Eating to Thwart Stress…and the Effects of It!

Stress can wreak havoc on our body and can even ruin our weight loss goals (yes it can make you fatter and diabetic).

But, don’t stress. Just read…

Eating to Thwart Stress

ST-R-E-S-S. We all “have” it. It affects us all differently. It can sabotage our weight loss efforts, our mental and emotional health, and even increase our risk of type II diabetes! To know how to deal with it, we need to know what IT actually is. Well, it’s our response to a stressor. The stressors won’t stop so how we respond to them must…that is if we want to feel better and/or care about our health. So, here’s the “responsive” vicious cycle we must thwart and reverse:

Perceived stress = poor choices = body stress = emotional stress (& pain (or not)) = poorer choices = declining health = more to be stressed about = poorest choices = ~perceived inability to make good choices due to worsening health = poorestIER choices.

Very scientific jargon I know. But now you have the idea.

Of course, the best way to handle stress is, well, before it hits. But, that’s not helpful advice if you’re stuck in this loop. This means that we MUST:

1-      Make better choices to avoid worsening stress. Good luck unless we…

2-      Change our state via “state-changers” to help us get a grip so we can make better choices.

Changing our biochemical state:

Our biochemical state, the state that our very own chemistry is in at the moment, impacts our food choices AND how we digest, absorb, metabolize and assimilate our food/drink (and, in turn, our choices impact our state). Oh, but how do we change our state without actually moving out of state? Yoga, breathing, meditation, gratitude journaling, talking to someone, smiling, walking in nature, volunteering are all things that can change our state. Sounds “kumbaya.” It is. But bear with me.  

Those who realize that they are in control of what happens to their body and mind are less likely to succumb to stress. This muscle is buildable!  No one else can do it for you. You must do it for yourself. People who are “stressed” often report that they don’t have time to do (said action).   So, here’s my rocket science solution.  This is going to sound facetious but here you go:

Go outside for a moment to breathe and think about three things you are grateful for and stretch.  In the two minutes that it takes to do this, you can get at least four state-changers in! Heck, add in a smile and you will have five!

Yes, a smile changes our biochemical state too. We must use this to our advantage. We can outsmart the hyper-side of our nervous system (sympathetic side) that may be stuck in a loop AND support the relaxation side (parasympathetic) of it.

Okay, state-changing is more subtle than a seemingly magical and sudden drug-like solution but it IS far better than an elicit drug, tobacco, or a drink whose ramifications will drop us hard after and amplify the very stress we’re trying to thwart.

Finally, it’s time…

The goal to choosing food to lessen the effects of stress is to optimize our:

·         Nervous system (helps with coping and much more)

·         Metabolic health (helps with energy much more like the nervous system)

·         Immune health (helps with, well, everything) … entire body.

Great news! it’s all the same! The body is all interconnected.

See if you can identify common themes in the following paragraphs.

What helps one system helps the other.

Better food choices listed here contain the nutrients we need especially during stressful times as they are used up at a faster rate during this time and/or directly impact the systems of the body that are employed during stressful times. These nutrients include: B vitamins, vitamin D, magnesium, sodium, natural fats, amino acids, regulated carbohydrates, ketones, gut flora & movement.

B-vitamins (all but especially thiamine (B1), B12, B6, Folate)

B-Vitamins help our mood, focus, ability to cope, fuel our body and more. Natural sources include: salmon, leafy greens (cooked), liver and other organ meats, eggs yolks, beef, chicken, oysters, clams, and mussels.  Vegan options for B12 include: nutritional yeast, nori, chlorella, fermented veggies, and shitake mushrooms.

Legumes also contain B-vitamins but less may absorbed from them. Grains including cereals “contain” them but most are synthetic in nature since they end up coming from fortification and the metabolic impact of the carbohydrate they come in negates the B-vitamins themselves.  Both legumes and grains contain antinutrients that can cause inflammation and worsen your body’s stress and emotional stress perception. Our goal is to add to our nutrition (& well-being), not take from it.  You want your food to give more than it takes. 

