Reduce Stress and Anxiety by Paying Attention to What You Eat!

Is healthy eating your way of life? If not then beware when stress and anxiety come calling! Improving your eating habits can minimize stress in your life.

Begin your day (every day!) with the most nourishing breakfast possible:

Studies have proven that people who eat breakfast are less likely to overeat later in the day and are less inclined to pack on the pounds. Eating breakfast also helps you perform better at your job and deal with all of the stressors that await you at home. Give your brain the fuel it needs.

Keep well hydrated:

Drink lots of water throughout the day. In fact drinking a glass of water when you first get out of bed in the morning is an excellent way to get a jumpstart on your day. The body loses water constantly by way of sweating and urinating and therefore needs to be replenished.

This is even more important during the hot, humid summer months and also when you have fallen ill. Lack of water can leave you dehydrated and therefore cranky and less able to cope with life’s many pressures.  A well hydrated body copes better with stress than a water deprived body does. The average person needs 96 fl ozs of water per day – but this includes water from foods so take in 64 fl ozs of drinking water.

Variety is the spice of life.:

Get into a habit of eating a variety of different foods with your meals. Make sure that at least five servings are fruits and vegetables. Keep in mind that your body is not picky about the kinds of fruits and veggies you eat. It will gladly accept the nutrients and vitamins from whichever ones you choose to feed it! Aim for plenty of green, leafy vegetables such as broccoli, spinach and kale.

Colorful vegetables tend to be high in nutrients and minerals. Whatever you do, eat your vegetables at meals and enjoy fruit whenever you can. Be creative about your meals. Mix up a zany salad and add fruit to yogurt, your cereal or porridge in the morning, etc.

Eat your share of fish, lean meats and whole grains:

Include plenty of lean, high protein foods in your daily diet such as lean meat, fish, chicken and beans. Stay away from salty and processed meats. Also eat grains, whether they be in the form of wholegrain cereal, breads etc. Grains provide the body with fiber, iron and B vitamins and are therefore a necessity for everyone. Just be careful on carbohydrates as you should aim for foods with a low GI-Index. You need all of these things to be as stress resistant as possible!

Take vitamins on a regular basis:

Vitamins are no longer just for those who don’t eat properly. Everyone, no matter what their daily diet is can benefit from taking vitamins to supplement their regular intake of food. Consider a multivitamin that will provide you with everything you require. In particular, when you are under stress you need to supplement your diet with the B vitamins.

Samantha