Are you eating and drinking your way through 'iso' like us??

There is so much bloody uncertainty out there right now – are we heading for a lockdown? How long will this last? Can I visit my parents? Will the kids EVER go back to school ?? Our kids are home. For some of us, our husbands are home too. For others, just you being at home is not the normal routine…. it all feels out of whack. We are really feeling it, all of it, and we’re sure you are, too.

And one thing we know, is that feeling overwhelmed right now is super easy. And speaking for ourselves here – when we’re feeling overwhelmed, often times, we eat! And boy, can we eat?!? Did you know, it’s aptly called stress eating… we can struggle with this stress eating – you too?For many of us, eating helps us deal with uncertainty and stress. For others this may be drinking too. It also instantly changes our state, gives us a hit of dopamine, and temporarily distracts us from what is going on. And let’s face it – it is also giving us something to do and to look forward to, as these days are long ?

But then after we have polished off another brownie (cookies, or a few glasses of wine) we can feel a little crappy. In any or all of the ways – physically, mentally, and emotionally – and it’s this part that is not particularly helpful.

Does this even matter? Well, it kind of does… This isolation thing is not going away any time soon and we need to be thinking longer term, right now. And, because now, more than ever, your health matters! We are being told to stay healthy. Keep your immune system strong. And guess what? What you eat plays a big part in both of these. What you eat (and drink) is literally providing your body with the fuel it needs, to not only function, but to fight illness, to keep you strong and to keep any nasties at bay. A crappy fuel consistently put in your car, would give you a crappy performance and would eventually damage the car…. your body is EXACTLY the same. Good fuel = good performance/ energy/ health.

And with winter around the corner here in Australia, we also need to stay well to avoid the usual colds, illness and influenza that will soon to be commonplace again (like we needed anything else to worry about!! ?).

So, how can we get a handle on our stress eating (and drinking), so that we can be at the top of our game for the things that really matter (like looking after YOU, then your beautiful family)?

❤️ Here are a Couple of Our Ideas

⭐️ Cultivate Awareness

Awareness is the very first step to being able to manage and ultimately, shift a particular behaviour. With awareness, you will begin to recognise that when the feeling of overwhelm shows up, you can recognize it, and can check in with yourself and ask:

✨ Am I really hungry?

✨ Why am I eating this?

✨ Have I created a routine around this behaviour (end of day glass of wine, or two, or more)?

✨ What can I do to distract and relax myself instead?

And look sometimes, we will stress eat (and drink) anyway, and that’s ok. It happens. Maybe the brief ‘hit’ was worth it. It’s absolutely nothing to feel bad about ?. We’re beings with (plenty of) emotions and food (and alcohol) give us temporary comfort and enjoyment. Don’t judge yourself harshly for it, just make sure that you truly enjoy it. The guilt or self-deprecation that we struggle with afterwards is sometimes far worse for our stress levels and psyche than the food itself! But, its important to have a real understanding of where you at with this and be honest with yourself when identifying if the consumption goes beyond what would be considered ‘healthy behaviour’.

⭐️ Eat regular, balanced meals. If you are getting enough nutrition with each meal, you’ll feel more full between meals and experience less blood sugar swings (less likely to reach for a pick-me-up). Focus on as much fruit and veg, seeds & nuts and wholegrain as you can – focus on flavour!! They provide you so much goodness – lap them up!

⭐️ Make sure to include foods you love throughout the day too – whatever they are. In our house, we are a bit addicted to salty crunchy food (aka chips!), so if we feel like these, we will have them. Not every meal and often not every day, but knowing that we can have them when we want them – we don’t crave them and feel deprived. And don’t forget, when you eat these foods, whether its ice-cream, chocolate or you’re a salt-lover like us – really savour and enjoy them.

⭐️ Look for ‘healthified’ alternatives to your favourite binge-worthy foods. We all but gave up refined sugar a long time ago, but that didn’t mean that we gave up on all things ‘sweet’. We have found or revamped most of our favourite things to become healthier versions of their former selves. If you find that you have a little more time now, it might be time to try out some of those recipes that you’ve been meaning to attempt. Or if you have older kids, get them trying their hand in the kitchen! There are plenty of Sweet Treats on our website that will not play havoc with your blood sugar levels – check them out here.

⭐️ Reach out (virtually) and connect. This is an extremely tough time for all families right now. Mums are doing it tougher than most. If you are a mum with younger children…. well, we know what you are going through right now and we are truly feeling your daily challenges – it is so, so bloody tough. But, you are not alone! Connect with family and friends and have a chat. Face time other families. Set up Group Chats. Reach out and download with a friend who might be going through the same thing. Email us here!! Do whatever you need to reduce your feelings of isolation. It truly does help to chat things out and you are not alone. Please don’t ever feel that you are alone. We are ALWAYS here for you, so please get in touch if things feel really hard right now. Find us on IG here and we are pretty active in our FB group Soul Sister Health Hub right now too, with regular workouts for mums and kids…. come join us there.

Before we go, can we please offer you the biggest and squishiest virtual hug, right now?. We’re all doing our very best in unknown and unchartered territory. You are truly amazing.

It is tough, tough, tough on mums right now and we want you to look after yourself as much as possible (we know this is next-level hard!), but a strong, healthy and compassionate YOU will have a powerful effect on those around you.

If it feels right for you today, please be an angel and forward this email onto someone you love – and share the SSH message – they just might get something out of it too. ❤️