How Stress Affects Body And How You Can Beat It With Diet

By:- Healthways    Date: 27-Jun-2019

Stress is something that we experience daily in our day to day life. It may be stress from work, busy schedule, personal life or from the goals that each one of us is chasing. While a little bit of stress is okay, but chronic stress can pile up with multiple problems. It can cause great harm to the physical and mental health. It is evident that stress is the biggest risk factor for several diseases that are predominant nowadays.

We all go through stress in all walks of life but to manage stress efficiently is all what is necessary for a healthy life. So, first let’s know about the types of stress:

Acute Stress: This kind of stress is often for a short time span. It is the most distressing kind of stress which is encountered in day to day life.

Chronic Stress: This is the stress which remains with us like our companion. It seems to be never ending and unescapable.

After knowing about the types of stress let’s also know about the stress impact on your health. Over activated nervous system and chronic stress causes negative impact on your health. Initially, the symptoms that are faced can be mild like headaches, irritability, and anxiety but gradually with more exposure to chronic stress, serious health issues and stress diseases may develop.

Following are stress induced health diseases:

• Hypertension
• Heart Diseases
• Depression
• Hypothyroidism
• Diabetes Mellitus
• Obesity

Apart from these, hair loss, acne, depression, insomnia, cold & flu, binge eating are stress side effects which can adversely affect the quality of life. The diet and eating habits also get affected by stress that is taken. For instance, if there is some deadlines to meet for a project we might make incorrect choices while eating thereby ending up relying on cups of caffeine or sugar to get rid from that stress period which can create more problems in the long run. So, let’s know about how we can manage stress with diet.

Here we will discuss about some tips and food items which can help in relieving the stress:

Eat Frequent Meals: Consuming meals frequently is quite important when you are already under stress. Not eating regular meals can make you feel less energetic and can even negatively affect the work productivity. Being short tempered and extra emotional can also been the result to same. So, eating breakfast from a mid-morning snack to lunch, munching a healthy snack in between and then dinner can help you deal with stress in a better way.

Include Good (Complex) Carbs: Eating fewer carbohydrates can make the stress levels go even worse. Incorporating good carbs to the diet is vital as they act as stress busters. Carbohydrates enhance levels of serotonin which aids in reducing stress and boost the mood. But picking right carbs is quite a complex job. So, complex carbs like whole grains such as oats, multi grain breads, quinoa, barley and pulses and legumes should be inculcated in diet in order to manage stress levels well.

Reach Out To A Banana: Whenever going through stressful times, skip caffeine or other refined carbs instead reach out to a banana. This potassium rich fruit contains dopamine which is a mood boosting chemical. It is also a fair source of magnesium which plummets during stressful times. Intake of bananas in moderation is also linked with smooth running of the nervous system and decreased stress and fatigue.

Nuts And Seeds Oil: Nuts and seeds oil though have multiple health benefits. B- complex vitamins found in them are believed to reduce stress levels if consumed in an appropriate amount. You can always count on them to ward off yourself from munching unhealthy stuff.

Go Citrus: Consuming citrus or Vitamin-C rich fruits and vegetables such as amla, orange, grapefruit and strawberries can decrease your cortisol (stress hormone) levels to a greater extent. So, try and incorporate more of citrus fruits to your diet.

Drink Adequate Water: Drinking water is the easiest way to ease stress. Keeping yourself hydrated decrease cortisol levels and helps the body to deal with stress. The average intake of water should be 3-4 liters in a day.

Avoid Alcohol, Refined Sugar And Caffeine: Consumption of anything in excess is bad. Similarly, these food items if taken in excess can contribute to a feeling of depression and can make it feels difficult for us to deal with stress in the future.

Stress is an ongoing process in today’s time but how you deal with it is all what matters. By inculcating these tips in your life, you can lessen the stress side effects and manage it better.