Is Your Diet Stressing You Out?

Stress is a normal part of life. Too much stress can have a debilitating effect on your body and mind. Excessive stress can lead to muscle pain, headaches, fatigue, insomnia, upset stomach, irritability and depression (to touch on a few ailments).

Clearly, stress can make getting in shape a challenge. Diet alone cannot completely cause or alleviate stress, but it definitely plays an important role in the level you experience.  How you feel can be related to what you eat! Certain foods either increase or decrease the level of stress hormones in your body (primarily cortisol and adrenaline).

Release stress by incorporating more foods containing:

Omega-3-Fatty Acids

These essential fatty acids help reduce inflammation and aid in immune support. Foods high in Omega-3 fatty acids include:

Seeds (flax, chia, raddish)

Fish (salmon, caviar, cod, herring, tuna, mackerel)

Nuts (walnuts, hazelnuts, pecans)

Oil (canola, flax)

Fruits (berries, avocados)

B Vitamins

Vitamin B is an essential part to any healthy diet. There are several types of B vitamins, each playing an instrumental role in your body’s overall function. B1(Thiamine), B2(Riboflavin), B9(Folic Acid) and B12 all aid in lowering stress levels in the body.

Veggies (sprouts, squash, corn, peas, sweet potatoes, broccoli, asparagus)
Fruits (pomegranate, strawberries, apples)
Dairy (milk, yogurt)
Animal proteins (chicken, liver, beef)
These are all examples of Vitamin B rich foods

Antioxidants

Stress weakens the immune system, but a diet rich in antioxidants can help counteract that effect! Antioxidants are vitamins and minerals that protect and repair cells from damage and in turn help strengthen the immune system.

Antioxidant rich foods include:

Beans (red, kidney, pinto)

Berries (blueberries, raspberries, strawberries, acai berries, blackberries, cranberries)

Fruits (apples, cherries)

Nuts (pecans, walnuts, hazelnuts)

Vitamin C

Vitamin C is an essential nutrient required by the body. Stress reduces the vitamin C stored in the body. Enhancing your vitamin C intake helps lessen oxidative stress to the body! Foods high in Vitamin C include:

Fruits (oranges, strawberries, grapefruit, kiwi, cantaloupe)

Vegetables (bell peppers, broccoli, cabbage, celery, brussel sprouts)

Iron

Iron is essential for oxygen circulation in the blood. An iron-deficiency will result in fatigue or tiredness (which are sometimes stress related symptoms)

Foods high in iron include:

Seeds (sunflower, pumpkin)

Dried fruit (tomatoes, apricots, raisins)

Mollusks (clams, oysters, scallops)

Red meat (beef, pork)

Greens (kale, spinach)

Protein

Protein not only aids the body in building muscle, it improves the hair and skin! It’s loaded with amino acids that help aid in digestion and immune function. Foods high in protein include:

Chicken

Turkey

Fish (salmon, halibut, tuna, flounder, swordfish)

Eggs

Beans (soy, chick, black, pinto)

Dairy (milk, cottage cheese, yogurt)

A Low Glycemic Load

When we’re stressed, we often crave CARBS. The glycemic load is a classification of different carbohydrates.  It basically measures how quickly the food is digested into the bloodstream.

Foods with a low glycemic load keep blood sugar levels constant and help you burn more calories! Carbohydrates are essential to a stress-reducing diet, but only certain complex carbs are beneficial.

Foods with a high glycemic index (that should be avoided) include:

White breads, sugar and pastries.

A low index includes:

Beans (pinto, soy, black, kidney)

Fruits and veggies rich in fiber (carrots, peas, apples, grapefruit)

Whole grain breads (barley, pumpernickel, whole wheat)

Lentils

Nuts (cashews, peanuts)

Also, in order to try and maintain a stress-free (or actually low stress) life style, certain things should be avoided. This includes foods high in:

Sugar

Excess sugar can cause the glands (which secrete the stress hormones) to tire. This can cause depression, irritability and weight gain.

Caffeine

When we’re feeling stressed and sluggish, a cup of coffee would seem to be an appropriate pick-me up. In actuality, consuming caffeine will make you more stressed. Caffeine increases adrenaline production and like any stimulant (nicotine, coffee, soda) it activates the nervous system and exaggerates the body's stress response.  

Alcohol

Yes, a glass of wine at the end of the day is a way to relax. But excessive alcohol consumption dehydrates the body and in turn decreases the production of feel good chemicals in the brain. Your body, mainly liver, goes into overdrive trying to detoxify the alcohol and eventually leaves you suffering from a mean hangover.  This triggers anxiety and actually increases stress!