A Nutritionist’s Guide: What to eat in times of stress
Estimated Reading Time: 9 Minutes
Sometimes, stress gets the best of us.
Sometimes, stress levels are so high that we get trapped in circular thinking and can’t escape.
We cannot turn off recursive thoughts. We can’t do much more than hunker down with a big bag of chips, a chocolate bar, or some other fatty, salty, sugary foods that we find comforting.
And I get it. I’ve been there. I’ve done that. I know how to stress eat.
But I also know what stress eating does to our bodies and our nervous system.
So, in light of the current global heightened state of stress that we find ourselves in, I thought I’d take a few minutes to share some thoughts and ideas that I hope will resonate with you.
How stress messes with our health
I don’t want to dwell on how stress messes with our health today. There are enough negative and worrisome thoughts circulating throughout the globe. And if you’d like to know more, check out a previous post we wrote about this topic - How Stress Messes with Your Health: The Ugly Truth.
But I would like to point out a little scientific fact here before moving on.
We have three nervous systems in our bodies: the parasympathetic, sympathetic, and enteric nervous systems.
The Enteric Nervous System can be found in our gut. It’s often referred to as our “second brain” and is great at communicating with our brain. It contains 50-100 million nerve cells which remarkably detect and destroy dangerous bacterial invaders that make it into our gut when we accidentally consume contaminated food or water.
The Parasympathetic Nervous System can also be considered our “rest and digest” state. This state is initiated when our bodies are relaxed. Blood circulates freely throughout our digestive tract and carries nutrients to our cells.
The Sympathetic Nervous System is our “fight or flight” mode. It kicks in when our body feels any kind of threat or stressor. Threats don’t only include moments of terror when we’re getting chased by a bear!
Our bodies find all kinds of daily insults stressful - from certain foods we eat to staying up too late to getting cut off in traffic. Our body also experiences stress from working extra hard to meet a deadline, rushing around, dealing with money woes, and being in chronic pain. In fact, countless things can trigger a fight or flight response.
And we may not realize it, but our bodies are extremely smart. Its main focus at all times is survival or keeping us alive. So when we are in sympathetic nervous system mode, as we experience a stressful situation, or a situation that our body perceives as stressful, it sends blood to the main organs that keep us alive like our heart and muscles in preparation to escape.
Fact - the body cannot be in both parasympathetic and sympathetic mode at the same time.
Translation - if your stress levels are high, regardless of the reason, and cortisol is running rampant through your body, you will be unable to get quality sleep (rest) or digest the food you eat.
As you can imagine, this can be quite problematic.
So how can we better manage? What can we do to reduce the stress in our lives and mitigate its effects? A good first step would be to start nourishing our body with the right foods
What you should eat in times of stress
Instead of focusing on what not to do, or dwell on just how bad certain foods are for us (ahem - sugar), my intention is to offer up some ideas that may actually help. Ideas that you can start implementing today.
Even if, after reading this, you walk away with one pearl of wisdom or strategy that you can adopt and find helpful, then I’ll consider myself successful.
Nutritional tips:
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Eat one more veggie than you normally would each day. Vegetables are nutrient-dense and contain a variety of vitamins and minerals that can work to strengthen your immune system. Rather than focusing on dramatic changes that may not be sustainable, start simply by adding one additional vegetable to each day. And if you currently make it through some days without any vegetables, then making sure you get one in each day is where you should start.
Focus on colourful food. I’m not talking about Fruity Pebbles or jelly beans here! I’m talking about any and all of the abundant colourful fruits and veggies that are available in your area. The colourful compounds in these foods support the immune and nervous systems with their antioxidant effects. Each compound has slightly different effects, so doing anything you can to add more variety of colour to your plate will be helpful. Think blueberries, strawberries, cherries, red grapes, red or orange bell peppers, beets, purple cabbage, and anything green.
Opt for nutrient-dense complex carbohydrates. Just like sugary treats, complex carbohydrates will boost serotonin levels to help you feel better and be better able to manage the stress in your life. However, donuts, white bread, or pasta will cause an energy or mood (or both) crash a short time later and mess with your brain chemistry. Complex carbohydrates, on the other hand, will provide much-needed nutrients to feed your cells and keep your blood sugar levels stable. So what are these complex carbs? Delicious foods like sweet potatoes, quinoa, hummus, and all the veggies.
Start your day with protein. Another simple step in the right direction is making sure you include a quality protein source with your first meal of the day. Protein foods like pastured eggs, almond butter, or ground turkey will set the stage for stable blood sugar levels all day. Protein in the morning with also work to keep you feeling full longer and curb your cravings for sugar. If you’re not a big breakfast fan or don’t have time to cook a full meal, don’t worry - you can still get protein in by adding a quality protein powder like grass-fed collagen to your morning green drink or smoothie. How ever you choose to begin your day, make sure it starts with protein!
Drink some green tea. Green tea extracts have been shown to raise metabolism, help you burn more fat, and promote weight loss. Antioxidants found in green tea or green tea extracts (a natural supplement), help reduce free radical damage and slow the signs of aging. Plus, green tea contains a compound called L-theanine that increases energy but is calming at the same time.
