Anti-stress diet for fall: how to lose weight and relieve stress in one bottle

We are used to the fact that stress and diet go hand in hand. Each of us at least once “blocked” anxiety or lifted our spirits with dessert, but few people know that there is an inverse relationship. We asked the expert how to achieve balance with the help of a well-designed diet, beneficial for the figure and our psycho-emotional state.

Today’s ever faster pace of life places an increased load on the body: both physical and emotional. And the state in which a person is tense and anxious for a long time, as you know, can lead to chronic stress. It is closely related to the production of adrenaline, an increased concentration of cortisol in the blood, and is in fact a protective reaction that prompts a person to seek a way out of the current situation and to face unexpected circumstances. and not always pleasant.

If stress is useful even in small amounts, then its prolonged exposure, on the contrary, significantly weakens the endocrine and nervous systems and the organism as a whole, reduces concentration, worsens general well-being and causes serious illnesses. In addition to these hormones, free radicals are produced in a state of stress, which damage cells and cause premature aging.

Therefore, one of the most important tasks in choosing nutrition during a time of increased stress is to fill the diet with foods rich in enzymes, antioxidants, vitamins and minerals in order to replenish all the necessary resources of the body and to relieve the nervous system. system.

In search of extra energy, many mistakenly rely on stimulating foods. These include coffee and energy drinks. Although the caffeine, taurine and L-carnitine they contain are known to help a person to concentrate and improve their mood by stimulating the production of dopamine, in large quantities, on the contrary, they have a detrimental effect on the nervous system, impair sleep and increase anxiety. .

Additionally, these chemicals interfere with the absorption of key nutrients, including vitamins D and B. Caffeine also stimulates the adrenal cortex, further activating cortisol production, which is already elevated during stress. So, by hiding stress behind seemingly temporarily received energy, we only exacerbate the situation.

Another well-known “stimulant” is alcohol. Despite the widespread belief that a glass of wine a day has a beneficial effect on the body, helps to calm down and relax, numerous studies prove the opposite. Either way, alcohol can cause insomnia, blood sugar spikes, and dehydration. As a result, stress does not disappear, but only worsens. In addition, for example, red wine can cause severe headaches, accompanied by nausea and flushing. In English, they received a generalized name – “red wine headache”.

The third most common stimulant is sugar and other carbohydrate-rich foods, which many people develop cravings for during times of stress because the cortisol released signals the body to store energy and we are drawn to something. something quickly digestible and high in calories.

The fact is that simple sugars not only “kick” our insulin levels, but they also eliminate, during metabolism, a large amount of minerals, such as magnesium, which plays a key role in the balance of the nervous system.

A properly selected and balanced diet is the key to helping the body cope with stress. When drawing up a diet, be sure to pay attention to foods containing B vitamins (nuts, legumes, eggs, buckwheat), magnesium (pumpkin seeds, oatmeal, spinach, bananas), vitamin C (peppers, citrus fruits, cabbage, sorrel, strawberries and currants), omega-3 (fish, chia seeds), fermented foods rich in probiotics (yogurt or kefir, sauerkraut, kimchi, certain types of cheese), vegetable fats (oil olive, avocado, olives, coconut) and herbal teas.

So, an excellent breakfast will be an omelet with kimchi, shakshuka, avocado toast or oatmeal with fruit. For a snack, berries or Greek yogurt, nuts are suitable. A light sorrel soup, buckwheat with steamed turkey cutlets or a salmon steak in the oven will go perfectly with lunch. For dinner, opt for lighter foods: a salad with seasonal greens, vegetables and pumpkin seeds, boiled broccoli with a few slices of hard cheese, zucchini pasta with kiona.

An ideal diet that will satisfy your calorie and BJU needs, as well as the individual characteristics of the body, will help to make a nutritionist. However, you can choose the right menu yourself, the main thing is to remember the rule of the inverted triangle: the most high-calorie and filling foods should be for breakfast and lunch, while dinner should not be plentiful.

A well-designed diet and nutritional program will certainly help your body fight stress and excess weight, but you shouldn’t rely on them alone. It is always a set of measures and efforts.

Feeling better will help you to:

And of course, if you understand that stress has become part of your daily life and prevents you from living fully, seek professional help.