Life hacking: how to seize stress
Text: Catherine Delyagina
We are looking for simple and not very good ways to improve life and explain why they work. Today we understand how to cope with stress with the help of proper nutrition and not to drown in the mountains of sweets, fast food and fried potatoes.
We change diet because of stress. Such a conclusion was made by researchers of the Robert Wood Johnson Foundation: more than a third of survey participants confirmed that they are switching to harmful food in a stressful state. This is not surprising - we know that nutrition affects our emotional state. Consequently, there are foods that can help resist stress.
Harvard University professor of pediatrics and nutrition David Ludwig is convinced that "the chemical processes in our body affect how much we are exposed to stress." This is evidenced by the results of a study published in the journal Pediatrics a few years ago. Teenagers were offered different breakfasts: protein-rich scrambled eggs, high-fiber oats and very sweet porridge. In the latter case, the blood sugar indicators soared, but then fell sharply after a few hours.
Perfect breakfast in stressful conditions - scrambled eggs with cabbage and pumpkin seeds
"In a state of stress, we eat what brings us to the comfort zone, but this food in the long run seriously affects hormone production and blood sugar levels, which increases the sensitivity to new stresses," explains Ludwig. Exactly that is why nutritionists recommend controlling their momentary impulses and leaning on quite specific products during times of stress. So, Joe Hibbeln from the National Institute studies the relationship between mood and omega-3-acids. According to studies, they make the nervous system more resistant to stress and help protect neurons from damage. Omega-3 is found not only in ordinary fish, but also in canned tuna or sardines, as well as in chia and flax seeds.
Omega-3 is not the only thing that supports emotional stability. Drew Ramsey, a psychiatrist at Columbia University and author of The Happiness Diet, talks about the perfect breakfast for stressful conditions — scrambled eggs with cabbage and pumpkin seeds. So you cover at once several levels of nutrients - from vitamin A to zinc, which strengthens the immune system.
Photo: 1, 2 via Shutterstock
The material was first published on the site Look At Me