Dietary Changes Part 1: What to Eat

Superfoods for Stress-Relief

When people hear the phrase “diet,” many think of the crash diets that have been so popular for the last 40 years or more. In recent decades, these diets have included very extreme no-sugar, no-carbohydrates, no-fat, no-meat, and no-just about any food category that you can think of. This had led many people to the unfortunate association of the word diet with the concept of deprivation.

In actuality, the word “diet” simply means the foods eaten by a particular person or group.  Our English word diet comes from the Greek diaita, meaning “manner of living.” So our diet is simply the foods and drinks we consume as part of our manner of living. Changing this part of our lives means just that, a change – not the beginning of some arduous period of self-deprivation. It also does not mean a period of weeks or months before we can see some results from this change. In fact, some foods can give you a nearly instant stress-reducing boost.

Fortunately, the physical signals that we are overstressed are limited and relatively well understood. This means that we can identify them and find anti-stress foods that combat these physical symptoms. These symptoms include a sharp increase in the stress hormones adrenaline and cortisol, an increase in heart rate and blood pressure, and rapid breathing leading to an accumulation of toxins in the blood. Stress also depletes our bodies of many important vitamins, especially Vitamin C, the B vitamins, calcium, and zinc. So what foods will reduce these symptoms, provide important nutrients, and lower our stress response?

What to Eat

Vitamin C is the primary component to look for when you want an instant stress reduction. While you can pop a vitamin pill, this form of Vitamin C is not only more difficult for your body to absorb than “fresh” from a fruit or vegetable, it also dissolves more slowly. If you want the fastest stress relief, eat fresh fruits containing lots of Vitamin C, which begins to make its may to your bloodstream the moment you take a bite, via tiny capillaries in your mouth. Why Vitamin C? Because studies have shown that people with high levels of Vitamin C in their system have lower blood pressure and much lower levels of cortisol. It has even been shown that having Vitamin C before a stressful event can help prevent the spike of cortisol, thus keeping your stress-response at bay. So instead of twiddling your thumbs or pacing before a big meeting, try eating some Vitamin C rich foods. The best of these is, believe it or not, broccoli.  Others include apples, all citrus fruits, berries, and melons. In a pinch, if you have a cup and a water cooler handy, you can try dissolve-in-water Vitamin C products like EmergenC powder packets. While still not as good for you as fresh fruits, these formulas are designed to be easy to absorb as well as the ultimate in portability.

Vitamin C is not the only vitamin that gets depleted during times of stress. B-vitamins, which help with concentration, stress-reduction, and regulation of the sleep cycle, need to be replenished as well. The best for providing some easy-access B? Broccoli again. It is filled with B-vitamins, and also contains folic acid, which has been proven to reduce stress, anxiety, panic, and depression. Eating mixed nuts is a good way to go as well, and the crunching can help to keep you from grinding your teeth. All nuts contain some B-vitamins, and certain nuts contain other beneficial nutrients as well. Brazil nuts give you zinc which can be drained by anxiety, and almonds may be the best stress-reliever in the nut family, providing vitamin B2, vitamin E (which fights cellular damage from chronic stress), magnesium, and zinc. It is recommended that you eat the nuts slowly, letting the crunching relieve some stress. This will also keep you from overeating, as nuts can contain a high amount of fat.

We all know that healthy foods provide all kinds of vitamins and minerals. So in addition to broccoli, citrus fruits and nuts, which ones should we focus on for stress reduction? Vegetables like tomatoes and carrots are rich in vitamins for stress relief. Spinach and pumpkin, as well as some whole grains, contain magnesium, which is known as a natural mood stabilizer. Vegetables and whole grains also contain fiber, which is helpful in treating symptoms associated with Irritable Bowel Syndrome, one of the long-term effects of stress.

Yogurt and milk provide calcium, which is essential for proper nerve impulses, and yogurt also contains lacto bacillus, a type of live bacteria that is essential for maintaining a healthy digestive system. In addition, yogurt can help neutralize stomach acidity, helping to prevent stress-induced ulcers. Milk also contains tryptophan, an amino acid that is essential for the production of serotonin, a mood stabilizer that helps reduce anxiety and depression.

