Eat your stress goodbye

Nutrition

Jul 10

***A stress-free diet can be closely related to an anti-inflammatory diet***

Stress-Reducing Diet

When you’re stressed out, the foods that you’re turning to are most likely going to be traditional ‘comfort’ foods – think big meals, take-out, fatty foods, sweet foods, and alcohol.

Let’s face it – we’ve all found some comfort in a tasty meal and a bottle of beer or glass of wine when we’ve been stressed out or upset about something. However, this isn’t a good permanent solution.

When you’re turning to unhealthy foods you can feel better temporarily, but in the long run, you will feel worse. When your body isn’t getting the right nutrition, you can begin to feel less energetic, more lethargic, and in some cases less able to concentrate and focus. All of this can lead to even more stress.

Foods that Fight Stress

If you’ve been feeling more stressed out than usual lately, it’s important to know which foods are best to choose and which to avoid when it comes to combating stress and helping you to deal with feelings of stress and anxiety.

The best way to fight stress is to have a healthy, balanced diet that includes a moderate amount of each of the different food groups.

Filling up on foods such as whole grains, leafy vegetables, and lean proteins as the basic staples of the diet is the best way to ensure that your body gets the optimum amounts of nutrients to fight both physical and mental health problems. When it comes to choosing the foods to eat, some have a range of great properties which help the body combat stress. Choosing these stress-busting foods will help to heal and calm your mind permanently, rather than providing a temporary fix.

What cortisol does

Cortisol plays a number of roles in the body, including:

Regulating sleep cycles.
Reducing inflammation.
Increasing blood sugar.
Managing how the body uses carbohydrates, fats, and proteins.
Controlling blood pressure.

Importantly, cortisol is sometimes known as the “stress hormone” because your adrenal gland releases it when you’re in a stressful situation, or when your body is under physical stress (like inflammation). It’s the key to helping your body manage its fight-or-flight instinct — which is a good thing.

Cortisol is healthy for a short period of time as a protective mechanism because it gives your body the energy you need to respond to a short-term stressful scenario.

In the long-term, though, too much cortisol actually creates stress in your body, leading to more inflammation and increasing your blood pressure — essentially, the opposite of all the good things it does for you in short-term scenarios.

Managing stress is the number one treatment for lowering cortisol levels, and here are some foods that help to reduce inflammation in the body, hence lowering your cortisol levels.

Foods high in vitamin B: nutritional yeast, tempeh (fermented soya beans), peanuts and peanut butter, hazelnuts, almonds, walnuts, pecans and pistachios, muesli, oatmeal or rolled oats, mushrooms, avocado, sunflower and sesame seeds, tahini (sesame seed paste), fortified breakfast cereals and wheat germ.
Foods high in omega-3 fatty acids: avocados, chia seeds, flaxseeds, hemp seeds, olive oil, walnuts, seaweed and algae, edamame, kidney beans, and soybean oil.
Magnesium-rich foods: avocados, bananas, broccoli, dark chocolate, spinach, quinoa, wholemeal spaghetti, whole grain rice, oatmeal or rolled oats and wheat germ, brazil nuts, almonds, cashew nuts, hazelnuts, walnuts, pecans, pistachios, peanuts, peanut butter, pumpkin seeds, sunflower seeds, sesame seeds, and tahini.
Protein-rich foods: tofu, tempeh, edamame, lentils, chickpeas, peanuts, almonds, spirulina, and quinoa.
Gut-healthy foods: sauerkraut, kimchi, pickled vegetables, kombucha, water kefir, tempeh, vegan yogurt, and sourdough bread.

avocado

nutrient dense avocados

Avocados are a creamy and versatile fruit that can be eaten in a range of different ways whether you enjoy it raw, made into sauces, dressings, and dips, or in a smoothie. These nutrient-dense fruits have the properties to stress-proof your body, thanks to their high glutathione content which specifically blocks the intestinal absorption of certain fats which cause oxidative damage. Avocados also contain higher levels of vitamin E, folate, and beta-carotene than any other fruit, which boosts their stress-busting properties.

Consider portion control if losing weight due to their high levels of good fats. Most of the healthy fat in avocado is oleic acid, a monounsaturated fatty acid. This heart-healthy fat helps lower cardiovascular inflammation.

blueberries

High in antioxidants

Blueberries are great if you’re feeling stressed out and reaching for snacks, swapping chocolate or chips for one of the best superfoods is a great way to help you deal with your stress levels and achieve a higher level of calm. Blueberries have some of the highest levels of antioxidants, especially anthocyanin, which means that this berry has been linked to a wide range of health benefits including sharper cognition, better focus, and a clearer mind – all of which can help you to better deal with stress.