Vitamin D

Vitamin D is called a vitamin but it actually functions as a hormone…a very important hormone. One of its desirable functions is anti-inflammation but it’s responsible for many more. Vitamin D is one of the most common vitamins that adults are deficient in even though we can make it in our body with the help of UV light.  When skin is exposed to UV light it triggers vitamin D synthesis in a healthy body. Some say that the sun is the most powerful, appropriate source of provitamin D we can get.  This article will not discuss the pros and cons of UV light and dermatology but our dermatological health has a great deal to do with our vitamin D levels and metabolic health.

We don’t just eat or make too little vitamin D but we USE it up quickly due to our typical daily stressors including our diet, poor health state and our poor coping ability (remember that vicious cycle we discussed earlier). So, our goal is to make more vitamin D (or consume more) but also use less of it. Being metabolically healthy can help with this. To learn more about this topic see our quiz/articles/videos regarding: Body Talk, Insulin Resistance, Type II Diabetes, and Metabolic Health.

Vitamin D food sources include: wild fatty fish (& cod liver oil), egg yolks, organ meats, milk, yogurt, and mushrooms. But we need adequate fat in our diet for adequate absorption and production of Vitamin D.  Do note that animal sources of vitamin D (D3) provide more absorbable vitamin D than plant sources (D2). Also, if one desires to supplement with vitamin D, the D3 form is preferred over D2. Our nonfood source: the sun and healthy body.

Magnesium

Magnesium is a mineral known for regulating the nervous system.  Sources include: fish, beef, organ meats, bone broth, Swiss chard (cooked), and spinach (cooked). Other sources, while less bioavailable, include: pumpkin, sesame and sunflower seeds, cashews, barley and quinoa. If one desires to take it as a supplement, magnesium glycinate has been helpful to reduce tension, improve sleep and help improve coping.

Sodium

Sodium has taken a lot of blame that sugar should have taken all of these years.  The salt/sodium topic needs its own article but suffice it to say that once a diet is cleaned up, salt is a necessary ingredient to pay attention to. Meaning, you may actually need more. If you supplement with it, consider Himalayan salt due to its desirable mineral ratio.

Fats

Essential fatty acids act to reduce cortisol (stress hormone) response to stressors directly and reduce inflammation reducing body stress overall.  The great news is that many of their sources have already been mentioned: fish (and their oils), beef (esp. grass-finished), and egg yolks. 

Fat in general, provides wonderful fuel and needed compounds for our nervous system and can be utilized to help improve metabolic health. Preferred fats, in general, are REAL fats that are not made almost from scratch in a factory. These fats come from animals such as lard, tallow, and yes, butter.  Vegan fat sources include fruit seed oils: olive, coconut, red palm, and avocado.

NOTE: The worry about clogging our arteries with saturated fats, cholesterols, and animal foods, in general, is a misnomer. It must be understood that cholesterol found in vessels comes to repair the vessel injured most often by sugar due to poor metabolic health, infections, and stress which all increase inflammation.

Protein/Amino Acids

Proteins are made up of amino acids. Different proteins contain different combinations and amounts of amino acids. The body makes some amino acids from ones that are essential in our diet. Tryptophan is an example of an essential amino acid which is a pre-curser to serotonin which is considered our “happy chemical”. A diet adequate in amino acids often assists with lowering anxiety and depression for this reason and others.

All amino acids are included in all animal foods. All plants contain amino acids as well but at lower levels. Note that most plants don’t contain all essential amino acids. Legumes, such as lentils and beans, contain more amino acids than many other plants however they are less bioavailable than amino acids from meats and contain anti-nutrients. Some cooking methods can help reduce these anti-nutrients and make nutrients more bioavailable.

