By Dixie 
Feeling a little jittery from too much coffee this morning? Sugar crash from that 10AM Snickers? Stomach bloated from those salty chips and queso dip at lunch? Can’t keep your eyes open at around 3?
You aren’t alone. Most people feel some or most of these symptoms every day as evidenced by all the anti-acids and other stomach remedies advertised. But do you have to down a concoction of pills just to feel semi-good all day??
The truth is, for most healthy adults, you can eliminate these problems through what you eat. And what you DON’T eat.
ONE: Watch your caffeine intake. Caffeine stimulates your body, which is why most of us drink it, right? But it also can overstimulate your stomach lining, causing irritation and nausea. Your blood sugar levels are also affected by caffeine which is why you often feel hungry after you drink a lot of coffee. You don’t have to give up all coffee, but try to limit your caffeine by making your cup half caffeinated and half decaffeinated. If you want something beyond a cup try some decaffeinated herbal tea. There are a ton of great flavors and the bags are easy to throw in a cup of water in the microwave. Roasted green tea is very similar to a coffee taste BTW.
If you have trouble with a nauseated stomach, try ginger or camomile tea. An energizing drink is ginger tea with a couple of squirts of lemon which is great to drink in the morning over ice instead of sugary orange juice. To other teas, add cinnamon to help regulate blood sugar. When you are in the mood for iced tea, just pour one of these teas over ice. If you want it sweet, add honey or a small amount of real sugar. Stay away from the ‘no sugar’ sweeteners that contain a ton of chemicals. Some studies are showing these sweeteners actually cause more hunger and possibly cause weight gain. Crazy, huh?
TWO: Eat some protein at every meal and snack. Most American eat waaaay too much sugar and we don’t even realize what it is doing to our bodies. If you have ever eaten a sugary cereal or a donut or two for breakfast, you have probably experienced a feeling of hunger or dizziness and nausea later in the morning or sleepiness late in the day. All those simple carbs turn into sugar and your blood sugar levels rise and fall right along with it.
Protein will keep your blood sugars more level and will keep you fuller longer. At breakfast eat a little melted cheese on your whole grain toast. Add grilled chicken and hard boiled egg to your lunch salad. Add a little peanut butter to your apple slices as a snack, keep some string cheese handy, have some whole wheat chips with hummus. If you have pasta for dinner, make it mostly sauce, a scant half cup of pasta (whole wheat if you can get it) and some grilled chicken or fish on top. For vegetarians, eat beans, legumes, hummus, falafel, and if you eat cheese and eggs add those to your protein choices too.
THREE: Eat as simple as possible. Read label ingredients and if it has a lot of words you can’t pronounce, put it back on the shelf. Stay mostly in the perimeter of your grocery store where the fruits and fresh vegetables, meats and cheeses are located. Some exceptions are frozen foods area for fruit, vegetables, sprouted breads, canned vegetable section, and the spice aisle. Chemicals bad, real food good.
FOUR: Drink water. Avoid adding sugar to your body from sodas or flavored sweet drinks. Make your main drink water and add a squirt of lemon or some cut up cucumbers or mint leaves. Water will reduce bloating, hunger and fatigue. Often when you feel hungry when you ate a couple of hours ago or tired after you had a good night’s sleep, you are just a little dehydrated. Your goal should be to drink at least half your body weight in ounces every day. Drinking enough water will also make your skin look great as a bonus!
Good food is the best kind of medicine. Eat, drink and be merry!