Fiona Hayers, Nutritional Therapist discusses how nutrition and diet can affect our stress levels
How can what I eat reduce how stressed I feel?
Palpitations, a dry mouth, sweating, insomnia are just some of the unmistakable signs of increased stress and anxiety. Everyone has experienced these symptoms at some point in their life and it is not always a bad thing.
Under normal circumstances you get through a stressful situation unscathed, and life goes on. However, it can become problematic if these feelings become ‘normal’ and are experienced most of the time. Some people experience virtually no relief or respite because their high stress and anxiety is unrelated to a specific situation or event and is – objectively – unfounded. There is no single challenging situation to get through and move on. Their high stress and anxiety goes on constantly, from one situation to the next, and the next, and the next …
So, where does what I eat come into it?
At first glance, it may seem ridiculous to say that the food I eat can influence how stressed someone can feel; but think about it: In the cold, hard light of science, feelings are chemistry! Of course, in the first instance, it is our environment, our experiences, and to an extent, our personality that makes us feel the way we feel. But our feelings of fear, anger, overwhelm or love and confidence trigger the release of hormones in our body, which is where chemistry kicks in and this is where the food we eat can play a bit part.
We need the happy hormone serotonin and the pleasure hormone dopamine to feel good, the sleep hormone melatonin to sleep, the stress hormones adrenaline and cortisol for our get-up-and-go and to fight or flee when we’re under threat. Hormones work in unison with each other. Some hormones suppress others; some trigger the release of others. But for these hormones to work and more importantly, for our body to even be able to manufacture these hormones, we must supply the raw materials they are made of.
Those raw materials are fatty acids, proteins, vitamins, minerals, and phytonutrients – nutrients. What’s more, even our friendly gut bacteria contribute to how we feel by extracting more nutrients from our food for us, manufacturing some, from scratch and even providing some ready-made serotonin! So, if you think of feelings that way, what we eat is bound to have a massive impact on how we feel and how we cope with the challenges life throws at us.
Whilst I have seen the positive impact of making dietary changes to client’s ability to better manage stress and reduce feelings of anxiety, I’m not saying that diet will cure an anxiety disorder. However, if we fuel our body with poor quality food that does not provide the building blocks of the hormones and catalysts our brain chemistry requires, we’ll have a much harder time overcoming mental health issues.
Are there any nutrients in particular which can help to reduce feelings of stress and anxiety?
In addition to a varied diet containing protein, carbohydrates and fats there are some nutrients in particular which help to keep up with the demand when you are under stress.
Magnesium is often referred to as ‘nature’s tranquiliser’ – which hints at just how crucial this mineral is for supporting balanced mood, relaxation and deep sleep. The mineral is not even hard to find. There’s some in most foods, particularly in green leafy vegetables – think broccoli, spinach, kale, and watercress – but also in grains, such as brown rice, buckwheat and quinoa, nuts and seeds, or fish and seafood. Despite this, deficiency is common, which may have something to do with our penchant for convenience and junk foods that are just not as nutritious as real food. The more stressed (and active) we are, the more magnesium we need.
Some of you may have hear of the wonders of green tea. A 2019 study found that the amino acid L-theanine might help manage anxiety and support a balanced stress response. L-theanine is found in green tea. It increases the activity of the neurotransmitter GABA, which has calming, anti-anxiety effects. It also raises dopamine and the creation of alpha waves in the brain. The high intake of green tea by Buddhist monks may contribute to their famously calm demeanour and intense focus during meditation!
If you want to give green tea a try, be sure to choose an organic one to reduce your exposure to pesticides and other toxins, which have been found to disrupt the brain’s stress circuitry. It is also worth noting that although caffeine contained in green tea has less impact than that contained in regular coffee or tea, if you are sensitive to caffeine please choose a decaffeinated green tea, such as Clipper.
The authors of a 2020 research review agree that the role of nutrition in the management of mental health disorders is underestimated. They reviewed the existing research into omega-3 fats in connection with anxiety and found that this type of fat is critical for brain health and has been shown to reduce anxiety symptoms.
As vegan diets are becoming more popular, it is important to note that omega-3 fats from plant sources, such as flaxseed oil or walnut oil, does not cover our daily requirements, let alone achieve therapeutic levels. If you are vegan, do not like fish, or are allergic to it, your diet alone will not cover your needs. I recommend finding a good-quality supplement with omega-3 from marine sources (i. e., algae), which is the only vegan source of DHA.
When talking about stress and nutrition, we must remember the role of the microbiota, the friendly bacteria in our gut. The majority of available research studies in 2019 showed that it is beneficial to give our gut bacteria some TLC. Interestingly, “non-probiotic interventions were more effective than the probiotic” ones.
That suggests a ‘food first’ approach and that just popping a probiotic capsule may not be enough. Supplements are really only lending a helping hand to our own, indigenous bacteria. Those are the ones that are at home there, and those are the ones that can protect our gut, feed our brain, improve our mood, and keep us healthy.
You can look after your friendly bacteria by giving them real food, especially fibre-rich plant foods, including vegetables, fruit, nuts, seeds, pulses, whole grains, herbs, and spices. Variety is key here. While probiotics – especially in the form of fermented foods like sauerkraut, kimchi, live yoghurt, kefir and kombucha – are great, prebiotics – fibre – are even better.
We still need to learn much more about all the different microbes living in our guts, but what we do know is that the more different species we have, the healthier we are. How do we cultivate a variety of species? By keeping our diets interesting! Different microbes have different preferences. By varying what we eat, we are creating a desirable place for them to live.
Are there any foods which I should try to limit?
To keep everyone happy, it is also essential to avoid what harms the microbiota:
- Alcohol acts like a weedkiller on your internal garden.
- Food additives reduce a protective type of antibody called secretory immunoglobulin A (or sIgA, for short), and emulsifiers are particularly damaging for the gut.
- Sugar not only promotes yeast overgrowth, which can overwhelm the beneficial bacteria and make it difficult for them to adhere to the gut wall, but it also can add to the stress your body has to deal with by creating a rollercoaster energy ride throughout the day. Aim to reduce your intake of sugar and white carbohydrates such as white bread, pasta and cakes/biscuits. Instead opt for wholemeal versions and increase your lean protein and veggie intake.
I hope you can now see that there is a connection between the food you eat and how stressed you feel or how you can manage the levels of stress you have to deal with. To find out more, why not use the following link to book yourself in for a complimentary health review call and take the first steps to understanding if your current diet may be making your stress levels higher and harder to manage – https://p.bttr.to/3GnQct7
photo: pexels.com leeloo the first
