Stress and Nutrition

19 Jun

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Stress and Nutrition
Stress can also increase a yearning for extra snacks and high-fat comfort foods. Snacks can be an important part of good eating, so don’t force yourself to starve if you’re hungry. But snacking when you’re not really hungry doesn’t give you more energy. Sweet snacks can give you a short-term energy boost, but then can also leave you feeling worse later when your blood sugar drops.When stress hits, you don’t have to forego all of your favorite “comfort foods.” Some treats, like puddings and muffins, can be made with less fat and sugar than in original recipes to make them lighter. You can also try to determine whether you really want the taste of a particular food, or whether non-food forms of comfort will meet your needs, When the taste is just what you want, try taking just a bite of your favorite dish to alleviate that craving. Just that small portion may give you the flavor you crave without added fat and calories.

Beating Stress through Nutrition

For most of us, stress and food go hand-in-hand. Food can give us the feelings of power, control and satisfaction that we need in stressful situations. It’s no surprise that when our stress levels go up our resistance to ‘comfort’ foods goes down.Giving your body the nutrition it needs is a positive step you can take every day toward combating stress. With the correct nutrition, you are better prepared to face the challenges of the day.Adrenaline is produced during times of intense stress. That gives you a burst of energy, but your blood-sugar level drops after the crisis is past. Sustaining food is needed to replenish it. Certain foods increase the physical stress on your body by making digestion more difficult, or by denying the brain essential nutrients. Stress itself can cause bad digestion. Drinks can have just as great an effectcaffeine and alcohol both put a considerable strain on the body.

Managing Stress with Nutrition

Everyone suffers from stress at some point in time: the death of a family member, a change of career, divorce. Such things are called “acute” stressors, meaning the stress response occurs because of a single event. It can be defined as “the response to an immediate threat, real or perceived”. Chronic stress, on the other hand, is stress that results from ongoing tense situations. Most people live in a state of chronic stress. Busy traffic, high pressure jobs, and the modern lifestyle all contribute to non-stop physical and psychological stimulation.

The relationship between stress and nutrition cannot be over emphasized. In fact, as the saying goes “You are what you eat”. Good Nutrition has always been the foundation of good health. Your body in response to stress, craves certain addictive stuffs which are supposed to maintain the stress levels in your body. These include smoking, caffeine, alcohol, sweets and salt.

Studies have shown that the body depletes its stores of nutrients when under stress, mainly protein and the B vitamins as well as vitamins C and A. A deficiency of magnesium, which helps muscles relax, has been linked to “Type A” or high-stress personalities. If you are under prolonged stress or are at risk for hypertension, consume foods high in potassium, such as orange juice, squash, potatoes, apricots, limes, bananas, avocados, tomatoes, and peaches. You also should increase your intake of calcium, which is found in yogurt, cheese, tofu, and chick- peas.If you find that you have difficulty managing stress and often feel fatigued or stressed out, you might want to examine your diet for deficiencies

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