Feeling Stressed Out! Eat Healthy…
Stress can leave you feeling overwhelmed and frustrated. Your feelings of tiredness and mood swings may be directly related to your food and nutrition. Find out what triggers stress in you so easily…
Stress can be dangerous if the warning signals are not heeded early. A lot of people blame stress on the outer circumstances. While this is not incorrect, a healthy diet contributes at least 85% to our mental and physical well-being, regular exercise, and proper sleep habits. External factors like pressures of peak performance disputes with the boss, and meeting deadlines under strict supervision can lead to high levels of stress. Before discussing foods that alleviate anxiety, let’s understand the role of cortisol in the human body.
Understanding Your Cortisol
As your body perceives stress, your adrenal glands make and release the hormone cortisol into your bloodstream. Often called the “stress hormone,” cortisol causes an increase in your heart rate and blood pressure. Your natural “flight or fight” response has kept humans alive for thousands of years. (Source: Google)
Normal levels of cortisol are released in the bloodstream when we wake up in the morning or after exercise which helps regulate blood pressure and heart functions. While cortisol can be a potential monster in creating havoc and increasing stress but can also play a good samaritan by promoting the following benefits.
· Regulating sleep cycles.
· Reducing inflammation.
· Managing how the body uses carbohydrates, fats, and proteins.
· Controlling blood pressure.
What stress can do to us? Well, a lot of things…
More and more people prone to stress are easily dying of heart attacks. This proves how dangerous stress can be for our heart health. The stress levels caused in our main bloodstream cause unwanted blood pressure leading to heart failure. This is a wake-up call for all who are physically fit and think they are super healthy and fit, and need to get their stress checkups done at regular intervals. Let’s explore an interesting array of foods that not only keep our heart healthy but also keeps stress at bay.
If you already know how to lower your stress levels then these three basic rules are easy to jumpstart your day- self-care, sleep management, and exercise.
Well-known Dietitian Courtney Barth, MS, RDN, LD, CPT explains how certain foods keep cortisol levels down.
Processed, refined, canned and oily foods not only increase body weight but also increase stress levels in the body. A wholesome Mediterranean diet with the right and healthy mix of fruits, vegetables, poultry, fish, whole grains, and healthy fats not only promotes good health but also relieves unwanted stress. Include these food groups in your diet
Vitamin B-rich foods
Whole grains and animal sources are high in Vitamin B 12 which helps in the metabolism of cortisol.
· Fortified cereal.
· Nutritional yeast
· Organ meats.
· Beef.
· Chicken.
· Eggs.
The Magic of Omega- 3 Fatty Acids
Nuts and seafood rich in Omega-3 fatty acids are natural anti-inflammatory foods. Include them in your diet to reduce inflammation.
· Salmon
· Sardines.
· Tuna.
· Walnuts.
· Anchovies.
· Avocados.
· Chia seeds.
· Flax seeds.
· Herring.
· Mackerel.
· Olive oil.
· Oysters.
Magnesium Rich Foods
Foods rich in magnesium help relax the mind and the body and also help in metabolizing cortisol. Include them in your diet and it will make a world of difference.
· Pumpkin seeds.
· Spinach.
· Avocados.
· Bananas.
· Broccoli.
· Dark chocolate.
Protein Rich Foods
This type of food group will help you balance your blood sugar levels.
· Tuna.
· Salmon.
· Shrimp.
· Almonds.
· Chicken breast.
· Eggs.
· Lean beef.
· Lentils.
· Peanuts.
· Quinoa.
· Turkey breast.
Gut Friendly Foods
The well-being of our immunity relies on how healthy is our gut health. These gut-friendly foods balance blood sugar and keep the gut healthy.
· Greek yogurt.
· Kefir.
· Kimchi.
· Kombucha.
· Sauerkraut.
Stay Away From…
Carbonated drinks, alcohol, caffeine, high-sugar foods, soda, cigarettes, cakes, and pastries can do more harm than good.
Key to Good Health- Eat Well and Consistently
To keep stress levels consistently out of your life eat well by avoiding skipping meals. Eat every three to five hours to keep sugar levels in check. Turning to supplements will not solve the problem of managing stress effectively but food will go a long way in ensuring good health and a stress-free life. Good food alone does not guarantee a stress-free life. Investing time exercising, and sleeping 8 hours a day ensures a robust life.
The keys to good health and a stress-free life remain in our hands ready to be unlocked to enjoy a healthy and happy life. Once we learn to manage our food habits along with good sleep and exercise we have truly learned how to value and cherish not only our body but also respect it. After all, we all have only one life to live. Don’t we?