When looking for meats to incorporate in a stress-reducing diet, look for varieties of fish that are known to contain high levels of omega fatty acids. This category includes mackerel, tuna, and above all, salmon. These “fatty” fish contain a good balance of Omega-3 and Omega-6 fatty acids, known to help protect your heart from heart disease, a known long-term stress risk. Of course, try to choose grilled or baked fish dishes over fried ones, lest the benefits be outweighed by the detriment of greasy coatings.

What if you want something sweet? Is chocolate the way to go? The answer is both yes and no, and it depends on your individual body chemistry and the type of chocolate that you choose. For many people, chocolate is a great way to curb stress. Until recently, it was thought that this was just because it is sweet and tasty, but several recent studies have shown that eating chocolate can reduce the amount of cortisol in your system, meaning that chocolate really does have anti-stress properties. In addition to lowering cortisol levels, cocoa has been found to be rich in antioxidants, which have been linked to a number of health benefits. These include fighting cancer and heart disease.

Research is also being performed on other compounds in dark chocolate that may offer benefits, such as reduced blood pressure and improved mood. To reap these benefits, choose your chocolate wisely. Try to find dark chocolate with at least 70% cacao. Dark chocolate has higher levels of antioxidants coupled with lower levels of sugar and fat, making it ideal for stress reduction. Studies have shown that just 40 grams of dark chocolate, eaten daily for a period of two weeks, will return stress hormone levels to normal. Eating a small amount of dark chocolate a few times a day is preferable to eating a large quantity once a day. A sandwich baggie with dark chocolate chips can be a good way to limit your intake.

Eating too much, like any sweet, can lead to blood-sugar spikes and weight gain - so be judicious in your choice of chocolate and the amount you eat. Eating milk chocolate only provides beneficial antioxidants in large quantities, and dumps a huge portion of sugar and fat into your body. Lastly, some migraine prone people have found chocolate to be one of their “triggers” for headaches, so be careful, and always pay attention to how your body reacts.

Exercise for Health and Stress Relief

Photo from FitnessTipsForLife.com

We have all heard the fact that a healthy diet and exercise are essential for good health, but how many of us have taken this to heart? If you are one of many people who know you should exercise but just can’t find the time, then you need to know that there are many forms of exercise that can be done for as little as 20 minutes a day. And some of them don’t even require 20 consecutive minutes – they can be done in blocks of just two to five minutes at a time. And if you’ve avoided developing an exercise routine because you think it will require a gym membership or purchasing special equipment or clothes, think again. Many exercises can be done in your office or cubical, or at home before or after work.

Why should you exercise?

Exercise not only reduces feelings of stress, but also fortifies your body against the adverse effects of long-term stress. People who are in better physical health find it easier to cope with daily stress and stressful events in their lives. Physical activity pumps endorphins into your system. Endorphins are the neurotransmitters that act as “happy chemicals” in your brain. This reaction is a mood elevator and helps to improve your sense of wellbeing. Although this is often referred to as a “runner's high,” a rousing game of tennis, a few laps in the pool, or a hike can give you this same feeling.

Much like meditation, exercise can give you the single-minded focus that allows you to let go of the irritation and stress in your life. After trying to hold a pose for yoga, or shooting some hoops in one-on-one with a buddy, you'll find that you've completely forgotten your stressors and concentrated only on your body's movements. As you develop an exercise routine and begin to regularly shed your daily tensions through movement and physical activity, you will find that this focus on a single task, and the resulting improved frame of mind, can help you remain calm and react less whenever stressful events come up.

Exercise can also improve the quality of your sleep, which is often disrupted when you feel stressed. Many of us have jobs that are mostly mental, sitting at a desk all day and taxing our brains. At the end of the day, it can be hard to fall asleep, because our brains have been going full-tilt all day. It can also be difficult to sleep because while our minds are tired, our bodies haven’t gotten any workout at all. Exercise can release our minds from our work problems and give out bodies the physical activity they need.  This eases your stress levels and gives you a sense of control over your physical fitness and your life, and helps you get quality sleep each night.

