1.) I enjoy having a few drinks when I go out (and I go out a few times a week). Before, I would occasionally go over that. Now, I always stop at 2 drinks, and always always ALWAYS eat something with a considerable amount of protein (and fat) in it to help with the blood sugar, and drink plenty for water (1 qt per drink!). I realized this after two instance in the past month where I thought I was invincible (alcohol tends to do that, haha), and did not feel well for days afterwards. Oh. My. Goodness. You don't have to be hypoglycemic to heed that advice, it is beneficial for everyone.
2.) Consistency is key. Just one bender day will set me off on a negative course, sometimes affecting me for 4-5 days afterwards (such as one of the days mentioned above).
It is time consuming, but taking the time to prepare meals every Sunday for the week ahead has proven very beneficial for my health, and my stress levels. The last thing I want to do at the end of a long day (dealing with 175 hormonal middle schoolers) is come home, try and figure out what I want for dinner, and then cook it for an hour. The same goes for the next morning, when I can hardly crawl out of bed. Just get up, grab and go my breakfast and lunch, and I can be out the door.
The trick is go grocery shopping once a week (Sundays are best for me), and then immediately cut up your food for all quick-to-prepare dinners throughout the week, and then bulk cook a few meals that you would like to eat throughout the week. I will tend to have one meal a few times a week, to cut down on food prep, but you can do as much as you feel is reasonable. I will usually get some inspiration on pinterest to create a meal plan, plan my shopping list, and then go grocery shopping (about 1 1/2 for all that). Then I'll take about 1-2 hours to prepare all my food for the week. Here is the meal plan I originally came up with last week. I did end up switching a few things around for lunch, but they were all already prepared.
If you are aiming for low-glycemic like myself to stabilize mood and blood sugars, be sure to limit your fruit intake to only 1 piece of lower-glycemic fruit a day (pairs better with a meal to balance it out). Look up the glycemic index for a list of fruits that are best for this.
Additionally, I am taking a few supplements to help with mood stabilization and overall health, stress, + energy levels. These are : a probiotic (refrigerated section), an Omega-complex (I have the Udo brand, also refrigerated), a B complex vitamin, and a homeopathic remedy called ignatia amara, recommended by my doctor (ask them for recommendations, these can be quite potent).
Food prep begins tomorrow, and I'll be sure to post the next week plan then! Until then, please ask if you have any questions. You can find my recipes + pictures of many of these foods on my instagram page:
#healthyteachergirl
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