Stress management with nutrition

Stress is a common problem that we all have to deal with in our lives, some more than others. There are many factors that bring stress upon the human body, in the surroundings and day to day life. Stress happens to everyone regardless of who they are, but the biggest thing to think about is how to handle it effectively.

The food a person consumes as part of their daily lifestyle can be utilized as a tool to overcome or to reduce the effect of stress on the body. One of the key ingredients to good health, and probably most important is having a well-balanced nutritional eating plan. When stress occurs, balanced nutrition and good mood food will boost our resistance against the effects that stress brings upon the body.

Emotional symptoms of stress:

• Becoming easily agitated, frustrated, and moody
• Feeling overwhelmed, like you are losing control or need to take control
• Having difficulty relaxing and quieting your mind
• Feeling bad about yourself (low self-esteem), lonely, worthless, and depressed
• Avoiding others
• Constant worrying
• Racing thoughts
• Forgetfulness and disorganization
• Inability to focus

Physical symptoms of stress:

• Low energy
• Headaches
• Upset stomach, including diarrhoea, constipation, and nausea
• Aches, pains, and tense muscles
• Chest pain and rapid heartbeat
• Insomnia
• Frequent colds and infections
• Loss of sexual desire and/or ability
• Nervousness and shaking, ringing in the ear, cold or sweaty hands and feet
• Dry mouth and difficulty swallowing
• Clenched jaw and grinding teeth

Certain foods provide comfort and actually increase levels of hormones in the body that naturally fight stress. Other types of foods and beverages can reduce stress by lowering the levels of hormones that trigger it.

Stress is the reaction to harmful situations -- when you feel threatened, a chemical reaction occurs in your body that allows you to act in a way to prevent injury. This reaction is known as "fight-or-flight,” or the stress response. During stress response, your heart rate increases, breathing quickens, muscles tighten, and blood pressure rises. Stress can affect all aspects of your life, including your emotions, behaviours, thinking ability, and physical health. 

When stress levels are low, the body is often in a state of homeostasis: All body systems are operating smoothly to maintain equilibrium. Stressors trigger a “crisis-mode” physiological response, after which the body attempts to return to homeostasis by means of an adaptive response.

Stress creates greater physiological demands. More energy, oxygen, circulation, and therefore more metabolic cofactors are needed (e.g. vitamins and minerals). The irony of stress is that people suffering stress need a more nutritionally dense diet but often opt for comfort foods (like sugary and fatty foods) lacking in the necessary nutrients, consequently inducing a situation of nutrient depletion that further compromises the metabolic systems. Stress not only influences the choice of food of a person but also the quantity of the food eaten.

How nutrition can help reduce the side effects of stress:

Complex carbohydrates-whole grains, vegetables and fruits boost levels of serotonin, a chemical in the brain that makes us calm. Complex carbohydrates also contribute to fibre. Fiber helps to maintain good stomach and digestive functioning. It make the food stay longer in stomach hence the more slowly the body absorbs carbohydrate, the more steadily serotonin flows.

Omega 3 fatty acids

The brain needs omega 3 fatty acids for the formation of healthy nerve cells. Evidence from epidemiological, laboratory and clinical studies suggest that omega 3 fatty acids are associated with a lower risk of depression, assist the brain to utilize various chemicals and can turn on the genes that make serotonin. It is a good natural anti-depressant.

Tryptophan

Tryptophan is an amino acid found in milk as well as in many proteins rich foods like whole grains. Serotonin is synthesized from tryptophan. To make tryptophan-laden meals more effective, make them high in complex carbohydrates but medium to low in protein. Carbohydrate makes tryptophan more available in the brain but protein has the opposite effect.

Vitamin C

Both emotional and physical stress may affect a person's Vitamin C status. It can increase requirement for vitamin C to maintain normal blood levels. When stress depletes vitamin C levels in the body, it reduces the body's resistance to infection and disease and increases the likelihood of further stress. When vitamin C intake is increased, the harmful effects of the stress hormones are reduced and the body's ability to cope with the stress response improves. Vitamin C is also believed to be a stress buster and reduces the stress by supporting the adrenal glands and allows a person to bounce back more quickly.

Vitamin B

The majority of the B-vitamins function in the development and maintenance of the nervous system. The harmful effects of vitamin-B-deficiencies on the nervous system might increase the risk of developing stress-related symptoms such as irritability, lethargy and depression.

Magnesium

Magnesium is needed for a variety of tasks such as muscle relaxation, fatty acid formation, making new cells and heartbeat regulation. Stress and magnesium are said to be interrelated. Both physical and psychological stress may stimulate the stress hormones. This, in turn, increases magnesium loss from the cells (especially from the heart and other vital organs), stimulate urinary excretion and increase dietary requirements for the magnesium.

In order to consume these nutrients, a person needs to adopt a particular defined of eating plan or diet. Following a strict plan and including the required food will strengthen the body against stress and other illnesses. Equally important is addressing the emotional and psychosomatic effects through other techniques like counselling, meditation etc.

Stress is going to happen at some point in a person’s life and will most defiantly happen more than once. However, as unavoidable as stress can sometimes be, it is always a choice. One can either let the body suffer from the effects of stress, or we can choose to do something about it. Thus to keep the body and mind healthy, every individual should know that nutrition plays a key role in stress management.