Making Time for your Health

Many people complain that they don’t have time for an exercise routine. However, as little as 20-30 minutes a day of regular exercise can create a more positive self-image and help to relieve the symptoms associated with stress, depression and anxiety. Think about the things that you spend 20-30 minutes a day doing. Can any of them be eliminated to make room for exercise? The answer is most likely “yes.” Maybe by not watching that one half-hour of television that you don’t really care about, or not surfing Facebook for quite as long. What if you went to bed half an hour later, or got up half an hour earlier? This may seem at first to be counterproductive to feeling healthy; after all, we know we need sleep to relieve stress and feel good. The trick here is that we need good quality sleep – if you are getting good quality sleep, six to seven hours will do you more good than eight to ten hours of restless and interrupted sleep.


Getting Started

It is generally agreed that the most difficult part of an exercise routine is starting it, so this is where you need to be tough on yourself. Write your exercise into your schedule – even if it’s five minutes before your 10am coffee break, five minutes before lunch, and five minutes before dinner and bed. Leave yourself Post-Its that remind you of your exercise, and tell your spouse or partner about it so that they can help you or even join you. It is often easier to stick to a routine when you feel accountable to someone else. Remember to treat your exercise as important – after all, what could be more important than your health? Can you think of anything you do for a half-hour each day that is worth feeling anxious, depressed, and ill? Probably not. Exercising is and should be just as important as that phone call you have to make, that project you have to finish, or the software you have to update.

Stress-Relieving Exercise

So, what kind of exercise will relieve stress? The answer is, anything that gets you moving. There are some simple exercises that can be done while sitting at your desk, which will relieve muscle tension and restore blood flow to tight areas. They can be done several times a day. You can begin by “shaking out” your hands – let them drop to your sides and shake them, as though you had just washed them and wanted to shake the water off. Next, ball your hands into fists as hold for ten seconds, then flex them wide open, straightening and stretching your fingers as far apart as they will go, again for ten seconds. Repeat these three steps (shake, fist, flex) two or three times.

Now, loosen up your shoulders and neck, which often become cramped and strained during desk work. Let your shoulders hang loose at your sides. Slowly rotate them while counting to ten – five times forward and five times backward. Finally, loosen your neck muscles. Drop your chin to your chest. Hold for a count of ten. Then let your head drop to one side, trying to touch your ear to the shoulder, and count to ten. Next, let your head hang back, and try to look at the ceiling behind you. Count to ten. Then do the same with the other shoulder, again trying to touch it with your ear, and count to ten. After stretching to each of these four “points,” straighten your neck and slowly turn your head left and right, turning as far as you can and trying to look over your shoulder. Repeat five times in each direction. Last, rotate your head in a slow circle, touching the same four points that you did earlier (chin, shoulder, back, other shoulder). Repeat five times, clockwise and counterclockwise.

This whole relaxation routine should take a maximum of five minutes, as has been shown to not only relieve tension in the hands, shoulders, and neck, but also to relieve headaches and improve concentration and focus. As an extra activity, take a break every hour or so to focus your eyes somewhere other than you desk or computer screen. Consistently focusing at one distance causes eyestrain and can contribute to tension headaches. If you focus at several different distances frequently throughout the day, it will relieve these symptoms. Make a point of doing this regularly, or even set a reminder alarm on you watch or computer, and you will quickly notice an improvement.

In addition to stretching out at your desk, you should get up and move every hour or so. The best way to remember to do this? Drink more water. No, seriously – not only will drinking more fluids make you get up by causing you to need to use the restroom, it’s been shown that dehydration is a primary cause of headaches, muscle tension, and general drowsiness at work, not to mention weight gain. Drink more, pee more, and be healthier!

Good Posture for Better Health

Another tactic to relieve stress and prevent some fatigue related issues is to learn and maintain good posture. Many people slump over a computer all day and then come home to slump in front of the TV. This leads to back and neck problems, poor digestion, poor circulation, backaches and headaches. There are some easy exercises that will remind you to maintain good posture.

