De-Stress Diet

SHA Wellness Clinic

February 20, 2014

The best diet to eliminate stress

How to regulate the levels of stress through healthy food

Good nutrition is essential to manage stress and anxiety. Our experts in healthy nutrition advise basic guidelines to follow a proper de-stress diet that also will help us keep our ideal weight.

Foods to avoid in anti-stress diet

One of the main causes of stress is to have low levels of blood glucose. Low glucose levels cause irritability, lack of concentration and nervousness, which makes us feel more stressed.

Moreover, under stress situations we produce more adrenaline, and this we accelerate our metabolism, which makes us to increase the intake of carbohydrates, proteins and fats. If there is a rapid consumption of carbohydrates our blood glucose undergoes constant ups and downs and our brain notices, causing the desire to eat more food, well known for people suffering from stress reaction. Therefore, we must be strong and avoid using foods full of sugars and saturated fats because we ultimately help increase more our stress levels.

In addition, products made with very many preservatives, flavoring and other chemicals that overload our body produce additional stress we do not need, especially in our liver. The more work we give to our bodies, we will feel less relaxed.

Eating too much also overloads our bodies, making them work and producing a lot of unnecessary stress.

Recommended Foods to Reduce Stress

Foods with a low glycemic index: whole grains, vegetables, legumes… help keep our energy levels stable and reduce cravings and anxiety. Also whole grains rich in tryptophan help improve our mood . A diet rich in carbohydrates slow assimilation helps to feed the brain and reduce stress levels.
Foods rich in vitamin C: under stress our body uses more of this vitamin , therefore, in stressful situations is important to increase the consumption of foods that provide : green leafy vegetables such as cabbage and broccoli are even richer in this vitamin than oranges.
Foods rich in magnesium: magnesium helps prevent anxiety and is recommended treatments for stress and depression . It relaxes the muscles of the body and has a relaxing effect on the nervous system. We find significant amounts of magnesium in pumpkin seeds, almonds, hazelnuts, walnuts, soybeans, chickpeas, parsley…
Sweet food of good quality, sweet and relaxing is what should be more present in our food: pumpkin, parsnip, carrot, onion… vegetables are contributing a natural and balanced sweetness.

How long will notice the effect of the anti-stress diet?

In three weeks we started noticing changes, then our blood plasma have already changed, and alkalinity levels have normalized. In 4 months will be completely changed the quality of our blood and we deeply feel the effects of the new power .

What changes must accompany the healthy diet to eliminate stress?

Food is an important part in our health to keep stress at bay, but not the only one. It is important to make a change in our lifestyle. Staying mentally and physically active is important, always in perspective, one must find the right balance for each person. Activities such as yoga , tai chi or meditation help us manage stress and anxiety. Also, stay positive and optimistic helps improve our mood.

On the other hand, a good rest is also important because sleep helps reduce stress and combat irritability, and it benefits our memory and helps our immune system.