Which Foods to Eat to Reduce Stress & Improve Your Mood
Stress is a word we use and hear a lot. “I’m stressed out”, “It’s a high-stress job”, “My stress levels are up” etc.
We accept stress as a part of everyday life and just as well too because it contributes to our ability to adapt, cope and learn.
Yes, we need stress to switch on our survival skills and better handle situations that require fast thinking, fast movement and ultimately memory pathways for similar situations in the future.
But too much stress for too long and the very response that serves you so well in the short term can lead to a whole slew of health problems.
Most Common Health Problems Caused by Stress
Stress induced health problems can include, but are not limited to:
Depression- Panic attacks
- Anxiety
- Sleep disorders
- Addictions
- Hormonal imbalances
- Weight gain or loss
- Digestive disorders
- Cardiovascular problems
- Inflammation, infection, lowered immunity
- Impaired mental function (attention, memory etc)
Just reading that list of health problems makes me feel stressed! Excuse me a moment whilst I pause to snack on some magnesium-rich nuts…
…Ahh, feeling better now. 😉
Yes, you CAN eat to de-stress! It’s just knowing what to eat and why.
5 Most Important Nutrients to Relieve Stress:
1. B-group vitamins, B6 and B9
B6 and B9 are required for the synthesis of chemical messengers, called neurotransmitters, that your brain makes and uses for many varied functions, including your moods, sleep, eating and sexual behaviours, experience of pain and pleasure, learning, memory, alertness… and I could go on and on but I have a word limit!
You get the picture though? Without B6 and B9 you may have a deficiency of neurotransmitters and as such, altered mood, inefficient coping skills and, well… stress.
Eat plenty of:
- Raw nuts
- Seeds
- Sprouted legumes
- Dark green leafy vegetables
2. Omega-3 fatty acids
Every cell of your body needs to “chat” to every other cell around it to get on with the business of keeping you alive.
Your brain is protected by fat and every cell in the body contains a double row of fatty acids. They stand guard ensuring that only necessary substances may enter and exit.
With this in mind you can appreciate how optimum functioning of your Central Nervous System relies on high-quality dietary fats to facilitate its function.
Eat plenty of:
- Flaxseeds
- Chia seeds
- Blackcurrants
- Walnuts
- Very dark leafy green vegetables such as kale and spinach
- Cold-pressed oils such as olive, flaxseed, mustard seed and walnut
3. Magnesium
Magnesium is required for muscle relaxation and contraction; it assists the communication between cells and participates in the production of energy from the food you eat.
It chills you out and recharges you!
Eat plenty of:
- Raw nuts
- Coconut meat
- Sprouted buckwheat and legumes
- Beet greens and other dark leafy green vegetables
4. Zinc
I can’t even STRESS the importance of zinc enough! Without it sooo many reactions in your body just can’t take place.
Nutrients are at a loss to carry on their roles without zinc. Hormones hover at the gate without zinc. The immune system flounders without zinc. Fertility pulls the blankets up without zinc.
Think zinc:
- Nuts
- Legumes
- Ginger
- Parsley
- Root vegetables
5. Anti-oxidants such as Vitamin C and Bioflavonoids
A chronic stress response depletes your body of vitamin C and thus leads to oxidative damage, which further stresses your body.
Also, elevated levels of stress hormones cause havoc on your hormones, immune systems and blood sugar levels; all of which can be supported with vitamin C and bioflavonoids.
Eat plenty of:
- Berries
- Citrus
- Parsley
- Red, yellow, orange and dark green fruit and vegetables
Don’t sweat it if you are stressed. It’s just a normal, short-term state that’s gotten out of control. You have the power and the right to take back that control and it starts with recognizing this.
Then one good, whole, organic, nutrient-dense meal at a time, nourish and feed yourself back to a place of strength and power.
Which foods do you eat to increase your personal strength and power? Let us know in the comments below.