While sitting, place your feet flat on the floor. Slowly rock them back onto your heels, and then rock them forward onto your toes. Rock them back and forth five to ten times, finally allowing them to come to rest flat, with pressure distributed equally on the toes and heels. Keeping your feet flat, rotate your pelvis forward slightly, imagining that you are tucking in your tailbone. With your pelvis tucked, squeeze and release your buttocks five to ten times. You may feel silly doing this, but it both relieves tension from sitting and over time will improve the appearance of your rear end – an extra bonus.

Now, contract your abdominals and sit up tall. Many of us use our lower back muscles a great deal without working the opposing muscles, the abdominals. This leads to weak abdominals and lower back problems. Reminding yourself to pull in your abs and using them to support your spine will help to relieve these issues. In addition, teaching yourself to use your abdominals for support helps prevent muscle strain when you bend over and lift objects, one of the main reasons that people end up needing to see chiropractors.

Next, draw your shoulder blades down and back, allowing them to squeeze your spine, and extend your neck upwards. Imagine that there is a string attached to the crown of your head that is being gently but firmly held up. This will put you neck in proper alignment with your spine. Try to maintain this posture – feet flat, pelvis tucked, abs in, shoulders down and back, and neck stretched tall. At first it will feel like a strain to stay in this position, but the more that you can remind yourself of it, the easier it will get. This posture helps to keep everything in your body – muscles, joints, and internal organs - working and relaxed, leading to better health and lower stress levels.

Away From the Desk

Ready to try some more active exercise? A great one to begin with is just simple walking. While walking, be aware of your posture – all of the points above should be maintained. Focus on walking heel to toe, and looking up instead of at your feet. Of course, it’s nice if you can get outdoors and get some fresh air, but if you are stuck inside a building you can still get relaxation benefits from a walk. Studies have shown that even a ten-minute walk can increase your energy and create a positive mood for a few hours.  You can even begin by parking further from your building, or taking the stairs. Longer walks will help more, so see if you can plan them as an activity with your partner, a friend, or your dog. Many cities have under-utilized parks and pedestrian trails. Check them out and see what your area has to offer.

Once you get used to walking regularly, you may be inclined to try jogging or running. There are many online resources offering plans such as Couch to 5K (http://www.c25k.com/), which help people who are just getting started with running, and include instructions, podcasts, forums, and more. Another option is hiking, if you live in an area that has some trails. Check out websites like Backpacker.com to find information on what’s available near you.

Looking for an exercise that gets you moving but won’t strain your joints? Swimming is the ultimate stress-relieving exercise. The water supports your body, allowing your muscles to relax. And because it’s the lowest of low-impact aerobic exercises, it can be done by anybody, no matter their age or weight. Swimming offers a couple of great ways to release stress. Swimming fast, such as competitive laps, helps burn off aggression, irritation, and anger. The rhythmic nature of swimming helps you to focus on just the activity, letting go of everything else. Slow, languorous swimming acts on stress in another way, by relieving you of fatigue and anxiety while you float and decompress. Combining slow swimming with visualization is a very effective stress-reduction technique. You can combine a period of fast swimming with a slow cool down to get the best results.

Do What You Can, When You Can

These are, of course, just a few suggestions. Any type of exercise will help to relieve stress. You may be interested in something more exotic than jogging – try fencing, belly dancing, or surfing. Aerobic exercise is what is generally recommended, meaning an exercise that elevates your heart rate and blood-oxygen levels for 20 minutes or more. A 30-minute routine including a five-minute warm-up and cool-down is perfect for this. However, while 30 minutes a day four to five days a week should be a goal, some exercise is always better than none. Many people avoid exercising because they think it is time consuming, or that if they can’t stick with a routine every day then they have failed, but that is not what this is about. Exercise when you can, and try to make time for it, but don’t let it become a stressor. You’ll almost certainly find that once you begin, you greatly enjoy the benefits.