Warning! This is bad Bad BAD advice.
According to Dr. Tara Swart, neuroscientist: “If you are under stress, eat every two hours for optimal brain function. Your brain can’t store glucose and so it is important to keep replenishing your stores. This will help you to maintain your focus and ensures a productivity boost.”
“It also ensures that your brain is well fed for any of the decisions it may need to make.”
“She adds that if you have the space to develop your mental resilience, then it can be useful to practice intermittent fasting as it teaches your brain that you can manage small amounts of physical stress, because you are in control of your recovery.”
Eating by Peggy
When I’m stressed (which is a chronic state with fibromyalgia) I self-medicate on sugar. Sugar gives me an immediate dopamine boost which then sends my blood sugar crashing which then sends me to my medicine cabinet (the pantry) . . . .
When I read Dr Swart’s advice the pantry was bare (after I ate a package of sugar coated pineapple, 3 prunes, a bowl of Cheerios and a handful of almonds – I’m stocking the cupboards with health food).
Knowing my two hours would be up in another two hours I made a dash to the store. A mix of double chocolate brownies (on sale) was only $3.99 and a better bargain than the packaged bakery brownies at $5.99. Maybe my mental resilience didn’t need practice.
I had already eaten up (pun intended) 45 minutes of my two hour zone by going to the store. So I was doubly stressed making the double chocolate brownies knowing that two hours would be up before the brownies were done and the only thing left to eat were Cheerios.
Dr Tara Swart is a neuroscientist who probably is svelte, prefers salt over sugar and her brain is smarter to begin with than mine. I’ll bet she’s never had to practice “intermittent fasting”.
(jw)
Kind of beside the point, but I love the picture of the Cookie Monster at the table of food!!!!!
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Joyce,
I love Peggy’s drawings too. They make me smile . . . which is in short supply these days.
jw.
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Well yes, eating smaller more frequent meals is said to be a good healthy strategy. However, I am not sure they were thinking about packaged brownies. Interestingly enough I just made some delicious raw vegan brownies… easy to make, and they honestly taste fantastic. You feel good afterwards and you have the satisfaction of chocolate which in this case comes from the raw cacao.
Anyhow, we are both chuckling while reading this…. 🙂
Here is the recipe:
http://chocolatecoveredkatie.com/2016/03/07/the-ultimate-unbaked-brownies-raw-vegan/
Enjoy! Let me know how they turn out!
Peta
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Peta GGT
I’ve followed Chocolate covered Katie since she started her blog. I’ve tried several of her recipes and even printed out the one you referred to — never made it cuz ever time I’ve used dates in stuff i didn’t like the taste (although I love dates by themselves). Tried her brownies made with black beans and they were ok but not as good as the packaged stuff. Guess I’m spoiled by eating all that refined sugar and additives all these years. . .
jw
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🤣
Sent from my iPhone Linda
>
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This is the diet for me – except I’m stressed every minute of every day – I guess that means I can eat all day long. Brownies, here I come!
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Shari,
According to the article, you might eat 2 minutes an hour which would approximate the ratio suggested (you might want to check that out with a mathematician as I ain’t one . . . )
jw
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Math – blech! You just took the fun out of eating brownies.
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