Managing Stress with Diet

Thanks for the valuable comments from the readers of this blog.........
Since we have struck the most talked about subject : "Stress", lets try to see how diet can be of help to ease out this situation.......

Stress is an inevitable truth of today's lifestyle and no one can escape it !!!

Unfortunately, prolonged or long term stress takes its toll on the body and can cause decreased energy levels, decreased resistance power, decreased appetite and heightened irritability. It also works overtime on our stress hormones and further taxes our heart and blood vessels too. It eventually affects all the systems of our body and accelerates the "Breakdown".

The Strategy to combat and manage stress is:

• Identifying the stressors,
• Finding ways to reduce the triggers,
• Learning coping mechanisms or skills,
• Replenishing the nutrients used by the body to fight stress.

Stress causes oxidative load on the body and gives rise to free radicals. These can be eliminated by supplying the body with nutrients which are powerful antioxidants and render the free radicals harmless.Certain nutrients are very useful in fighting stress. Including these in our daily diet can help reduce and fight stress.

Pantothenic acid(Vit. B5) : Plays a major role in making stress hormones and energy production. Food sources of Vit. B5 are, Whole grains, nuts, molasses, organ meats, green leafy vegetables, dairy products.

Vitamin C: It is an excellent antioxidant and abundantly found in AMLA ( Indian Gooseberry). Other sources of this vitamin are Guava, Capsicum, Cabbage, Drumstick leaves, Broccoli, Brussels sprouts, All citrus fruits and Kiwi.

Beta Carotene: It is the precursor of Vitamin A and a powerful antioxidant as well. It is found in green leafy vegetables, carrots, apricots, pumpkin, musk melons and papaya.

Zinc: Zinc is required by the body in very small amounts but is very useful in fighting stress. We get zinc from legumes and pulses like Bengal gram, cow pea, Rajmah etc. It is also found in almonds, cashew nuts, pumpkin seeds, safflower seeds, sesame and poppy seeds, coconut, mushrooms and Soybean. Animal sources of zinc are egg yolks, clamps, oysters and fish.

Magnesium: It is a very important mineral and participates in various biochemical reactions and activates a lot of enzymes in the body. It is important for our bone health, calms the nervous system, regulates heart beat, strengthens digestion and also regulates thyroid function. Natural sources of this mineral are, Green leafy vegetables, Betel leaves, almonds, cow pea(chawli), moth beans(matki), Coconut, Sesame seeds, Walnuts , figs, Apples, Broccoli, Corn.

Chromium: It is an essential micro nutrient and has been shown to fight fatigue and increase energy levels.It is found in Betel leaves, almonds, dry ginger, poppy seeds, walnuts, sesame seeds, Raw wheat germ, meat, shell fish and clamps.

Selenium:This is a trace element which works in combination with Vitamin E to produce an important antioxidant enzyme and helps the body to eliminate toxic elements from the body. It promotes energy production, increases immunity and slows down Ageing. It is found in different nuts and oil seeds, wheat germ and onions.

Vitamin B Complex: Includes Vitamin B1, B2, B3, B6, B12. This vitamin B complex is vital in energy production and proper nerve function.They have a wide range of effects, from alleviating stress to preventing atherosclerosis.These cannot be replaced by one another and are found in milk and milk products, eggs, fish, Peanuts, sunflower seeds, Walnuts, . Vit. B1 and B3 are also found in unrefined whole grains, rice bran and some green leafy vegetables.

Lifestyle Changes to reduce Stress

• Make sure your diet has enough of above mentioned Antioxidants to fight stress.
• Having an Exercise routine of at least 30 to 45 minutes daily helps to reduce stress. Meditation and Yoga also helps fighting stress.
• Limit intake of refined, processed, convenience foods having excess sugar, salt and artificial preservatives.These actually rob the body of stored nutrients and finally increase the stress on the body.
• Limit intake of Caffeine (teas, coffee, cola drinks). Replace them with herbal teas or vegetable juices if possible.
• Do not resort to Fad diets, Crash diets and Starvation diets. These almost always create nutrient deficiencies, deplete the body and put the body in further stress.