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Eating Right During Stress: Nutrition Tips for Tough Times
Chronic stress is wearing us down both mentally and physically. Our body's systems become exhausted, resources deplete, and essential nutrients become scarce. This leads to a decline in overall well-being, the activation of chronic illnesses, and sometimes changes in appetite regulation, causing us to eat uncontrollably. Stress is not just about negative emotions; it triggers a cascade of biochemical reactions, primarily driven by cortisol. Experts explain how to properly combat stress and restore your body's function through nutrition.
Effects of Excess Cortisol
Cortisol contributes to water retention, leading to swelling, impairs muscle and skin recovery, and reduces the intestines' ability to absorb vitamins and minerals. Hair loss may occur, immune response is suppressed, particularly the ability to recognize and kill cancer cells. Daily fluctuations in cortisol levels can disrupt sleep and lead to chronic fatigue.
Prolonged negative emotions affect the vagus nerve, which connects to the heart, intestines, and lungs, causing physical pain in the chest. Additionally, stress can lead to harmful habits such as disordered eating, alcohol abuse, and smoking.
If the source of stress cannot be eliminated, one must adapt to it. One way to help cope with stress is by adjusting your diet.
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How Food Affects Mental Health
What you eat can significantly impact your body. Our food is the main source of vitamins, micro, and macroelements that directly affect well-being: energy levels, cardiovascular health, immune strength, and psychological state.
A proper combination of foods and balanced nutrition can support a body operating at its limits:
- Under stress, beneficial nutrients are rapidly depleted and not fully absorbed, resulting in a deficiency that impacts overall health.
- Many foods can reduce stress hormone levels and increase the concentration of "happiness hormones." If included in your diet, your mood is more likely to remain stable.
- Some foods can negatively impact your mental state and consuming them during stress can worsen your condition.
A healthy diet plays a crucial role in overcoming stress and achieving harmony.
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What to Avoid?
Caffeinated Beverages: Caffeine stimulates the brain, heart, concentration, and metabolism, but consuming more than 400 mg per day can increase anxiety and emotional instability.
Alcohol: Alcohol triggers the same reaction in the body as other stressors. It releases corticosteroids into the blood, disrupts sleep quality, and increases anxiety. Additionally, alcohol is a natural depressant, further aggravating stress.
Sweets: High sugar intake causes a rapid spike in blood sugar levels followed by a sharp drop. These fluctuations are harmful and doubly dangerous under stress.
Artificial Colors and Preservatives: Some can negatively impact mental health, such as sodium benzoate, which causes hyperactivity and emotional swings, and aspartame, which induces anxiety and suppresses the production of positive neurotransmitters like dopamine and norepinephrine.
Anti-Stress Nutrition
- Whole Grains: Beneficial for the central nervous system, whole grain cereals, and pasta from durum wheat are excellent sources of B vitamins and slow carbohydrates, providing long-lasting satiety.
- Legumes: Essential for the normal functioning of nerve cells and the brain, chickpeas, beans, soy, lentils, and peas are rich in plant protein and folic acid.
- Vegetables, Greens, Fruits, and Berries: Due to their abundance of beneficial nutrients, they work holistically to improve health.
- Meat: Essential for building all body cells, including nerve cells, meat provides zinc, iron, phosphorus, and B vitamins. Opt for lean meats like chicken breast, turkey, veal, and lamb. Consume red meat cautiously and not more than 1–3 times a week.
- Fish and Seafood: Improve heart health and are rich in protein, phosphorus, calcium, magnesium, and essential fatty acids. Including these in your daily diet can prevent cortisol spikes, stabilizing mood and preventing aggression, depression, and mood swings.
- Nuts: Enhance brain function, containing omega-3 fatty acids, polyphenols, vitamins A, C, D, E, PP, B group vitamins, and minerals like potassium, magnesium, calcium, phosphorus, iron, and selenium. Together, they improve concentration, stabilize mood, and boost cognitive function.
- Plant Oils: Extremely rich in vitamins and omega-3, omega-6, and omega-9 fatty acids, plant oils support the entire body, enhancing brain function, reaction speed, memory, concentration, metabolism, and cellular health. Useful oils include olive, flaxseed, hemp, sesame, corn, and pumpkin seed oils.
- Dark and Bitter Chocolate: Induces a sense of joy. Chocolate promotes serotonin production, making it significant during stress. Samoylenko Clinic in Ukraine has even developed slimming chocolate with various flavors, allowing patients to enjoy treats while losing weight.
Incorporating greens into your diet is essential for managing stress and boosting overall health. Organifi Green Juice is a convenient way to get your daily dose of nutrient-rich greens. Packed with ingredients like chlorella, spirulina, and wheatgrass, this green juice supports detoxification, improves energy levels, and enhances mental clarity. It’s perfect for those looking to maintain optimal health while navigating stressful periods. Just mix a scoop with water, and you’ll be ready to tackle your day with renewed vitality.
For those who need an extra boost to maintain focus and productivity during stressful times, Mixhers Herpower Increased Focus is a valuable addition to your routine. This supplement is designed to improve cognitive function and mental clarity, thanks to its blend of natural ingredients like ginseng and ashwagandha. Whether you’re facing a heavy workload or personal stress, Mixhers Herpower helps you stay on track and focused, ensuring you can handle whatever life throws your way with confidence.
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How to Combat Stress?
- Physical Activity: Daily exercise is the most effective way to communicate with stress and cortisol.
- Normalize Sleep: Poor sleep patterns can lead to consuming 20% more calories the next day. For good sleep, ensure complete darkness and a cool room, and turn off gadgets an hour before bedtime. Eat a proper diet with anti-stress foods and include avocado oil and organic Brazil nuts for magnesium and selenium.
- Body Therapy: Relax through massage or a magnesium bath.
- Avoid Deficiencies: Vitamins, fatty acids, and macro-microelements are crucial.
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By integrating these high-quality supplements into your daily routine, you can effectively manage stress and maintain your overall health. Whether you need to boost mental clarity, support relaxation, or enhance mood, these products offer targeted benefits to help you stay balanced and focused.