What you should do in times of stress
In addition to trying one (or all) of the nutritional tips above, some lifestyle tweaks can also be made to help manage stress better.
Lifestyle tips:
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Take care of yourself first. I know that a lot of people get overwhelmed by never-ending to-do lists. And I’d hazard to guess that most of the items on those lists are things for other people. Your kids. Your spouse. Your boss. Your neighbour. But where do you fit in on those lists? Do you ever take care of yourself? Most of us don’t - which is why we feel overwhelmed even more! Take time out to pamper yourself. Add some “me” time to your list and do something that helps you relax. Need some inspiration? Watch a silly tv show, take a hot bath with essential oils, get a massage or pedicure, read a book, soak up some sunshine in your backyard. Whatever gives you pause and helps you relax will do wonders for your nervous system.
If possible, get some fresh air daily. Especially if it’s a sunny day, make a point of going outside. Connecting with nature is very grounding and calming. Breathe in the air, listen to the sounds of nature, and embrace it. Nature never rushes, yet look at all it has accomplished! The added benefit of spending time outdoors on a sunny day is that you are exposed to vitamin D - a great nervous system modulator and neuro-protectant. Vitamin D also supports the creation of nerve growth factor (NGF), which is responsible for the growth and survival of neurons.
Move more. What type of exercise should you do? Anything! Aim for about 3 hours per week, and know that 2 fifteen minute exercise breaks (stretching, walking, yoga, climbing stairs, riding a bike, etc) daily is just as good as 30 minutes each day. This may also be a little easier to manage and work into your day if you are currently relatively sedentary. As long as it’s more than you are currently doing (unless you already hit the gym hard). Exercise can boost serotonin and dopamine levels to help improve your mood, sleep cycles, and overall sense of well-being.
Sleep well. I know this may sound ironic. People going through times of high stress require quality sleep, yet high cortisol levels resulting from the high stress often make it difficult to sleep! Yes, sleep is often negatively affected when we’re under stress or suffer from depression. But because it’s vital, we must do whatever we can to try to get a better night’s sleep. If you haven’t already, try black-out blinds, white noise machines, and deep breathing when you crawl under the covers. Also, make sure the temperature of your room is cool. For more ideas, check out our blog on how to get better sleep.
Breathe deeply. This is an easy one and it’s free! Spend one minute practicing diaphragmatic breathing each day. It can charge your parasympathetic nervous system and give your body a break from stress. You can practice this in the car, at your desk, in the comforts of your own home, or while waiting in line at the grocery store. Focus on your belly rising with each long deep inhale and falling with each long slow exhale.
Accept the love of a pet. This is one of my favourite ways to relieve stress, and I believe many other people share this philosophy, as well - especially with all the turmoil the world saw this year. This spring saw a surge in animal adoptions - spending more time at home with kids who cannot attend school, many more animals have been adopted than ever before. Animal shelters have seen more adoptions than usual and breeders cannot hold on to their litters, as kittens and puppies are spoken for before they are even born. Anyone who has a pet knows just how therapeutic and stress-relieving they can be - believe me!
On a More Personal Note
Our dog Berkeley was a life-saver for Joe after his TBI. He would not leave Joe’s side and worked tirelessly to comfort him each day. To this day, Joe still calls our four-legged boy “Dr. Berkeley.” He provided so much more comfort and compassion than any medical doctor or prescription could.
The healing powers of Berkeley were so powerful that with our newest addition, a little French Bulldog we named Emerson, we decided to have her professionally trained to become an emotional support therapy dog. This way Joe could start giving back by bringing her to nursing homes, hospitals, child care centres, or other places her loving kindness and emotional support could be used to help others.
I’ll keep you posted with more on this topic when there’s more to tell. As of right now, she’s still in training and a few months away from her first birthday when she can officially get tested to see if she meets the criteria to become an official emotional support dog.
But even if she doesn’t, she will still provide great emotional support to both of us!
I personally find joy in my morning dog walks. For years now, Berkeley has gotten me outside for a morning walk, regardless of whether it’s sunny, rainy, or snowy - something I never used to do. As we all know, exercise, including walking a dog, is a great stress-relieving tool. It boosts serotonin levels, improves circulation, gets us outside in the fresh air to connect with nature, exposes us to sunshine to boost vitamin D levels, and if we stay mindful while walking, we can learn to enjoy and appreciate the sights, smells, sounds, and marvels of nature.
All of these benefits came with the dog, and I had no idea at the time we adopted our first. So, if you are struggling, and need an excuse to get outside for a daily walk or two, I highly suggest considering a pet. The unconditional love, support, and joy one can bring to your life may just surprise you. Simply petting an animal has been shown to reduce cortisol levels.
Conclusion
We will never be able to escape stress. It’s part of life and always will be. But what we can do is eat better and live better so that stress and high cortisol levels do not consume our lives.
If you’d like more help discovering foods targeted to your specific nutritional needs or circumstances, I’d be happy to help - make an appointment to see me today!
As always, I welcome your thoughts and value your feedback. Let me know what you think by dropping me a line or commenting below. What are you doing to manage your stress?
