Your diet plays a crucial role in mindset management, and you may be surprised to hear that there are several food groups which have been linked to both stress reduction and stress exacerbation. In fact, stress and food are inextricably linked. Nutrition, good or bad, can make a huge difference to our wellbeing, and it’s only recently that scientists have begun to truly understand these connections.
BBC Good Food explains that “Eating a balanced and healthy diet is key to helping our bodies to manage the physiological changes caused by stress. An important part of any stress response includes identifying and reducing the causes of stress. Adrenal function is significantly influenced by blood sugar levels’’. As such, a lot of the dietary advice related to reducing stress through food is aimed at stabilising blood/sugar levels.
But there are other links between stress and diet beyond sugar. Recently, scientists have become increasingly interested in the link between fermented foods and healthy gut bacteria, and its potential for improvements in wellbeing. On the other side of history, herbal teas have been championed for their soothing effects on the soul for centuries.
All in all, it’s a fascinating subject, and one we’re keen to explore further. Let’s dive in; here are 6 tips for managing stress through food.
UNDERSTANDING THE RELATIONSHIP BETWEEN FOOD AND STRESS
We’ve touched on the relationship between food and stress levels in the introduction, but crucial to reducing yours in accordance with a healthy diet is to first understand the deep links between the two.
Many of us make a beeline to the corner shop when stress is high, and rest assured, this isn’t a purely random impulse. Harvard Medical explains; “Once ingested, fat- and sugar-filled foods seem to have a feedback effect that dampens stress related responses and emotions. These foods really are “comfort” foods in that they seem to counteract stress — and this may contribute to people’s stress-induced craving for those foods.’’
So, ‘comfort’ food really does provide short term relief. But in the long run, such unhealthy foods can cause further stress, with extreme fluctuations in blood sugar and salt levels, as well as the impact of high levels of saturated fats, causing neurotransmitters to hit ‘higher highs and lower lows’, according to Dr Gary Wenk, via Health Hub.
A better approach is to enjoy a balanced diet with only moderate amounts of sugar, salt and saturated fats, to help you moderate your mood in tandem.
Read: 6 ways to boost your mental wellbeing via your diet
COMBAT STRESS THROUGH GOOD NUTRITION
Getting good nutrition and maintaining a healthy diet is key to managing stress levels, and this thing isn’t only about avoidance and denial.
Though managing stress through diet focuses largely on stabilising levels of sugar in the blood, according to the National Center for Complementary and Integrative Health via Everyday Health, foods containing Omega-3 have been shown to reduce stress and anxiety when enjoyed as part of a balanced diet. Avocados, oily fish such as salmon and mackerel, nuts and seeds all contain generous amounts of the stuff.
If you feel like you’re not getting enough Omega-3 in your diet, through conventional means, supplements are available. Which brings us to our next point…
Read: 5 potentially stress-busting supplements
CONSIDER SUPPLEMENTS
Over the past decade, our understanding of probiotics in the field of health care has increased. An extensive amount of research has been conducted regarding the health benefits of probiotic foods and supplements, particularly in relation to probiotic effects on gastrointestinal health.
As Harvard explains, “The gut has been called a “second brain” because it produces many of the same neurotransmitters as the brain does, like serotonin, dopamine, and gamma-aminobutyric acid, all of which play a key role in regulating mood. In fact, it is estimated that 90% of serotonin is made in the digestive tract”.
Probiotics are beneficial bacteria that exist naturally in foods like yoghurt and kimchi, and most people agree that the best way to ingest and benefit from these probiotics is through the food that we eat. However, they’re also available in both pill and powder form, and can help your gut bacteria remain replete and healthy, which, in turn, may have the potential to help you better manage stress.
Read: What you should know about cooking with CBD oil.
EAT REGULARLY & ROUTINELY
Very Well Mind explains that “We need to eat regularly throughout the day and not skip any meals in order to maintain blood sugar levels, but also make sure that we are not physiologically hungry”.
If we’re stressed and hungry, we’re more likely to go for that pre-packaged food which fills us up fast but doesn’t satisfy us for long, leading to unhelpful, cyclical behaviour where we target more processed food in order to feel full again, faster.
It all starts with not skipping breakfast. Skipping breakfast makes it harder to maintain blood sugar levels and causes you to snack throughout the morning. Start the day with a nourishing breakfast rich in protein and fibre to keep you feeling full and energised all the way through until lunch.
What’s more, try to keep your meal times consistent, and have lunch and dinner at roughly the same time each day. Doing so helps keep your metabolism consistent and may even quicken it. According to Gerda Pot, PhD, a visiting lecturer in the Diabetes and Nutritional Sciences Division at King’s College London via Time, “adults consuming calories during regular meals—at similar times from one day to [the] next—were less obese than people who have irregular meals, despite consuming more calories overall.”
Pot goes to explain that ‘’Many metabolic processes in the body—such as appetite, digestion, and the metabolism of fat, cholesterol, and glucose—follow patterns that repeat every 24 hours’’.
And we’ve already established just how important managing those glucose levels is.
DRINK MORE WATER AND OPT FOR HERBAL TEAS INSTEAD
Carbonated beverages like sodas and artificial juices might feel refreshing, but they do your body more harm than good. Stimulants like tea and coffee, whilst fine in moderation, can affect your metabolism and circadian rhythm, too, and as we just mentioned, that may cause problems with mood regulation.
Instead, replace them with water. It may not sound as exciting but apart from keeping your body hydrated, it also helps carry oxygen throughout your body, regulate your temperature, and cushions sensitive tissues like your brain and spinal cord, among others.
Should you need an exciting drink, then herbal tea is ideal. A popular household choice across the world for those looking to enjoy the potential benefits of various essential oils on mood and mindset, some of the best herbal teas for stress relief include peppermint, chamomile, lavender, kava and valerian, though it should be noted that scientific opinion is divided on just how effective these actually are in aiding relaxation.
STRESSED OUT EATING
When we’re stressed, we make poor nutritional choices that increase our stress levels.
We’ve learnt that it’s our body’s hormones telling us to give into our cravings when we feel stressed. Sometimes, we emotionally eat when we’re in a stressed state. But as Health.com highlights, ‘stressed’ is ‘desserts’ spelt backwards. In the same article, Dr Julie Upton elaborates, suggesting some simple sugar swaps to lessen those stress-causing ingredients, including sugar-free gum, biscotti instead of biscuits, and soy milk instead of full fat. Thanks, doc!
As BBC food highlights “Try not to reach for food when you are in a stressed state. Stress diverts blood flow away from your digestive system, which you don’t want when you are trying to digest your food. You may experience bloating, gas and become prone to discomfort”, and we couldn’t agree more.
Now, breathe.
THE BOTTOM LINE
if you’re feeling overwhelmed with stress, depressed or struggling to cope, help is available beyond diet adjustments. Speak to your GP and visit the NHS website for more.
*This article is not intended to replace medical advice, diagnosis or treatment given by a qualified mental health professional. Instead, this article only provides information, not advice. For any medical enquiries, always consult your GP first*