We live in such a fast-paced society, and we're constantly adjusting to new ways of working, traveling and living, especially since everyday pressures have increased in recent months. While not all stress is harmful — many people associate stress with beneficial cognitive responses like having a clear mind and being able to make quick judgments or having a greater ability to bear pain — there are a number of hazards to be aware of when your stress levels begin to rise. As a result, deliberately subjecting yourself to stress can be harmful to both your body and mind.
When you're stressed, your body produces too much cortisol. Cortisol promotes fat storage, especially around the midsection, which can lead to the development of android obesity (an apple-shaped body), which has been shown to be more dangerous than female obesity (a pear-shaped body) because it is linked to cardiovascular disease, glucose intolerance, and diabetes. Furthermore, excessive amounts of chronic stress can deplete some nutrients in the body and impair immunological function. Although living a stress-free existence is nearly impossible, there are a few clever workarounds and strategies you can employ. For example, we may all attempt to eat in a way that decreases the amount of cortisol released and the effects it has on the body. Here are my top five nutritional advice for reducing stress:
Limit Caffeine Consumption
Coffee use is prevalent in many of our daily routines, and whether we drink it to wake up in the morning or to help us through an afternoon slump, it could be affecting our cortisol levels significantly. While coffee and caffeine in general may have health and performance benefits, it may be detrimental to individuals who are stressed. An increased risk of insulin resistance, belly weight gain, anxiety, poor sleep, and gastrointestinal difficulties may result from a persistent overproduction of cortisol, which is enhanced by caffeine.
Therefore, to guarantee optimal sleep quality and quantity, limit yourself to two cups of coffee (or other caffeinated beverages) every day, with the last one being consumed before 4 p.m.
Eat the Nature
There's nothing groundbreaking about this, but it's an important strategy to manage stress, which can impair our ability to absorb and utilise nutrients. As a result, ensuring that you are getting a range of nutrients into your body to optimise vitamin and mineral utilisation is even more crucial during stressful times. To acquire a comprehensive range of antioxidants and vitamins, eat at least five fruits and vegetables every day and vary them up daily. Green veggies, for example, help to regulate your mood by promoting the production of dopamine and serotonin, but aim for a variety of colours in your fruits and vegetables, with a goal of 30 different plant-based foods every week (including fruit, veg, legumes, pulses, nuts & seeds). The increased fibre consumption as a result of this will also benefit your gut bacteria and bowel function.
Avoid Skipping Meals
During stressful times, many people modify their eating habits, with 40% of people turning for comfort foods such as sweets, chocolate, crisps, and fast food. The hormone ACTH is suppressed by highly appealing foods like these. ACTH is a hormone that promotes the release of cortisol. As a result, when ACTH is repressed, cortisol levels drop, making you feel less anxious for a short time. However, after a lengthy time of stress managed in this manner, our health quickly goes to the bottom of our priority list, and the urge for extremely delicious food persists. Skipping meals can exacerbate this cycle by creating a dramatic drop in blood sugar levels, leading to a desire for more sugar items. To help stabilise blood sugar levels, choose meals that contain complex carbohydrates, protein, and healthy fats, and eat every 3-5 hours to keep hunger at bay.
Intake Enough Vitamin D
Vitamin D levels that are optimal can be difficult to achieve solely by food. Instead, the sun is your most reliable source of energy. When we are exposed to UV rays, our bodies produce vitamin D; unfortunately, we do not receive enough UVB radiation from sunlight in the UK between September and April for this to happen. Between these months, vitamin D3 supplementation is recommended, at a dose of 2000iU per day. Vitamin D is important for mood enhancement, thus a lack of vitamin D (due to a lack of UVB exposure) could be a component in the low mood that many people experience throughout the winter months.