Stress is a normal part of life, but there are
some things that you can do to help manage it.
Stress is a natural reaction that the body has in response to any type of physical or emotional pressure. You might feel stress due to a tight deadline, meeting new people, giving a presentation, running late to an event or even just worries about the future can cause the all familiar butterflies in your chest!
The body releases chemicals that help us fight or flight when we are under stress. When these chemicals are released for an extended period of time, the body starts to feel fatigued and exhausted. Running on high alert can become a person's norm when you are not able to regulate your stress and you find yourself running around putting out fires.
This section will talk about what causes stress, how it affects the body and what you can do about it!
Anything can cause stress for someone. It varies from person to person, what one person finds stressful another person can take it in stride. It is based on our past perceptions, feelings and even our own perception of ability that can lead to added or less stress. Recently I was surprised to find that a big move caused me a lot of stress, even though I had planned, did my budgeting and pep talked myself, I still found the whole process quite stressful! Some people move several times a year and don't bat an eye but for me it took me several weeks to adjust and to come back to a place of ease. I even started to drink more wine than usual to cope. Stress has a surprising way of showing up and affecting you! But I'm not alone in my struggle!
Stress is a major issue for many people.
It's not just the physical effects of stress on our bodies, but also the mental health impacts. Stress can lead to depression and anxiety, which can be detrimental to your mental health.
The best way to combat stress is by eating a healthy diet. Eating whole foods that are rich in nutrients will help keep you feeling good and keep your body in top shape!
What you put into your body will affect your GLOW!
And after my big move my additional alcohol intake affected my mental health and even my energy levels, all I wanted to do was sleep!
That's because there is a connection between what goes into our digestive system and our mental health. But for today's discussion I will speak more on foods to help combat and protect your brain during high stress times so you can continue to give your best !
Here are a few ways you can practice
Healthy Eating for a Healthier Mind.
The Mediterranean diet is a great example of a healthy diet because it has been proven to reduce stress. It is composed of vegetables, whole grains, nuts, seeds, beans, fruits and olive oil.
The mediterranean diet is a plant-based diet that includes fruits and vegetables. This type of diet has been proven to reduce stress because it contains many nutritious foods that help the body function better.
Are you a big snacker? Replace those snacks with crunchy veggies and hummus.
Cruciferous veggies like brussels, cauliflower, broccoli, and radishes. Find at your local grocery store and pair with hummus or my favorite guacamole- also a healthy fat!
Try adding a handful of unsalted nuts to your routine, walnuts, cashews, almonds, pumpkin seeds are all great alternatives for the extra crunch!
Add more foods with healthy fats like omega 3 from seafood, salmon for example, protect the brain from inflammation. Healthy fats literally act like a cushion and protect your brain from all the stress hormones that come shooting up when you are stressed about your big presentation at work! And instead your brain is able to cope and not get all inflamed and exhausted before you can even perform.
What makes seafood so healthy ? The fish eat phytoplankton and the phytoplankton eat algae! Algae is a plant food, think veggies for fish! It's so healthy that humans now want to ingest this healthy algae !
Chorella and spirulina can be found in supplement form.
Other healthy fats sources, we talked about nuts, like Walnuts and also avocados can be used in a variety of dishes like avocado spread instead of mayo! Chia, flax or hemp seeds are great additions to your morning oatmeal, yogurts or smoothies!
These are just a few examples of foods you can add to your life while simultaneously reducing other scientifically proven aggressors of
inflammation and stress.
I'll mention the top two here: added sugars, yes even honey and agave are added sugars and can add to your stress and inflammation, and fast foods!
Both added sugars and fast foods can add to the unhealthy levels of cortisol from chronic stress adding more inflammation, overloading your brain, adding more pounds to your waistline and then even more stress to your life !
But you can STOP the cycle!
You don't have to be a victim of your surroundings, you can make a change!
Start with one meal a day!
Breakfast then add lunch then start adding more water into your routine.
Adding more steps in and watch your whole demeanor change.
And it all starts with one decision and then you keep making the decision everyday!
Everyday you must make the decision to decide “I want to do better”.
And you will!
Stress doesn't have to rule your life
or what you eat anymore!
If you want to learn more about this you can check out my youtube video!
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