Last week I looked at the impact on the heart of acute and chronic stress, and some strategies to combat the effects including a link to my breathing exercises.:Heart Attacks, Strokes and Stress
This week I am looking at how including certain nutrients in your diet can support the body and the brain during stressful events.
A healthy diet is absolutely necessary whatever lifestyle we have but if we are under excessive levels of stress then it becomes critical.
Make sure that you are hydrated. Dehydration is a leading physical cause of stress and you need at least 2 litres of fresh, pure water per day and more if you are on holiday or living in very hot climates. I recently posted about dehydration as a cause for food cravings and you can check that out HERE
Seven good reasons to drink water
- Your body consists of between 60% and 75% water.
- Each day our body loses 2 litres of fluid through urination,
Breathing and through our skin. - We require even more fluids in warm climates or if we have a higher activity level.
- Not drinking enough fluids puts a great deal of stress on the body. Kidney function particularly will be affected and there is a danger of kidney and gallstones forming. Immune function is impaired leaving us more prone to infection.
- Lack of water causes a number of problems that we tend to shrug off. Headaches, irritability (especially first thing in the morning and in children) aching legs, water retention, poor skin tone, circles under the eyes, dull and lifeless hair, lack of energy and poor emulsification of fats.
- Drinking water helps prevent water retention. Your body knows that it will die very rapidly without fluids so it tends to keep as much as it can in reserve.
- If you are taking regular medication basis you need to make sure that you flush your system daily to ensure that there is no build- up of toxins in your cells, kidneys and liver.
There are some vitamins and minerals which the body needs to handle stress especially as during a stress interval the body will use up additional reserves of many nutrients. Lots of fresh fruit and vegetables are necessary and here are a few of the particular nutrients that will help you handle the stress in your life.
Vitamin A mops up the toxic residue of elevated stress hormone levels. (Liver, fish oils, butter, cheese, Free range eggs, oily fish and Beta-carotene that converts to Vitamin A from carrots, green leafy vegetables such as asparagus and broccoli, orange and red coloured vegetables such as apricots)
Vitamin B1 improves your mood and is vital for nerve function. (Whole grains, seeds, peas, beans and nuts.)
Vitamin B3 helps you regulate your sleep patterns. (Liver, brewer’s yeast, chicken, turkey, fish, meat, peanuts, whole-grains, eggs and milk.)
Vitamin B5, better known as Pantothenic Acid, controls the action of the adrenal glands, which play a vital part in the stress response. (Liver, yeast, salmon, dairy, eggs, grains, meat and vegetables.)
Vitamin B6 is essential for the manufacture of the brain chemical serotonin, which is also called the feel good chemical. (Potatoes, bananas, cereals, lentils, liver, turkey, chicken, lamb, fish, avocados, soybeans, walnuts and oats.)
Vitamin B12 is necessary to help produce brain chemicals such as serotonin (dairy, eggs, meat, poultry and fish, for vegetarians in Miso and Tempeh both fermented soybean products)
Vitamin C is one of those vitamins that is used up very quickly during a stress reaction and needs to be replaced immediately as a deficiency leads to increased levels of anxiety and irritability. Smokers should take in Vitamin C in their diet and under the supervision of a professional should also take supplemental Vitamin C. (found in all fruit and vegetables but best sources are blackcurrants, broccoli, Brussels sprouts, cabbage, cauliflower, cherries, grapefruits, guavas, kiwi fruit, lemons, parsley, peppers, rosehips, potatoes, tomatoes and watercress.)
Minerals necessary to help the body manage stress
Calcium helps you relax and studies have certainly shown that for women it can help reduce the symptoms of stress related to their periods. (Dairy, sardines, canned salmon with the bones, green leafy vegetables such as spinach and soy products such as tofu.)
Magnesium works with calcium and also helps to reduce stress. (Whole grains, beans, seeds, wheat germ, dried apricots, dark green vegetables, soybeans and fish)
Chromium stabilises blood sugar levels that create stress. (Brewer’s yeast, onions, whole grains, shellfish, liver and molasses)
The aim of a healthy diet is to provide your body with the necessary fuel in the right proportions to enable it to achieve homeostasis, or balance. If you are living a very stressful lifestyle then you need to ensure that you address that balance as quickly as possible. If you suffer from low to moderate levels of stress you will find that by adopting relaxation techniques and giving your body the correct fuel to deal with the situation will have long lasting and very beneficial effects on you now and also years ahead in the future.
Don’t allow your stress levels today creep up on you unawares in 20 years time, deal with it today.
©Sally Cronin Just Food for Health 1998 – 2021
I am a qualified nutritional therapist with twenty-three years experience working with clients in Ireland and the UK as well as being a health consultant on radio in Spain. Although I write a lot of fiction, I actually wrote my first two books on health, the first one, Size Matters, a weight loss programme 20 years ago, based on my own weight loss of 154lbs. My first clinic was in Ireland, the Cronin Diet Advisory Centre and my second book, Just Food for Health was written as my client’s workbook. Since then I have written a men’s health manual, and anti-aging programme, articles for magazines, radio programmes and posts here on Smorgasbord.