Lower carb/ketogenic diet

Of all of, what we call, macronutrients (carbs, fats and protein) carbohydrates increase our insulin hormone the most. This is okay because it’s very important. Without it we cannot maintain our body fat, make cholesterol, make hormones and more.  Actually, without it, we die. BUT, over exposure yields insulin resistance by SOME cells. What is over-exposure?  It’s different for all of us and it depends on what else we do in terms of eating, moving, sun-exposure and more like how we perceive stress. So, yes, stress CAN make us fat (AND diabetic). Maintaining a lower carbohydrate (bread, pasta, rice and more) intake lessens over-exposure to insulin which can help maintain or enhance sensitivity to it, make cells accept it again and bring down overall levels of it.  This helps us keep an even keeled blood glucose, access our body’s fuel, produce adequate vitamins (IE vitamin B, D) and ketones and maintain less sustained inflammation. For this reason and others, a diet “lower” in carbohydrate (IE. lower carb, Keto, ETC) can be instrumental at lowering anxiety, depression, coping and MUCH more. Learn more here.

Ketones

Ketones are properly made and used in a metabolically-healthy body. They are a product of fat usage and a sign of insulin sensitivity which provide anti-inflammatory, antioxidant, and calming effects along with fuel.  Generally, our goal is to make and use them, not obtain them from a supplement. But, they can come in handy at times. Note that ketosis and keto-acidosis are different.

Healthy flora

Having a “balanced” gut biome has been shown to help maintain a “balanced” nervous system. It appears that a diet containing the foods discussed in this article help support a desirable biome. This goes against much of what most of us touted the last few decades.  We thought it was all about plant foods which may be important but it appears that avoiding certain foods is just as important for our gut microbiome.

What to avoid or lessen to support our body to thwart stress:

·         Alcohol.

·         Too much caffeine.

·         Foods with anti-nutrients (IE lectins- wheat/gluten)

·         Sugar…even too many starches and fruits (esp. packaged foods, juices, soda)

·         Eating too often (may keep insulin high-> increases risk for insulin resistance)

·         MSG (monosodium glutamate): effects on the nervous system considered a “natural flavoring”

·         Unnecessary medications

·         Seed oils (“vegetable” oils)

·         Too little fat

·         Too little salt.

Supplement to De-Stress?

There are some supplements one may want to discuss with a knowledgeable health practitioner: passionflower, valerian, chamomile, lavender, lemon balm and more. These may actually help curb a stressful situation along with the nutrients we discussed earlier: magnesium glycinate, sodium, vitamin D & vitamin B. Again, please consult a knowledgeable practitioner before changing your regimen. And, absolutely DO NOT modify any medication or add a supplement in unless discussed with your practitioner.

What else?

Lastly, it’s not a food nor a supplement but it is SO very important…MOVEMENT!  Exercise is generally considered movement that is more than your “norm” with some exertion that provides an overload to the system. If done right it reduces cortisol, increases endorphins, increases brain-derive neurotrophic factor, improves digestion, improves metabolic health (less circulating insulin) and so much more.  All of this helps us make better choices, gives us the energy to do things we often don’t feel like doing and so much more.

Take Home Message

I hope that you noticed an ongoing theme there…the nutrients that you need for a healthy stress response are available in the same simple, REAL foods! That’s less stress right there! Then, there’s eating less often, … less meals to “stress” about making.

Ah, but eating is a coping mechanism for you?  Understand that the food sources and other things discussed in this article may help reduce your need for “coping”. But, if you’re hungry, it can be dealt with by increasing proteins and fats as discussed. And, don’t forget the state-changers including movement!

Re-read this article. You have a shopping list now! It lists: real foods; less packaged foods. Don’t be afraid of animal foods but do beware of too many sugars, too many starches and seed oils. If you snack, snack on real fat and protein (some non-starchy veggies are okay with them). No need for recipes. Keep it simple.  Less time cooking and eating means more time and energy for everything else! Oh, and you’ll sleep better, feel better and be more productive! Give it (you) a chance.

I hope that you’ve found this article helpful. Be well! Let’s evolve together!

-Diane Kopelakis, MS, RD

This is for basic educational purposes only. If you have any questions, we are here for you.  Meanwhile, discuss any desired changes to any part of your lifestyle regimen with a knowledgeable health practitioner.