Patricia Bannan - From Burnout to Balance: 60+ Healing Recipes and Simple Strategies to Boost Mood, Immunity, Focus, and Sleep

acknowledgments

Every book represents the work of not only its author but also dozens of others who play pivotal roles behind the scenes. Im grateful to so many people who helped make this book a reality:

First, thank you to my editors, Donna Loffredo and Danielle Curtis, who believed in this book from the beginning and had the vision and brilliance to make it even stronger.

Thank you to my literary agent, Linda Konner, for representing me and for finding such a lovely home for this book. Thanks also to the fantastically talented and dedicated Jennifer Chong and her team for the beautiful photography and for bringing the recipes to life.

Thanks also to my trusted and epically talented colleagues and friends for lending their expertise all along the way (and helping me prevent burnout in the process!): Stepfanie Romine, Sarah Powers, Jackie Newgent, Jori Finkel, Jodi Pfarr, and Ali McGowan.

A special thank-you to all the women who shared their real-life experiences and strategies with burnout; your stories enriched these pages.

And finally, to my family: Roman, Nicki, and Sienna. To my parents and greatest fans, Joanne and Bill. To Glenn, Maia, and Casner. To Tante Lolie for creating a loving blended family. To my in-laws, Ruth and Gnter. Thank you all for a lifetime of love and support.

PATRICIA BANNAN, MS, RDN, is a nationally recognizedregistered dietitian nutritionist, healthy-cooking expert,and speaker. In addition to her nutrition credentials,she has conducted more than one thousand mediainterviews over the past decade, including guestappearances on the Today Show, The Doctors, and CNN.She resides in Los Angeles, California with her husband,children, and labradoodle, Pablo.

appendix 1

nutrition: what to eat to beat burnout, and why

This section highlights how many essential nutrients influence the four core areas of burnout. While not an exhaustive list, it includes information on where to get these nutrients, what they do, and why they matter. The list starts with macronutrients (carbs, protein, fat), micronutrients, then moves on to essential vitamins, minerals, and more.

Complex carbs

TOP FOODS: whole grains, legumes and beans, nuts and seeds, fruits and vegetables

Mood: Feeds your brain and helps prevent hangry feelings; fiber helps digestion and your microbiome

Immunity: Fiber promotes an anti-inflammatory response in immune cells

Focus: Provides energy and fuel for the brain

Sleep: Supports better, deeper sleep

Complex carbohydrates pack in more nutrients than simple carbs and, due to their higher fiber content, take longer to break down. Complex carbs help stabilize blood sugar levels, which can also stabilize your mood. Fluctuations in blood glucose can cause your mood to change rapidly, leaving you irritable, low on energy, and feeling downright dreadful. The fiber in complex carbs also helps keep your gut healthy, which affects your mood, immune system, and more.

Lean protein

TOP FOODS: eggs, beans, peas, lentils, skinless white-meat poultry (chicken and turkey), fish and shellfish, pork loin, lean beef, bison, low-fat dairy (milk, yogurt, cottage cheese, cheese), soy milk, tofu, tempeh, soy beans (edamame), nuts and nut butters, seeds and seed butters

Mood: Helps with satiety and wards off hanger

Immunity: Necessary to repair and build tissues, including antibodies

Focus: Keeps your brain and nervous system healthy

Sleep: Amino acids make neurotransmitters that help sleep

Protein is necessary for healthy energy levels. It takes longer to digest than carbs, keeping your blood sugar steadier and providing lasting energy. Protein also affects hormones that control satiety, so when you eat enough of it, you can ward off hanger and stabilize blood sugar, which supports a better mood. Amino acids, the building blocks of protein, help repair and replenish tissue, and your body needs them to make certain neurotransmitters. Amino acids also play a role in maintaining a healthy mood, focus, and more.

Healthy fats

TOP FOODS: avocado, olives, oils (olive oil, avocado oil, sesame oil, and sunflower oil), fatty fish, whole eggs, tofu, nuts and seeds, dark chocolate

Mood: Help make hormones and support brain health

Immunity: Maintain a healthy immune system and absorb fat-soluble nutrients

Focus: Support brain function and memory

Sleep: Support healthy melatonin levels

Omega-3 fatty acids (DHA and EPA) are part of cell membranes, particularly in the brain, and eating foods like salmon and sardines has been shown to ease depression and boost mood. Low levels of DHA are linked to lower melatonin levels. Consuming fish rich in these fatty acids has also been found to help improve sleep.

Beyond omega-3s, the unsaturated fats found in plants like avocados, olives, and nuts may help keep inflammation at bay and reduce blood pressure, which are both important for brain health.

Eating enough healthy fat helps your immune system, too.

Folate

TOP FOODS: vegetables (especially dark green leafy ones like spinach, brussels sprouts, and asparagus), fruit and fruit juices, nuts, avocado, wheat germ, beans, peas, seafood, eggs, dairy products, meat, poultry, enriched grain products (such as cereals, flours, rice, pasta, bread)

Mood: Supports production of neurotransmitters

Immunity: Supports production of white blood cells and overall immune function

Folate plays a role in the production of dopamine and impacts other mood-related neurotransmitters, helping you keep calm and carry on. It also helps prevent neural tube defects in utero, supports cell growth and repair, and helps you regulate sleep patterns, especially as you age. A deficiency in folate levels has been tied to depression, too. Folate shortages are linked to a number of brain issues, including dementia and depression.

Folate is crucial for cell growth and DNA formation, and severe deficiencies are linked to increased cancer risks, among other diseases.

Vitamin B

TOP FOODS: fish, poultry, nuts, legumes, potatoes, fortified cereals, bananas, pistachios, avocado, spinach, flaxseeds, and sunflower seeds

Mood: Helps make neurotransmitters, including turning tryptophan into serotonin

Immunity: Supports immune function, including certain types of white blood cells

Sleep: Supports melatonin production

Vitamin B helps the body make several neurotransmitters. Many of its roles also support protein metabolism. A B deficiency will impact immune function by preventing proper growth, interfering with white blood cell production, and decreasing production of regulatory proteins.

Vitamin B also helps your body manage your sleep-wake cycle and is needed to process, produce, and absorb melatonin.

Vitamin B

TOP FOODS: seafood (especially clams, mussels, crab, and sardines), liver, egg yolks, beef, cheese, and yogurt

Note: If youre vegan, youll need to supplement this vitamin or consume fortified foods like nutritional yeast, soy milk, cereals, and breads.