When under stress the best solution is to choose foods that provide the most nutrition. Current dietary thinking lays considerable emphasis on eating plenty of whole grains, pasta, rice, and potatoes – foods that contain complex carbohydrates – as well as lots of fiber-rich fresh fruits and vegetables. Meats, fish, and poultry should be eaten in moderation, as should dairy products. Fats such as butter and oil should be eaten only sparingly, except in the case of children. Such a diet supplies most people with all the vitamins and minerals they need, as well as enough energy to deal with life’s challenges. Instead of getting a quick surge of glucose, followed by a drop as you do when you eat candy bars, doughnuts, and other refined foods, complex carbohydrates are broken down in your body into glucose and gradually released into your bloodstream, providing you with steady, sustained energy throughout the day. At the beginning of the 1990’s, nutritionists replaced the familiar four food groups with a pyramid showing the proportions in which different foods should be eaten daily to achieve a well-balanced diet. Fats that include butter and lard, and oils (olive, sunflower, and safflower oils) should be used sparingly, if at all. Dairy products – 2-3 servings daily. Proteins – lean meat, poultry, fish, and beans 2-3 servings daily. Fruits and vegetables, preferably fresh, 3-5 servings daily. Carbohydrates – bread, pasta, rice, and potatoes 6-11 servings daily. |
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