How to Use Food to Reduce Adverse Effects of Stress on Body
When you are stressed, do you tend to crave junky foods, or do you grab an apple to calm yourself down?
I am sure you answered junky foods.
Food and stress are closely connected.
Stress promotes unhealthy food choices high in sugar and fats and depletes nutrients, vitamins, and minerals from the body.
When you eat calorie-rich and nutrient poor-foods, you create inflammation and add more stress to the body creating a vicious cycle of fight-and-flight response.
In addition, you can't digest food properly and absorb nutrients from that food when you are stressed. It can compromise your health in the long run because your body can't restore the depleted nutrients.
Lack of adequate vitamins and minerals may weaken your immune system, affect hormones production, lead to weight gain and saggy skin, to name a few.
On the other hand, you can use healthy foods to reduce the unwanted effects of stress on the body.
FOODS FOR RELIEVING STRESS
How to eat when you are stressed?
ADD ANTIOXIDANT-RICH FOODS
Stress increases the production of free radicals in the body. These free radicals can create inflammation, affect the function of cells, and destroy the mitochondria. This, in turn, can lead to many health problems like cardiovascular diseases, certain cancers, neurological disorders like Alzheimer's and Parkinson's disease.
Therefore, adding foods rich in antioxidants will help reduce oxidative stress in the body. Oxidative stress is created when there is an imbalance between free radicals and antioxidants. Vitamins C, E, and beta-carotene are examples of antioxidants that can remove free radicals from the body.
Antioxidants are found in fresh fruits, vegetables, and herbs such as:
Berries like blueberries, strawberries, raspberries
Purple or red grapes
Red cabbage
Beets
Red kale
Spinach
Artichoke
Green mint
Basil
Oregano
EAT AN ADEQUATE AMOUNT OF FIBER
Fiber helps the body remove toxins. It also plays an important role in keeping our gut bacteria in balance. Research suggests that stress can affect gut bacteria composition. Healthy eating rich in fiber can help maintain a balanced microbiome.
You can find fiber in many foods, but the best source is fruits, vegetables, and some grains, for example:
Lentils
Split peas
Black beans
Chia seeds
Barley
Quinoa
Raspberries
Pears
Green peas
Broccoli
Turnip greens
EAT A WIDE SELECTION OF COMPLETE PROTEINS
Proteins are essential macronutrients that can be found in every part of your body, from muscles and bones to skin and hair. They are made from amino acids. Complete proteins include nine essential amino acids that your body can't make, and they need to come from foods. Incomplete proteins lack one or more of the essential amino acids, which affects the body's ability to grow, repair, and maintain tissues.
The sources of complete proteins include:
Meat
Poultry
Fish
Eggs
Dairy
Quinoa
Buckwheat
Hemp seeds
Soybeans
Chia seeds
Usually, plant-based proteins are considered incomplete proteins except the sources mentioned above. If you are vegetarian or vegan, you can still get all essential amino acids by combining a variety of plant-based proteins together in a meal.
CONSUME A GOOD AMOUNT OF OMEGA-3S
Stress can lead to inflammation and mood fluctuations. This, in turn, can promote depression. Depression can further increase inflammation in the body.
Researchers from the Ohio State University found that a high dose of omega-3 may help the body resist the harmful effects of stress. The highest amount tested in that research was 2.5 grams of omega-3 per day. Omega-3 has anti-inflammatory properties and may also help relieve depression.
The best sources of omega-3 include:
Fish like salmon, mackerel, sardines
Walnuts
Wheat germ
Flax seeds
Chia seeds
INCLUDE FERMENTED FOODS
Fermented foods are rich in beneficial bacteria that are important to your gut health and healthy stress response. Research suggests that these organisms can regulate stress activation. Probiotics also support your immune system and anti-inflammatory responses in the body.
Fermented foods include:
Yogurt
Kefir
Sauerkraut
Tempeh
Kimchi
Miso
Pickles in brine
Beet kvass
In Summary
Stress is part of our modern life. Constant exposure to it can deplete the body of nutrients, affect the immune system, and lead to many health problems. But you can limit these adverse effects of stress by making healthy food choices. If you are looking for stress reducing foods, try incorporating some listed in this article. They will help you fight stress, replenish depleted vitamins and minerals, and support your immune system.
If you need some ideas on making healthy whole foods meals, check out my 15 Easy & Quick Whole Foods Breakfast Recipes to boost your energy for a more productive day.
References:
Caldwell E. Omega-3 supplements do double duty in protecting against stress. https://news.osu.edu/omega-3-supplements-do-double-duty-in-protecting-against-stress/
Dinan T. Cryan J. Regulation of the stress response by the gut microbiota: implications for psychoneuroendocrinology. https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/22483040/
Kiecolt-Glaser J. Stress, Food, and Inflammation. Psychoneuroimmunology and Nutrition at the Cutting Edge. https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC2868080/
Medison A., Kiecolt-Glaser J. Stress, depression, diet, and the gut microbiota: human-bacteria interactions at the core of psychoneuroimmunology and nutrition. https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC7213601/
Lobo V., Patil A., Chandra N. Free radicals, antioxidants and functional foods: Impact on human health. https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC3249911/#:~:text=Free%20radicals%20damage%20contributes%20to,or%20by%20promoting%20their%20decomposition.
Szalay J., McKelvie C. What is protein? https://www.livescience.com/53044-protein.html
Hi! I'm Kinga Zerhouni.
I am a functional health coach. I work with stressed-out and tired working moms who feel like they are drowning in the thousand things they have to do between work and home.
I help them learn how to nourish and listen to their bodies to figure out which lifestyle changes are right for them, so they can regain their energy and feel calm again.