Stress Relief Tips from Giada De Laurentiis
If you’re like most people, you have a lot of stress in your life. Balancing work and personal obligations can be overwhelming. Food Network chef Giada De Laurentiis is no stranger to daily stressors. Here are some of her tips for relieving stress.
Giada Laurentiis says it’s crucial to get a handle on stress
De Laurentiis says she tends to feel stress throughout her entire body. Since she feels stress deeply, it’s important for her to get control of stress early. She also says it’s important to eat a balanced diet.
“When I feel stressed out, I feel all throughout my body – so it’s imperative to combat it,” says De Laurentiis on her website. “You can be eating well, but if your mind isn’t on the same wavelength, you’ll never feel your best.”
DeLaurentiis says taking care of stressors is also vital because prolonged stress can negatively affect your digestive health. If you want to feel good, you’ll need to find ways to relax and stay calm.
“It’s a mutualistic relationship – if you’re stressed, it will affect your gut and digestive health,” says De Laurentiis. “For me, if I have anxiety, I feel it all in my stomach to the point that I don’t even want to eat on the off chance that I’ll get sick. On the flip side, your gut health directly affects your mood too. It’s a balancing act that I know I’ll be working on for my entire life, but it’s a worthy cause!”
Stress relief tips
De Laurentiis gave a few stress-relief tips on her website. Meditation is one way she keeps stress at bay. She says finding quiet time each day helps her calm her mind and get ready for the day ahead.
“For me, it took a while to find out what works to de-stress, as it might for you too,” says De Laurentiis. “I resisted meditation for so long. To be frank, my mind just doesn’t shut up. Instead, I slowly started to incorporate quiet time wherever I could – even if it was just pausing for a moment in a corner of the bathroom or in my closet.”
De Laurentiis also de-stresses by looking for the things in her life that fill her with joy. It doesn’t matter how big or small that one thing is; she just focuses on the feelings she derives from that activity.
“Now, I find that sort of mindfulness in many activities,” says De Laurentiis. “In your daily routine, take notice of what things bring you the most joy and peace. Your time for mindfulness can be anything!”
Some other activities De Laurentiis suggests for stress relief are going for a walk, cooking, and taking a bath. She says she used to see taking her dog for a walk as a chore she had to complete, but now it’s a way to wind down. When it comes to taking a bath, the Food Network chef suggests creating a soothing environment with music and candles.
Giada De Laurentiis takes time to slow down
Although slowing down was tough for De Laurentiis, she tells the Today show it helped her body “heal itself.”
“It’s all about taking it slow and really listening to your body to discover what is best for you,” says Laurentiis (via the Today show). “I started really listening to my body and eating the foods that loved me back. That helped my body heal itself, and also indicated what foods worked for my body and what foods didn’t.”
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