Self-Care Week: Food for thought

This week the LAC blogs focus on self-care. During the intense Spring and Summer sessions, it can be particularly challenging to meet our basic needs, such as getting enough sleep, food, and exercise. What do the LAC bloggers do to meet these needs? What do you do to keep on track with your self-care?

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I tend to slip into poor eating habits when I am feeling overwhelmed with my coursework, consuming chocolate, soft drinks, or fatty “comfort foods” to console myself. Unfortunately, afterward I usually feel sluggish and less inclined to be productive.

Since I am aware of this tendency of mine, I try to draw to consciousness what I eat during stressful periods. The measuring stick that I use for “healthy” eating is to make food choices that fall within one of the four food groups from the Canada Food Guide. For a printer friendly version of the Canada Food Guide see the Health Canada website:

http://www.hc-sc.gc.ca/fn-an/alt_formats/hpfb-dgpsa/pdf/food-guide-aliment/print_eatwell_bienmang_e.pdf

Easy healthy snacks that I bring from home include low-fat yogurt, fruit (such as apples and oranges), whole grain bagels, and nuts. If I chose to snack on raisins or other sticky dried fruit, I try to remind myself to brush my teeth soon afterward to avoid developing dental cavities.

Another part of healthy eating is ensuring that I have the time to buy these healthy groceries rather than relying on last minute fast-food choices or sugary snacks. This presupposes that I have managed my time effectively. A great resource for looking at how to manage time to include the necessities like shopping is to complete the 168 hour week LAC handout.

I find each term I need to reevaluate my use of time with my changing schedule so my daily and weekly activities are still consistent with my priorities. Staying healthy by eating well is a great way to prepare my body for stressful exam periods or intense course periods such as summer session.

Cindy