Unlike simple carbohydrates such as refined white flour and sugars which break down really quickly and cause a spike in blood sugar- our focus needs to be on those slow burning, energy lasting carbs such as whole grains (like brown rice, oats, quinoa) and root vegetables like sweet potatoes, turnips, beets, and carrots. These carbs are also full of nutrients that help heal and balance our adrenal glands and thyroid- two major organs that help us modulate our stress response. As easy as it is to reach for white bread, pastries and refined pastas to soothe our cravings (because your intelligent body KNOWS where to find energy by craving these foods during a time of burn out!) the sad reality is that consuming these foods regularly will end up causing long term issues such as insulin resistence, gut impairments, hormone imbalance and more. My go to easy meal ideas for incorporating more healthy, complex carbs is overnight oats for breakfasts, roasted root vegetables with a simple protein for lunch and dinners, or a sweet potato ‘hash’ with a fried egg- perfect for any time of the day.

You might be needing to eat more than you think. Especially with burnout- I know from experience you are too busy doing all the things to just stop and make yourself food- especially a healthy one. But because imbalanced blood sugars directly play into our cortisol production, this is a huge factor for addressing our mental health concerns. If you find yourself feeling unstable, moody, and irritable often, then you definitely need to be supporting your blood sugar. Its important to eat every 3-4 hours during our wake time. For optimal hormone levels, our breakfasts and lunches should be our largest meals of the day. Make sure they are balanced with lots of healthy carbs, proteins and fats.

Carbohydrates are not the only food source that provides energy- in fact, fat is a powerful superfuel for the brain to provide long term energy and healthy cognitive health. There are hundreds of thousands of studies that prove that consuming fats high in EPA and DHA not only help with chemical and neural transmission, but without it, the brain can literally deteriorate? The brain itself is made up of primarily fats- so healthy fats such as grass fed butter, avocados, nut and seeds (especially walnuts and chia), fatty fish like salmon, trout and sardines help to actually feed the brain

I always heard the saying ‘your gut is your second brain’- because it’s true. So many of our neurotransmitters and chemicals that support brain balance begin production within our guts. But did you know that sustaining just 30 minutes of stress can remarkably alter your gut microbiome (your healthy gut flora)?!  This is why for those who are living under chronic stress really need to be trusting our gut- that it needs support! The best way we can do that is not only by supplementing with a probiotic, but also by consuming naturally fermented foods such as kombucha, kefir, sauerkraut, miso, lactofermented vegetables, for example.