-lunch diet. It takes commitment, and it takes discipline. But once you’re in a rhythm, you get used to it! Start reading labels. Swap white bread out for whole wheat bread. Swap sugar filled yogurt with plain greek yogurt and put a sprinkle of cinnamon and fresh berries on top. There are plenty of delicious recipes all over the web that you can use as a resource. You just need to decide if your long-term health is worth it. And, friends, it IS! HERE is an outline of some meal options to get you started.

5. Plan Ahead:

If I show up to a work meeting or a business presentation or, heck, if I show up to home-school my kids, and I don’t have a plan, it creates anxiety and stress in the body. How much better off would we be if we spent 5 or 10 minutes preparing for a task? We do it for work, why not do it for the rest of our life?

I prepare for all things! Whether it’s dinner for the week (helpful hacks HERE), snack time, grocery shopping, home-schooling, or work, I spend a few minutes to prepare in advance.

This even works with parenting. When I’m about to give my kids a to-do list, or I want them to respond a certain way, I outline my expectations and the role that the kids will play, as well as mine. When there’s clear communication and expectations, there’s an order to the day.

It can be as simple as a pre-bedtime chat: “tomorrow is a school day. When you wake up, I want you to brush your teeth, put your clothes on, and go downstairs until I’m ready for you. Now repeat what I expect you to do when you wake up”. It works! The kids need it as much as we do.

Your Homework:

Everyone has a role to play. It’s like you’re the commander of your own army. The best leaders don’t do everything themselves. They delegate because when everybody does their part, the mission is a success. So I have some questions to leave you with today. Is your day made up of mostly excuses? Or is it made up of creative solutions to your specific needs? Are you ready to make a lifestyle change? If so, what are your action steps?

Today’s homework: Take a poll of the people in your life. Look around at the people in your life who are stressed and grumpy and overwhelmed. What do they do that creates that? Then, take a look around at those who seem to have it all together. What do they do differently?

No fad diet or magic wand will reduce stress and make us healthier. It’s a lifestyle shift we’re after for long-term success! We have to decide that we’re ready to make the necessary changes to squeeze everything out of this life! So let’s do it, together. xoxo