Eat and Think Your Stress Goodbye – Stress, It is here and we’re dealing with it.
The speed and complication living in today’s world gives each of us anxious moments. Some of this is eustress-good stress needed to achieve and change in a positive way. This is how we grow. It’s good to understand and actually embrace this and learn to manage the journey.
Good stress(eustress):
• is short lived and infrequent. It is over quickly in a manner of minutes or hours
• can be part of a positive life experience
• inspires us to action
• helps build us up
• leaves us better than we were before Bad stress (distress):
• lasts a long time
• is ongoing and becomes chronic
• is negative, depressing and demoralizing
• demotivates and paralyzes us; breaks us down
• leaves you worse off than you were before What mainly distinguishes good and bad stress is how well the stress giver matches our ability to recover from it.
When you are healthy, fed with nutritious food, well-rested and focused, living, working, creating, and doing can be like a well-orchestrated song. It’s a beautiful thing. Many tasks get done, you cruise along affecting positive change to everything and everybody in your sphere of influence.
However, when stress comes, many people switch from eating natural healthy food and drinking water-to fast salty and fatty foods, caffeine, soda and/or alcohol. Some turn to cigarettes or pills designed to give a charge or mellowing effect. Turning immediately to readily available unhealthy comforts can help you feel better temporarily, but in the long run, you often feel less energetic and less able to concentrate and focus.
If you are on a highspeed lane with your life, watch your fuel and feed your most precious asset with care:
1. Include healthier snacks into your diet. Think fruits and veggies. Make sure you fill your work and play environment with snacks that build you up.
2. On predictably stressful days. a) Eat little but more often-this keeps your metabolism ticking and you’ll minimize peaks and valleys in your energy levels. b). Eating breakfast kick-starts your metabolism for the day and helps stabilize your blood sugar level, which in turn reduces stress. Choose fruit and a whole grain loaded protein shake for maximum benefits (email me for a recipe). Strive for gaining a balanced diet habit-with 5 servings of fruits and vegetables.
Focus on foods containing Vitamins B, C and magnesium: i. Vitamin B complex-Vitamin B complex helps prevent infections, supports cell health, energy levels, good digestion, improved muscle tone and more-Bananas, leafy green vegetables, avocados and nuts (2 thumb size servings max of high fat sources like nuts and avocados is smart). ii. Vitamin C-Important for the production of stress reducing hormones. Oranges, tomatoes, peppers, kiwi fruit, broccoli, etc. iii. Magnesium-Reduces inflammation, can relax muscles and reduce anxiety. Brazil nuts hazelnuts and peanuts (reminder: thumb-like servings). A relaxing bath of Epsom salts contains skin absorbable magnesium, too.
3. Exercise-even 5 minutes of gentle exercise helps reduce stress levels. Combined with a healthier diet this will likely lead to weight loss. Cycling, swimming and yoga are the rock stars of stress-reducing exercise.
4. Relax and rejoice- take specific time to relax. Learn mindfulness. Count your blessings. Find something funny so you can make your insides happy.
5. Sleep-plan for 7 hours minimum. Most people gain sleep time faster by turning off TV, smartphones and computers well before desired sleep time.
6. Give yourself an F-Friends, Family and Fun-Spending time with friends and family can relieve stress and boost self-esteem. Some of us lost this habit over the last two years.
If you are an adult getting things done and juggling many plates, you are exposed to frequent stress. Part of growing up is learning how to effectively deal with stress. For functioning humans, even youth, it is natural to encounter stressful situations. Since stress is natural and inevitable for growth and achievement, coping with it naturally puts you in a high class. You’ll be right there with happier, more energetic and eventually longer living people.
Mike Thompson is a health coach and writes about nutrition and amazing aging. He lives in Richmond Hill, is certified in exercise nutrition and founder of SelfCare Sustained. Reach him at MikeThompson@Self-CareSustained.com.