emotional eating
A lot of emotions can prompt overeating - stress, frustration, boredom, anxiety - and new mums can be prone to all of those emotions. Here are a few tips on avoiding overeating to fill a void:
- Try and avoid or limit caffeine and alcohol, which can be especially hard on your system if you’re already anxious.
- Keep hydrated by drinking six to eight glasses of water a day. It’ll stop you from confusing hunger with thirst and keeping your thirst at bay can also help you feel less fatigued.
- Use healthy snacks to help keep your blood sugar levels stable. When I was on Breakfast TV today I had an array of snacks to do just that - stock up on foods like hummus, nuts, energy bars, homemade muffins, and yummy cheeses.
- Omega-3 fatty acids do great things for your mood, your skin, your hair, your brain…try walnuts for a snack or sardines on toast for lunch.
- Magnesium helps relax your muscles, so try adding more whole grains, legumes, vegetables, nuts and seeds into your diet. They’re all rich in magnesium.
- Keep an eye on portion size too, there’s no harm in putting something in the fridge to finish up later, it’s a perfect snack.