How Eating the Right Food Can Help Manage Stress

Something that greatly affects the stress levels of people is food. A person's diet can directly influence the amount of stress one experiences. Certain foods of have been scientifically proven to alleviate or reduce stress. On the other hand eating certain foods can actually cause or heighten stress. Eating properly and having a well balanced diet is a key to helping manage stress and maintaining good health.

A well nourished and healthy body is far more capable of handling stress as opposed to a malnourished one. To this end it is essential to eat a well balanced diet and to practice healthy eating habits.

Some foods that help reduce stress and should be included in the diet are:

• Foods rich in carbohydrates such as bread, cereals, rice and potatoes are good for the body and cause the brain to produce serotonin which has a calming effect on people.
  
  
• Vegetables also help to produce serotonin aside from containing antioxidants that strengthen the immune system. It's best to eat fruits and vegetables raw I order to preserve as many nutrients which can be lost though cooking.
  
  
• Oranges and foods rich in vitamin c can help reproduce depleted adrenaline in the adrenal glands caused by high stress.
  
  
• High fiber food helps regulate the digestive system.  Peas, beans, and whole grains are excellent sources of fiber and help prevent constipation.
  
  
• The body needs water to perform many basic tasks. Stress can increase the rate at which the body loses water so drinking plenty of water is also very important to avoid dehydration. Dehydration can decrease mental and physical performance and can cause more long term damage.
  
  
• Comfort foods vary from person to person but they are foods that generally make people fell good and safe. This effect is more psychological though some of the more popular comfort foods include potatoes, rice, and pastas which help reduce stress.

It's also very important to avoid the consumption of specific types of foods that can cause an increase in stress levels and are detrimental to good health. These generally consist of foods high in sugar and saturated fats. Stimulants such as caffeine are also a problem seeing as it causes adrenaline to be secreted, which will give a temporary lift but will cause long term detrimental effects to a person's stress levels.

Salt and Saturated Fats

It's best to avoid foods high in salt and saturated fats. These are usually found in junk foods and are very harmful to the health. They can cause heightened blood pressure and increase the chances of coronary heart disease. Also avoid fried foods.

Sugar

While a high consumption of sugar will provide an initial explosion of energy or "sugar high" this is only temporary and can end up with a corresponding decline in energy. More long term health issues include possible damage to the pancreas and diabetes.

Caffeine

Caffeine is a chemical stimulant that affects the central nervous system. It causes an increase in adrenaline output which directly affects stress levels. Consumed moderately, it can have beneficial effects such as an increase in alertness, better focus, coordination and decreasing drowsiness.

There are also many detrimental effects from long term usage. Insomnia can be a result of too much caffeine intake as well as anxiety, restlessness and hyperactivity. Caffeine is predominantly found coffee, tea and various sodas and energy drinks.

Avid coffee drinkers have even been known to form an addiction to caffeine and experience withdrawal symptoms when forced off of it.

Alcohol

Although many people turn to alcohol in order to relieve stress they are actually greatly aggravating the problem. Alcohol causes an increase in adrenaline production which in turn causes insomnia, heightened irritability and other such problems. 

One of alcohol's most harmful traits is that it has a debilitating effect on the liver and it's capability of filtering toxic substances. Seeing as stress causes the body to produce toxic substances, this can end up causing severe health problems.

Some general tips when eating food to manage stress:

1. Observe good eating habits including eating regularly and not skipping meals.

2. Eat thoroughly and slowly. Chew the food well before swallowing to help proper digestion

3. Avoid late-night bingeing or any impulsive eating. Stress can cause people to eat excessively and this can lead to obesity, which in turn causes more stress.

4. Employ a well balanced diet consisting of variety of different foods.

5. Tea is preferable to coffee as it contains less that half the amount of caffeine or just drink decaffeinated coffee.

Stress is a huge problem in the modern world, but individuals should not despair. Because now with the help of a proper diet, individuals can help ease some of the pressure they are under.

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