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Instant Stress Management Articles |
Managing Stress with Better Nutrition By Vishal P. Rao Guest Article |
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Today, there are
millions of people who suffer from chronic or transient stress problems.
The never ending drive to work, project deadlines, bills to pay and
desires to accomplish, all contribute significantly towards adding to the
stress factor in an individuals life. Stress can cause
physiological reaction in your body. Faced with a difficult situation your
body prepares to ‘fight or flight’. The response produces hormones
that can energize you and make you ready to wither combat the situation or
flee from the situation. Irrespective of the specific response you are
likely to adopt, the body gets flushed with hormones that can cause high
blood pressure, slower digestion (as all energy is directed towards
combating the situation) and higher blood circulation. Your body can revert back to normal
levels if the stress is transient in nature. However, if the stress is
chronic, the damage that such an aroused state can have on your body
include some major health problems like high blood pressure, exhaustion,
nervous breakdowns, migraine headaches, high cholesterol, depression,
insomnia, colitis and diarrhea. Nutrition has a key role to play in
your ability to handle stress. Most nutrients are used up at a faster rate
if you are stressed out. The body needs more of Vitamin B and Calcium
during such times. The former helps in keeping the nervous system in
control and the latter helps in counteracting the lactic acid that is
produced during stressful situations. Though Vitamin B and Calcium are
particularly important, other nutrients that you need to include as part
of your diet are other vitamins,
minerals, amino acids, essential fatty acids At
an overall level, avoid processed foods and limit the intake of caffeine
as much as you can. Other than coffee, cola and chocolates also have a
certain amount of caffeine and intake of such foods should be avoided as
much as possible. Intake of alcohol should also be avoided. Alcohol
depletes Vitamin B stocks faster and can disturb the daily sleeping
patterns. Opt for potassium rich foods like citrus fruits, potatoes,
banana and peaches and yogurt, cheese and tofu for calcium. Stress
can cause a fair number of nutrition related disorders. These include
indigestion, bloating, craving, hangovers and sudden highs and lows in
energy levels. If
you eat during a stressful situation, you body can potentially stop the
digestion process completely as all the energy is directed towards
fighting the stress situation. This means that the food that has been
ingested remain indigested causing bloating at times. To tackle stress
related indigestion, ensure that you chew completely and eat slowly. Stress can also lead you to crave sugars, especially post
lunch. It is extremely important to understand that sugars can provide
immediate highs followed by sudden lows and therefore should be avoided in
extremes. Small amounts will not harm the body. In fact depriving yourself
completely of sugars and desserts can increase the craving to a large
extent. If you
wish to adopt a stress-friendly diet, then ensure that you at the same
time each day. Breakfast is the most important meal of the day and missing
breakfast is not recommended. Fruits are a good option since the nutrients
can be absorbed best on an empty stomach. Lunch can be comprised of baked
potatoes, soups, sandwiches or salads. Baked fish or chicken is also an
option. Try and avoid red meat since it can actually aggravate stress.
Snacking can ruin your otherwise perfect stress-friendly diet. Plan for
some in-betweens like a banana, a few nuts or yogurt to ensure that you
don’t reach out for that chocolate bar when you feel the hunger pang.
Choose to drink herbal tea or water instead of colas or coffee. Fruit
juice is another healthy option that will help you manage stress. It can
also help in keeping you healthy and glowing. If you
still feel that your stress is causing physiological problems for your
body and that you feel that you need more nutrients to fight the
situation, consider opting for a supplement. A vitamin complex with
particular emphasis on vitamin B is a good idea. On the other hand you
could try some herbal remedies like aloe vera, lemongrass, mint, kava
kava, or ginger. Vishal
P. Rao heads the Stress
Management Forum
where you can get free advice and tips for managing stress.
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