In this article, we will discuss options of various foods for stress reduction. Many of us does not take foods as seriously as far as stress management is concerned, although it is a well known fact that foods do have a direct effect on our ability to manage stress levels effectively.
If you have ever given attention to your stomach related issues while in extreme stress, you will agree with me. Even the chewing of food is as important as anything else. We will discuss in detail in following paragraphs.
Some basics in relation of food and stress:
- Nutrition of food is directly proportional to the stress levels do you have.
- Vitamins and minerals rich foods help in keeping your stress levels in control.
- Foods with alkaline nature bring down stress levels.
- Foods rich with anti-oxidant in nature keep stress away.
- Brain has a high concentration of Vitamin C which is a powerful anti-oxidant which depletes considerably in stressful situations. A balanced intake of Vitamin C is very helpful in keeping a very good control over stress levels.
Some healthy tips to reduce stress:
- Do not avoid breakfast: After a restful sleep, your body needs nutrients to recharge it and if you don’t give that to your body then it comes under stress very quickly. This condition really adds to the stress levels.
- Drink water frequently: Many of us don’t really realize the importance of water and we normally do our work in seriously dehydrated condition of our body. This situation also creates as well as adds to the issue of stress. It is recommended to drink water frequently to avoid this situation. Water also helps our body to maintain acidic properties which is favorable to stress.
- 3. Avoid junk food: In today’s busy life, we normally take junk foods along with a bottle of cola to fulfill our food demand. This is one of the most damaging things we are doing with our body. This kind of food normally comes without proper nutrients. During stress, our body uses some vital stuff like hormones and neurotransmitters to regulate our body’s response to stress. Those vital stuffs get regular top-ups by foods with rich nutrients and junk foods just breaks that sequence.
Some vitals nutrients to avoid stress:
Vitamin B2 & Vitamin E, magnesium, zinc: Rich source is almond
Vitamin B6 & Vitamin B12: Rich source is fish. Vitamin B12 improves your body’s overall nervous system functions. Vitamin B6 has a direct effect on your immune system.
Vitamin C: Rich sources are Pumpkins & Cow cheese
Anti-oxidants: Milk is a rich anti-oxidant drink. Other good sources are leafy vegetables, curd, pulses, whole grains, dry fruits, bananas and fish.
Magnesium: Rich sources are whole grains beans, vegetables, nuts and seeds. Magnesium has a direct effect on muscle stress.
Foods to avoid:
Coffee and Tea: Both have caffeine, which stimulates adrenaline. Adrenaline is the most common hormone which body stimulates in response to stress and any further addition via any of our diet can have a direct effect on stress as body gets a false signal of stress in the form of high blood pressure and higher heart rate, even when that is not the case.
Sugar & Carbohydrates: Both elements are rich source of sugar which stimulates insulin in the body to control sugar levels. This actually reduces the sugar levels of the body then again you need sugar to maintain sugar levels of your body. This situation of the body is known as hypoglycemic and results in low energy as well as sudden mood swings. This causes severe stress within the body.
Non Vegetarian food: Non-vegetarian food contains dopamine as well as nor epinephrine which causes anxiety and stress in some cases. This is why it is advisable to avoid non-vegetarian food when you are suffering through high stress levels.
