The high-cortisol diet

In other words, stress eating. We all do it. I have recently had five students confess to me that they've been consuming ice cream nightly and/or have stopped keeping ice cream in the house because of the nightly consumption thereof. Normalizing cortisol levels relies on a diet of foods low in glycemic index, eaten in small portions four to six times a day, but when one has got a Tuesday anatomy exam opposing such heroic efforts, one might as well give up.

My own cravings in times of high cortisol include "lots of anything," usually, but lately I've been really feeling cheese. Attempts to justify my bird-brained excuse that formalin stimulates hunger resulted in me finding this article; make of it what you will. In the meantime, I'll make and consume baked fusilli.

Aside from heavenly and unholy amounts of mozzarella and Parmesan, it features a crispy crust on top and a touch of cinnamon in the tomato sauce. If you can't be satisfied with how much you know, at least be satisfied with your dinner, that's what I always (read: recently have begun to) say.

With three days left in town, my fridge contains some onions and garlic, a half-can's worth of coconut milk, a half-can's worth of plum tomatoes, a single sweet potato, an egg, a quarter of an eggplant, and about a quarter of a head each of broccoli and cauliflower. I've also got lentils, pinto beans, pasta, and barley. Let's see what can be done with this.