Uncontrolled levels of stress may be affecting your health in ways you are unaware of. Stress can have physical effects on the body, cause changes in your thoughts and feelings, and affect your behavior. Uncontrolled stress can contribute to health problems including obesity, heart disease, high blood pressure, diabetes, depression, and more.
We all face varying levels of stress at times. There is no way to prevent all stressors. However, through nutrition and lifestyle habits that support our bodies, we can work toward taming our stress so it does not get out of hand and cause long-term damage.
Keep in mind, nutrition is just one piece of the puzzle when it comes to stress management. Be sure to explore different strategies that might work for you, and include a variety of stress management measures in your daily routine. This could look like making regular physcial activity a part of your routine, practicing yoga, meditation, and deep breathing, getting a massage, spending quality time with loved ones, laughing, and making time in your schedule for yourself and your hobbies.
Handout
Practice
Incorporate the tips from above into your diet this week and note any differences you feel in your ability to prevent and cope with stress.
Note: It's always a good idea to make an appointment with a healthcare provider (e.g. Psychologist or Psychiatrist) if your stress becomes unmanageable. Contact Work/Life Connections for support in finding a therapist.
Recipes
Whole Wheat Vegetable Pasta Bake
Sweet & Spicy Honey Glazed Salmon
References
- Youtube.com. Accessed March 4, 2021. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=c1Ndym-IsQg
- Mohajeri MH, Wittwer J, Vargas K, et al. Chronic treatment with a tryptophan-rich protein hydrolysate improves emotional processing, mental energy levels and reaction time in middle-aged women. Br J Nutr. 2015;113(2):350-365
- Thesing CS, Bot M, Milaneschi Y, Giltay EJ, Penninx BWJH. Omega-3 polyunsaturated fatty acid levels and dysregulations in biological stress systems. Psychoneuroendocrinology. 2018;97:206-215.
- Samadian F, Dalili N, Jamalian A. Lifestyle modifications to prevent and control hypertension. Iran J Kidney Dis. 2016;10(5):237-263.
- Unno K, Furushima D, Hamamoto S, et al. Stress-reducing effect of cookies containing matcha green tea: essential ratio among theanine, arginine, caffeine and epigallocatechin gallate. Heliyon. 2019;5(5):e01653.
- Soltani H, Keim NL, Laugero KD. Increasing dietary carbohydrate as part of a healthy whole food diet intervention dampens eight week changes in salivary cortisol and cortisol responsiveness. Nutrients. 2019;11(11):2563.
- Schiavone S, Jaquet V, Trabace L, Krause K-H. Severe life stress and oxidative stress in the brain: from animal models to human pathology. Antioxid Redox Signal. 2013;18(12):1475-1490.