CHAMOMILE tea

bedtime soother

Chamomile Tea is a natural calming drink. Of course, is not all about what you’re eating when it comes to managing stress; what you’re drinking can also alleviate or worsen the stress you're feeling. Drinking liquids that are high in sugars and caffeine, such as coffee, energy drinks, or soda, can actually increase your stress levels if consumed regularly. Chamomile tea has long been used as a natural bedtime soother, and it has also been used in clinical trials, which determined that chamomile tea is effective in reducing the symptoms of generalized anxiety disorder.

dark chocolate

Chocolate combats stress

Dark Chocolate: Although it’s usually seen as an unhealthy treat, there is an undeniable link between chocolate and our mood. Studies have shown that eating chocolate can actually make you happier. However, that doesn’t mean that you can start munching on chocolate bars every time you're stressed out – chocolate works best as a de-stressor when eaten in moderation and as part of a healthy and balanced diet. Dark chocolate in particular is best for you, as it contains more flavonols and polyphenols, two hugely important antioxidants which can help combat stress, more than many fruit juices.

oatmeal

Serotonin booster

Oatmeal is great in that it can be filling comfort food, but also has a large number of healthy properties to actually make you feel better from the inside out. A complex carbohydrate, eating oatmeal causes your brain to produce higher levels of the feel-good chemical serotonin, helping you to feel calmer and less stressed. Studies have shown that kids who choose oatmeal for breakfast tend to be much sharper throughout the morning in school compared to kids who had alternative morning meals.

Oatmeal is high in fiber which can help keep your blood sugar even (along with your mood). They're also rich in B vitamins, which are crucial for maintaining energy and improving brain health

Pistachios

Heart-healthy pistachios

Pistachios are another food that is great for snacking on and can also help to combat stress and anxiety in the long term is pistachios. Studies have found that simply eating two small, snack-size portions of pistachios per day can lower vascular constriction when you are stressed, putting less pressure on your heart by further dilating your arteries. Along with this, the rhythmic, repetitive act of shelling pistachios can actually be quite therapeutic!

walnuts

Brain food

Walnuts even resemble the shape of a brain. If you’re looking for a healthy snacking option that will help you to stay better in control of your stress levels, walnuts are a great choice.

Walnuts and walnut oil reduce blood pressure during stress. A quarter cup of walnuts provides over 90% of the recommended daily value of omega-3 fats which again helps in relieving stress.

There is no denying the sweet, pleasant flavor of walnuts and they can be a tasty snack for in-between meals or as part of a desert. A versatile nut, walnuts are great for salads or add them to a sweet treat such as coffee and walnut cake.

Eat well and eat consistently

If you’re hoping to reduce stress, don’t skip meals. Eating on a regular schedule — every three to five hours — helps balance your blood sugar levels. Being in a chronic state of low blood sugar is stressful on your body and can increase cortisol, so maintaining a balanced blood sugar can go a long way.

And tempting though it may be, don’t turn to supplements to get the vitamins and nutrients your body needs.

Don’t rely on food to de-stress

Of course, these foods may help reduce your cortisol levels — but they won’t have a significant impact on their own if you’re not prioritizing stress management in other ways.

If you have a healthy diet but you’re still incredibly stressed and not sleeping enough, you won’t see the results you’re looking for with food alone.

The key to lowering stress is a whole-body approach that includes exercising, getting enough sleep, and managing chronic diseases like diabetes, hypertension, and obesity — all of which can put your body in a prolonged state of inflammation.

And although we can’t control our genes or, to some extent, our environment, we can help our bodies when we make smart decisions about the food we eat.

Consider going vegan

Transitioning to vegan may seem hard. However, if you think about how it’s not only kinder to the planet and to animals, it’s also good for people too. Plant-based foods have a huge range of antioxidants, including beta-carotene, Vitamins C and E, and omega-3, which can help your body to fight stress and anxiety.

If you’re looking for a reason to go vegan, think about how awakened you will become. From helping the planet, the animals, and yourself. Your body is a temple and with the right foods and nourishment, you are on a road to pure enlightenment. Spending a little more money on organic foods that are plant-based may save you higher expenses in medical bills and you will feel younger and live longer.

The one thing we can change is our nutrition!

Check out my vegan nutrition plans here

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