Food is the best buddy you can share your stress with. Good nutrition is one of the important stress management tools. If our bodies are poorly fed, stress takes an even greater toll on our health. Nutrition and stress are interlinked. A healthy diet can reduce the negative effects of stress on your body. The body releases the hormones cortisol, insulin, and ghrelin, which can pump up hunger and cravings for unhealthy foods when stress strikes.
As per the best dietitian, here are a few tips to help you deal with stress in a better way:
Cook for yourself
If there’s one thing you could do for your health it’s to cook your own meals. You can really get control of your nutrition and your weight if you know exactly what you’re putting in your body and what are the effects going to be. Restaurants and packaged foods lack nutrients and hide that information from you which may cause harm to your health or not precisely provide any benefit either. Preparing your own food gives you the control of your own nutrition. Once you’ve made the decision to take charge of your own food, it’s important to remember that you don’t have to be a master chef! Just pack your lunch, bring food to work, snack sensibly, and stop depending on the processed food and restaurants to fuel up the body. Not necessarily, eating out should not be omitted completely, but only on special weekend occasions, not an everyday event.
Add a variety
The key to healthy nutrition is variety. The way to help your body repair and restore itself is through healthy foods. The colors in fruits and vegetables are caused by a range of phytonutrients, a natural chemical found in plant-based foods that prevent disease and keeps our bodies working properly. These foods also contain antioxidants that inhibit oxidation and can protect our bodies from harmful substances such as free radicals which contribute to stress. Since the presence of phytonutrients and antioxidants vary according to the color of the food item, every color provides a different phytonutrient so consume a variety of colors to reap the benefits of optimal health.
Not just the color of the food item matters but we need to incorporate various food groups, as well, which include carbohydrates, proteins, and fats.
Carbohydrates are the preferred source of energy for body, especially for muscle contraction and brain function, while providing fuel for the central nervous system, aiding in fat metabolism, and preventing protein from being used as energy. Fat is an essential part of the diet as it absorbs certain nutrients and fat-soluble vitamins, provides energy and acts as your body’s insulation to maintain core body temperature. Protein is an important macronutrient found in every cell of the human body and is the body’s main structural component. Protein is used in many vital processes and thus needs constant replenishing.
Hop on for food shopping
Healthy food around you will make you better manage your stress and keep your stress levels in check. For making healthy lifestyle changes, the intentions and willingness come from the right kind of food. Shopping and having proper, wholesome foods around you will help you achieving your goal of managing stress better. Once you decide to go shopping be sure to make a list of necessities such as, lean meats, legumes, rice, vegetables, and fruits;you can use throughout the week to keep yourself fueled. Schedule one day a week as your appointment with the grocery store and make it a priority.
One effective way to boost this healthy habit is by gradually easing into it. Start with a goal of three meals per week; whether it is a breakfast, a lunch for the office, or a meal at dinner time.
Don’t starve yourself!
Our bodies secrete a hunger hormone called ghrelin, which controls our hunger and drives our appetite. The best way to control ghrelin is to eat small, balanced meals about every three hours or so. That’s because ghrelin will spike after about 3-4 hours of fasting, so eating with regularity helps keep this eating trigger at bay. If we’re deprived of carbs, ghrelin will spike up so it’s important to give our bodies and brains the carb fuel they need. Eating will control ghrelin and give the fuel which is needed. Eat breakfast within an hour of waking, do not skip meals, and try to combine carbohydrates like sweet potatoes, oatmeal, beans, quinoa, fruits, proteins, and healthy fats like avocado, olive oil, and flaxseeds.
Move your body
The 80/20 Rule (80 percent nutrition, 20 percent exercise) comes into the picture. It’s a balance between food intake to energy output. It’s a ratio of exercise and nutrition. Working out and getting involved in a physical activity like walking or playing a sport like badminton will produce happy hormones- endorphins which will keep the stress at a bay.
Stated by the best nutritionist in Delhi, DT. Nmami that “Nutrition should not be ignored almost entirely by eating on the go, buying pre-packaged foods, picking up lunch or dinner at drive-through fast-food joints, grabbing snacks at the corner coffee shop, or eating standing up or while walking.” Prioritize exercise with right nutrition.
Footnote
Next time, you feel stressed; fill your plate with your favorite healthy food to overcome it or head out for grocery shopping which can also be a part of your routine to make your day stress free. Shop your favorite fruits and veggies to uplift your mood.