Day 2
Overnight Oats
Planned Nutrition
After you have experienced trauma, it can be very difficult to choose healthy meals. Trauma depletes the body, and it needs the right foods to refuel and heal. Some people experience one traumatic incident, others experienced repeated and ongoing trauma. Both cause psychological and physiological damage. They damage the body and the mind. The right food can help you heal.
To help fuel your body for healing:
· Eat regularly. Don’t skip meals. Try to eat at about the same time every day. If you skip meals, your body gets the signal that you don’t hae enough food. Your body sends stress signals to your brain. Eating regular meals keeps your blood sugar levels steady and reassures your brain that you have enough to eat.
· Eat healthy fats. Foods like avocado, salmon, nuts and seeds, and tuna have healthy omega-3 fatty acids. Traumatic stress causes inflammation in your body. Healthy fats help fight the inflammation.
· Eat foods that are high in antioxidants. Antioxidants help protect your cells from the damage caused by long-term stress. Antioxidants help to combat stress and anxiety.
· Avoid mind-altering substances, including coffee and energy drinks. Substances like marijuana and alcohol can make you feel numb, which might feel like a relief. But you can’t heal when you are numb. Stimulants life coffee and energy drinks can increase your anxiety, your heart rate, and your blood pressure. They can interrupt your sleep and affect your appetite. The mimic the symptoms of trauma and make them worse.
· Eat plenty of protein. Protein helps stabilize your blood sugar, helps your body repair damage to your cells caused by stress, and helps keep your brain functioning properly. Protein also help you feel full and energized.
· Get plenty of magnesium. Magnesium-rich foods soothe your nerves and keep your muscles working properly. If your muscles feel tense from trauma, magnesium can help them to relax. Magnesium helps reduce the impact of stress on the body.
· Stay hydrated. Drinking enough water will keep your entire body working properly. Water has a little bit of magnesium in it, and also helps keep your digestive system and brain working right. Water is good for your whole body and mind.
· Depending on your age, you should get about 400 mg of magnesium every day. Overnight oats are a great way to add magnesium to your diet. Overnight oats are a nutritional powerhouse. They keep you feeling full and strong, and they deliver a heavy load of protein, magnesium, calcium, iron, healthy fats, fiber, and antioxidants to your system. Overnight oats also have anti-inflammatory benefits and can help stabilize blood sugar and blood pressure. There are many ways you can vary overnight oats to suit your tastebuds. You can experiment with adding applesauce and cinnamon, other fruits, nut butters, chocolate, and seeds and nuts.
To make basic overnight oats you will need:
· ½ cup whole rolled oats
· 1 tablespoon chia seeds
· ½ tsp maple syrup
· Pinch of salt
· ¼ cup whole milk Greek yogurt
· ¾ cup unsweetened almond milk
Directions:
In a Mason jar (or any glass jar with a lid), combine the Greek yogurt, oats, chia seeds, maple syrup, and salt. Add the almond milk and stir until well-combined. Make sure to thoroughly mix in the chia seeds. Cover and refrigerate overnight or for at least 4 hours. Consume within 5 days.
You can eat your overnight oats right out of the jar. If you would like them a little sweeter, drizzle a small amount of extra syrup on top. For an extra nutrition boost, top with fresh berries.
