5 Foods You Should Be Eating to Ooze Confidence

You know that food can affect your waistline, but did you know it can have an impact on your confidence, too? 

If you’re feeling low after living on the corporate un-wellness diet, try these 5 foods for confidence instead of your workday staples to start looking and FEELING your best:

1. Eat Kale Salad, Not Pizza

Leaving another lunch meeting stuffed with pizza, feeling bloated and ready for a nap?  Next time, try a kale salad (or other dark, leafy green) instead.  Amongst their many health benefits, dark, leafy greens like kale are high in folate which contributes to the production of serotonin and leaves you feeling cool, calm, and collected.   Kale is also rich in calcium, making a cheesy pizza slice totally unnecessary.  Plus, since dairy causes breakouts in most women, subbing in leafy greens will leave your skin looking amazing.

2. Eat Strawberries, Not Gummy Vitamins

Strawberries are rich in Vitamin C, a surprising mood booster.  Vitamin C helps fight off fatigue and depression and strawberries give you the added bonus of being a low glycemic fruit, so they won’t set you off on the sugar spike and crash cycle.

3. Drink Green Tea, Not a Skinny Vanilla Latte

Green tea is full of antioxidants, naturally low in caffeine, and super hydrating.  Add a few drops of local honey or stevia to sweeten it, as green tea on its own can have a bitter taste.  While coffee also contains antioxidants, the caffeine and sugar are a no-no, especially in the afternoon, if you want to ensure a good night’s sleep.

4. Eat Salmon, Not Chicken Fingers

DHA – an omega-3 fatty acid found in fatty fish has been shown to elevate mood and is anti-inflammatory, as opposed to deep fried chicken fingers which can increase inflammation in the body, leaving you feeling less than your best.

5. Eat Dark Chocolate, Not a Snickers

Hungry, why wait?  Because eating a Snickers will just leave you crashing in an hour anyway.  If you’re looking for a choco-fix, enjoy a small piece of high quality dark chocolate (70% cacao or higher).  Dark chocolate is full of antioxidants that help fight chronic fatigue and oxidative stress in the body.  

Chia Seeds Are Blowing Up

Literally – these little suckers expand like nobody’s business. They’ve even been featured recently in the New York Times... the true measure of whether or not a seed has ‘made it’. 

So what’s up with their explosion on the health food scene?  Here’s a crash course on why these little powerhouses are good for you (+ my favorite chia seed recipe).

1. Oodles of Fiber

These incredible ‘super seeds’ contain 11 grams of fiber per ounce (2 tablespoons) – which is 42% of your recommended daily value of fiber in a single serving.  

Bonus tip: Since fiber slows digestion and makes you feel fuller by soaking up fluid and expanding in your digestive tract, it can be a great way to start your day, especially if you’re trying to lose weight! 

2. Rich in Omegas

Omega 3 and Omega 6 fatty acids are essential and most of us are not getting enough of them.   Chia seeds give you a boost of both.

Bonus tip: Omegas can also help you clear away that nasty brain fog that sets in every afternoon.  Add 2 tablespoons of chia seeds to a glass of water to get your fill.

 3. Healthy Fats

We’ve been down this road together before, but let’s go there again.  Fats are absolutely necessary in a healthy diet.  Chia seeds pack 9 grams of fat per ounce, which can be as much 15-20% of your daily required value.

Bonus tip:  If you want to get the skinny on fats, check out What’s Fat Got To Do With It from the archives.

4. Fill’er Up

Have you ever had a chia pet?  You know how it plumps right up when you add water?  That’s all because of the chia seeds.   When mixed with water, chia forms a gel. Why do you care?  Research suggests:

When this happens in your stomach, the gel may keep you feeling fuller longer.

The gel acts as a natural detoxifier, by grabbing and flushing out toxins in your system.

Bonus tip: The chia gel also allows you to make a super healthy & yummy dessert that satisfies in under 2 minutes prep time.

Chai Chia Seed Pudding

chia seed pudding

Prep Time: 2 minutes Wait Time: 2 hours Serves: 2-4 people

1 cup cooled decaf Chai tea (brewed strong) (sub: ½ cup Vanilla Unsweetened Almond Milk for a creamier texture) ½ cup chia seeds 1.5-2 teaspoons maple syrup (to taste) 1 teaspoon vanilla extract Dash Himalayan sea salt (to taste) 1 cup of your favorite fruits and nuts (optional).  I like: -Mixed berries & pistachios -Diced pears & cashews -Mashed banana & peanuts

Mix chai, chia seeds, 1.5 teaspoons maple syrup, and vanilla and refrigerate for 1 hour.  At 1 hour mark, stir the mixture and add in any additional maple syrup (taste first).  Refrigerate an additional 1 hr+, top with sea salt, fruits and nuts & enjoy!

The 5 Minute Energy Boost You Can Do Anywhere

Feeling the need for an afternoon nap but totally slammed with work?  Don’t stress (or go running to your nearest Starbucks).  This super effective energy boosting breathing exercise mimics cardiovascular exercise and gets your blood pumping in no time – no caffeine or sugar rush necessary.

The best part?  You can do this ANYWHERE.  In a meeting, on the bus, at your desk, in line at the grocery store**.  Just follow these simple steps:

1. Start by finding a comfortable seat and closing your eyes (if possible)
2. Place one or both hands on your stomach
3. Take 3 large “belly breaths” – your belly should push out slightly on the inhale, you can crunch your abs in on the exhale
4. On the 3rd breath, hold your inhale as long as possible.
5. Keep holding your inhale.
6. When you think you can’t hold it anymore, hold it for 10 more seconds.
7. Exhale
8. Take a belly breath; this time hold your exhale (i.e. keep your lungs empty)
9. Repeat this process for 2-3 minutes  (approximately 2-3 rounds of inhale/exhale holding)
10. Take 10 regular deep belly breaths
11. Slowly open your eyes (if closed)
12. Gently “shake it out” – roll your head side to side, shake out your arms, release your shoulders down, kick your legs (do this discreetly if you’re in a public place!)
13. Finish by drinking at least 8 ounces of water immediately after

**I recommend trying this energy boosting breathing exercise a few times in a private space, as it is common to feel lightheaded when first practicing.  Once your body gets used to the exercise, you can experiment with taking this baby public.

In the comments, tell me what you think.  Do you like this energy boosting breathing exercise?  How do you feel afterwards?