Due to the COVID-19 pandemic situation, everyone is at home. Stress factor is also high because people are worried about their health; someone is undergoing work pressure, job tensions, etc. Let’s focus on some stress buster foods that promote proper health.
What Is Stress?
Stress is a sense of emotional or physical tension. When you are frustrated, angry, or nervous that emotions also come under stress. Evidence is showing a direct relationship with stress and medical conditions such as high blood pressure, heart diseases, diabetes, obesity, depression, skin problems, menstrual problems, severe headaches. Severe stress can also affect immunity.
Relation Between Food And Mental Stress
Emotional eating is the intake of food to make yourself feel better rather than your stomach. When you are more stressed/guilty and something happens that upsets you, you feel an overwhelming urge to eat food. You eat more to reduce your emotional stress.
Our brains send signals to the body when you are stressed in the form of hormones (cortisol). That cortisol can make you crave sugary, salty, and fatty foods. 90% of people are dealing with such kind of stress by eating junk food, too sweet foods, to decrease emotions which are not good for their health.
How To Identify Emotional Hunger?
It comes suddenly. This starts craving for specific foods like chocolates, sweets, pastries, oily foods like chips and wafers. Emotional hunger isn’t satisfied with a full stomach.
Effect Of Unhealthy Foods On The Body
1. Sugar
When you eat sugary foods, blood sugar levels spike and the body must release more cortisol to balance blood sugar. The problem is that increased cortisol can also cause sleep issues, decreased immune response, increase headaches, and unhealthy food cravings. Additionally, rapidly fluctuating blood sugar levels cause feelings similar to that of stress, including anxiousness and fear.
2. Artificial Sweeteners
The artificial sweeteners can lead to health problems like headaches, metabolic disease, and cardiovascular disease.
3. Processed Carbohydrates
Many processed carbohydrates, particularly standard packaged foods, are high in sodium which makes you extra thirsty. That extra sodium content causes your body to retain more fluid, forcing your heart to work harder to keep the blood pumping. It also increases blood pressure.
4. Alcohol
Excess alcohol adding more stress to your life. That is because drinking alcohol might increase the production of hormones that will leave you feeling anxious and more stressed. It can also increase blood pressure and heart rate, triggering those same stress-like symptoms within the body. Alcohol disturbs your sleep patterns.
5. Excess Caffeine
Too much caffeine can spell trouble for your adrenal glands by overstimulating the body. Caffeine can cause a rise in blood pressure and heart rate that will ultimately increase feelings of anxiety.
Stress Buster Foods That You Should Consume
1. Complex Carbohydrates
Complex carbohydrates include whole grains (wheat, jowar, bajra, ragi, oats), vegetables, fruits, which are also good sources of fiber. Fiber helps to maintain a good stomach and digestive functions. It makes the food stay longer in the stomach. Hence, the more slowly the body absorbs carbohydrates, it helps more steadily serotonin flow.
2. Omega-3 Fatty Acids
Omega-3 fatty acid includes fish, flax seeds, almonds, walnuts, soybean oil, olive oil, which are associated with a lower risk of depression.
3. Vitamin C
Vitamin C rich sources like amla, sweet limes, oranges, berries, lemons maintain normal blood vessels. Vitamin C intake reduces the stressful situation and has the ability to fight against infections. Vitamin C helps to recover quickly from emotional and physical stress.
4. Dark Chocolates
Dark chocolate helps to reduce stress in two ways – its chemical impact and emotional impact. Cocoa powders used in dark chocolates are rich in antioxidants.
5. Curd
It is a good example of probiotics. Several studies found gut health has a direct correlation to improving anxiety, depression, and mood.
6. Green Tea
Researchers are showing that drinking a warm cup of tea helps to feel calm, increase feelings of warmth, friendliness, and relax. Green tea is rich in Flavonoids that support brain health. It also helps to protect neurons against injury induced by neurotoxins, suppress neuroinflammation, and promote memory.
7. Warm Milk
Drinking warm milk before going to bed is the best remedy for relaxing effects on the body. Calcium present in milk helps to reduce depression. Vitamin D from milk helps muscles relax and stabilize mood. Gynecology studies prove, warm milk also ease symptoms of premenstrual symptoms.
Also, Don’t Forget To Exercise
Exercise is the best strategy for stress-busting. Aerobic exercises can boost oxygen circulation and spur your body to make you feel good. Meditation is the best way to reduce stress.