If you would like to browse my health books and fiction you can find them here::Sally’s books and reviews
Thanks for visiting and I am always delighted to receive your feedback.. stay safe Sally.
Thank you so much.
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As a vegetarian, it was good to see that eggs, dairy and soybean are so beneficial. An elderly friend of the family started to show signs of confusion and the doctor realised that she was very dehydrated. It was incredible to see the difference that a sensible intake of water made. xx
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Thanks Alex.. dehydration and the frequent subsequent UTIs are often the cause of a misdiagnosis of dementia… water is a powerful addition to the diet…hugsxx
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Thank you, Sally, for these reminders and helpful advice. I spent the afternoon in the sun, shoveling rocks. Not a fun task. I soon realized that I was dehydrated…then I read your post. Perfect timing. 😊
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That sounds like hard work Gwen but you stocked up on Vitamin D…glad to nudge you to drink..♥♥
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Such helpful advice, Sally. Amazing the range of foods needed. Toni x
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Thanks Toni.. variety is very important to get the full spectrum of nutrients.. thankfully most of us have access to them…hugs ♥
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Another important, easy to read and understand post from you, Sally…Water is our number one drink here apart from wine on occasions… it is the only drink on our table at mealtimes and the only beverage apart from milk/coconut water I keep in my fridge…Pressed for later Hugs xx
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Thanks very much Carol.. I bought some whole coconuts last week.. wonderful to drink the water from the fruit and we are using the meat for the curry over the weekend.. thanks for sharing later…hugsxx♥
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Delighted to share, Sally…Lovely, you can’t beat fresh coconut meat in a curry…I am making a Beef Curry as we speak which is unusual for me its been a few years since I made a beef curry but I thought they deserved a change as we rarely eat beef and this beef is a Thai/French beef which is really nice bred here so we know where the meat is raised Hugs xx
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Sounds delicious Carol.. I use Irish ribeye steaks for our beef curry… I have decided that since we have not eaten out for the last 18 months.. the least we can do is use really good meat for meals and there is just the right fat in the ribeye..and I pan fry and add in to the slow cooked sauce at the end.. xxx
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Excellent article Sal. ❤
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Thanks Debby ♥
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Great post, Sally! Stress is a silent killer.
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Very much so Pete.. hugsx
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I love all the food you included here except the onion, Sally. My stomach could tell even if I can’t see it mixed in the food. We haven’t had processed food for years. Great point about water retention when we don’t drink enough. Thank you for sharing.
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Thanks Miriam and onion is not kind to everyone… I know you eat all freshly prepared and that makes a huge difference…♥
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I just have to do without onion and garlic, Sally. I can’t even use garlic powder. ❤
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Then it is likely that you might not get on with others in the allium family Miriam – see how you are with spring onions, shallots, chives and leeks (scallions).. it is a pity as they have so many benefits but some people are not genetically disposed to eating them.. hugsxx
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I can eat chives, Sally. Just have to change our cooking habits. I realize the benefits of onion and garlics. 💖
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More great information Sally! Thank you xo
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Thank you for these well-organized lists. Water is so important to everything, and it is sometimes the hardest to remember!
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I agree Dorothy.. I have a litre sports bottle on my desk to remind me that it needs to be drunk alongside my teas etc. Otherwise I would lose track..hugsx
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I fill up a bottle as well, and if I didn’t I doubt I’d think about water until I was already dehydrated!
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♥♥
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I completely agree with you, Sally, that the more natural nutrients we can get from our food the better. I cringe when someone tells me they don’t like water. Really? What’s not to like? 🙂 Thank you for sharing your expertise!
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Thanks Jan.. we have got far too used to sugary drinks particularly for children these days, water tastes totally bland.. problems in the future… hugsxx
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Thank you for great valuable advices, Sally! I have tested by myself, and its true. Trinking more water prevents eating too much. xx Michael
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It does Michael… I find it helps too with certain herbal teas…perhaps because they have nutrients the body appreciates.. hugsx
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Reblogged this on OPENED HERE >> https:/BOOKS.ESLARN-NET.DE.
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Thank you for another valuable post, Sally.
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Thanks Viv..hugsx
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This is a great, easy-to-read (and follow) list. I love that certain foods fall into multiple categories, making it easier to get all the nutrients you need without having to pile up the plate. Lol! Thanks for sharing this information, Sally! 🙂
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Glad you found useful Yvette.. as you say you can pack a nutrient punch without having to overdo the portions sized…hugsx
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so good to keep in mind when eating and drinking. why not help our bodies and minds?
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Quite Beth… our body is our most important asset…x
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