Feeling Stressed: What Are You Eating?

Stressed?  What Are You Eating?

It’s no secret that many people turn to food for comfort.  If you are feeling stressed, what are you eating?

Did you know that food can keep you calm when you’re under pressure?

Before you get carried away, though, you should know that doesn’t mean heading out for fried chicken or mac and cheese.

That type of eating will lead to anxiety and guilt.  No, there are foods that reduce stress and boost your levels of happiness!

Your eating can help when you are feeling stressed!

Food Types For Feeling Stressed and What You Are Eating

Eat High in Fiber, Rich in Carbohydrates

Serotonin is a hormone that contributes to relaxation.  According to researchers, carbohydrates can trigger serotonin. ( remember there are healthy sources of carbs).

Fiber is great for satiating hunger and should help you avoid any junk food binges (particularly late at night).  If you want, healthy comfort foods then turn to minestrone soup and baked sweet potatoes.

Fruits and Vegetables

Sometimes there is nothing better than a giant veggie platter to indulge in.  This is good because they come with so many health benefits (do no add the ranch dressing!)

Chronic stress destroys your immune system and makes it difficult to ward off disease.  So, it’s important to boost your intake of immunity supporting food.  These, include citrus fruits, carrots, and acorn squash.  These are all good sources of vitamins and minerals that help bust stress.

Foods That Fight Stress

Leafy Greens

Folate rich foods (like spinach) help produce dopamine and serotonin, which help regulate your mood.  Those who consume high levels of folate are at a reduced risk of depression.  Spinach is also rich in magnesium.  Too little magnesium can cause fatigue and headaches, which makes stress worse.  If you hate spinach, you can opt for salmon or cooked soybeans instead, both of which are high in magnesium.

Fermented Foods

There is a link between gut health, stress, and depression. The good bacteria influence your brain chemistry and the signals that your brain receives from the vagus nerve.  Eating lactobacillus rhamnosus can reduce your stress levels.  This aids in relieving symptoms of anxiety and depression.

You can enjoy fermented foods from the supermarket or make your own.  Those recommended would be yogurt or fermented vegetables.

Oatmeal

According to WebMD, a warm bowl of oatmeal is comforting and boosts serotonin, which is a calming brain chemical.

Blueberries

WebMD reports that the pigment that makes blueberries blue is anthocyanin.  This is what makes your berries dark.  It also boosts dopamine production in the brain.  This is crucial for your mood, coordination, and memory function.  Blueberries are old school superfoods.

Avocado

This healthy fat is a wealth of nutrients (including folate, potassium, vitamin B complex, and Vitamin E).  For stress, it gives you plenty of potassium, which helps reduce high blood pressure.

Eating half of one at lunch is enough to help you avoid unnecessary snacking between meals.  That doesn’t mean eating only that for lunch, but extra to your normal lunch.  They’re also efficient at keeping blood sugar levels stable, which then keeps your mood level (even when you’re under stress).

Pistachios

Organic Pistachios are good for reducing vascular constriction.  This constriction is what occurs in a stressful situation.  It reduces the pressure on your heart and helps manage stress.  It isn’t the contents of the nut either.  It’s also the act of shelling the pistachios that can be therapeutic.

Foods That Make Stress Worse

High Fat

Cheeses, meats, and a lot of baked goods will leave your feeling lethargic.  Unhealthy fats thicken the blood, increase the risk of heart attack, and contribute to stress.  So it is best to choose lean proteins.

Caffeine

Caffeine is helpful for providing us with a necessary energy boost and coffee has a wide variety of health benefits.  Yet, too much caffeine in your system contributes to sleepless nights and even greater stress.  Learn to limit your intake by cutting off the supply after 2 pm. This will reduce any jitters you are experiencing and should help you get a better night’s sleep.

Sugar

Sugar is a simple carbohydrate that causes crashes since it floods the bloodstream and then leaves fast.  So, remember when choosing your carbohydrates to opt for the complex variety  (like beans and lentils).

Diet and stress fuel making a bad decision.  But the right decision relieves symptoms and helps you manage the issue.

I am Shirley Noah, my mission is to transform your life by providing the most innovative and highest quality health solutions. www.ingoodhealthcoach.com

When you are stressed even your immune system is lowered.  You are more susceptible to various bacterial and viral infections like cold and flu.  Add to that the fact that high stress is often accompanied by insomnia.  If you don’t eat the right foods, you may sabotage yourself.  You may encounter uncontrollable cravings that make you eat more bad stuff.  For more nutritional backed confidence you could start to eat the right foods and support your body with stress-reducing choices. Check out How to Eat to Relieve Stress.