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Understanding The Relationship Between Diet And Stress
By Donald Saunders
In the past few years there have been several studies into the benefits of good nutrition and, like many things in life, these studies frequently contradict one another leaving us to ponder where the truth really lies. In general however there is agreement that a balanced and healthy diet does have an important role to play in lowering levels of stress.
It is also normally agreed that, where a diet is not particularly well balanced, the use of supplements can be helpful. For example, serotonin is a chemical that is produced in the brain which aids in inducing calm and, with a poor diet, taking a supplement that helps the brain to produce serotonin can assist the body to reduce stress.
Timing is however important and, as serotonin levels are normally naturally higher in the morning and lower in the late afternoon, you can help your body by either by taking supplements in the late afternoon or by enjoying a late afternoon snack which will aid the body's natural production of serotonin. Try some pretzels or a baked potato, both of which are healthy and low in fat.
For some people excessive eating, especially of high fat foods, is the solution to stress. However, food which are high in fat tend to slow down or inhibit serotonin levels and so frequently have the opposite effect to the one you want.
yet another side effect of excessive eating is that of weight gain and, as an increasing number of people are discovering nowadays, being overweight is a sure route to and even depression.
The solution
is therefore both a sensible, balanced diet and a fair amount of exercise.
Sensible
eating and exercise will have the double benefits of both lowering
the production of stress-inducing chemicals by the body and of improving
the way you look and feel, which will certainly raise your mood and
provide you with a sound barrier to stress.
Another to look
out for is the habit of skipping meals. When you find yourself under you will usually find that this lowers your appetite and it is a very
matter to start skipping meals. Stressed or not, set yourself a regular routine
for mealtimes and stick to it.
Additionally, try to make mealtimes a 'break'
in your day and leave your problems to one side while you are eating. Use this
as a time, specifically set aside to relax and to focus your mind on the good
things in life. You will assuredly find that when you get up from your meal the
world will be much calmer.
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