The Nutrition And Stress Connection – How A Good Diet Can Help You Cope

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The Nutrition And Stress Connection – How A Good Diet Can Help You Cope

What you eat and just as importantly, what you do not eat can have major impacts on how stressed you are.

Nutrition and stress are closely related. Choosing to eat healthy is an essential part of the treatment of stress.


Healthy Carbohydrates Reduce Stress

High fiber foods such as whole grains, nuts, fruits and vegetables contain magnesium and complex carbohydrates. Complex carbohydrates stabilize blood sugar levels, preventing mood swings, anxiety, and irritability. They also decrease headaches and fatigue. High fiber foods help you to feel satisfied and prevent sugar “highs” and “crashes”. Complex carbohydrates provide a supply of constant, steady energy for your body. They promote calm feelings when you are stressed.


Essential Fatty Acids

I highly recommend consuming foods which are rich in omega 3 fatty acids in the diet. Supplementation may be beneficial as well.

In addition to relieving stress, essential fatty acids may relieve depression and pain, common companions to stress.

Get your omegas by eating cold, deep water, oily ocean fish regularly. Salmon, sardines, mackerel, and herring are excellent choices. If you are not a fish eater, include flax or hemp seeds in your diet. Cooking with canola or walnut oil provides you with essential fatty acids too.


Specific Nutrients promote Calmness

The amino acid tryptophan is involved in the formation of serotonin, a neurotransmitter responsible for decreasing anxiety and elevating moods. Obtain tryptophan from eggs, meat, dried peas, and beans.

The B complex vitamins are known as the stress vitamins. B vitamins prevent insomnia, depression, and fatigue. Eat meat, fortified or whole grain breads and cereals, and eggs to get a good supply of your stress relieving B vitamins.

Get enough iron in order to prevent fatigue. Dark green leafy vegetables are excellent sources of iron. Iron is best absorbed when it is consumed with a food rich in vitamin C, such as orange juice or raw peppers. Vegetable based iron obtained from dandelion greens, collards, kale and wild nettles is excellent. Other vegetable based iron is not as freely available. Dried legumes, such as lentils, split peas, and bean are good sources of iron as well. If you consume meat, iron is obtained from meat as well.

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