Nutrition and stress

Our theme this month is Harmony. Here at Enrich, we are all about living a life that is balanced and satisfying, in line with our values. One key element in creating a harmonious life is taking care of our mental health, as it underpins so many different parts of our lives. When this cornerstone of wellness is not prioritised and stress levels rise, our life can feel out of balance around us. However, we can find ways to care for ourselves, protecting our energy and health throughout the stresses we encounter in daily life.  

Encountering periods of stress is a natural part of life, from a deadline at work, illness, or a new challenge. Stress can affect us both physically and emotionally, with our body producing a stress response. Initially this can be helpful, making us more alert and even helping us to perform better in certain situations. However, when stress becomes chronic or constant, it can start to have negative consequences for our wellbeing. For some of us, a high level of stress can become our ‘normal’, which can cause many problems for our health over time.

There are many ways to keep our stress at manageable levels, and of course a holistic approach is recommended. Activities such as exercise, meditation, time in nature and reducing our workload are all ways to help improve our stress levels. We can also use the food we eat to help support our body to cope better in times of stress, and even reduce some of the negative impacts that can been countered.

So what exactly happens in our body in times of high stress? While people can have different reactions, common symptoms include headaches, sweating, nausea, dizziness, shortness of breath or changes in appetite. These symptoms are caused by a release of stress hormones from your adrenal glands, intended to help you deal with a threat. Adrenaline and noradrenaline raise your blood pressure and increase your heart rate. Cortisol, another stress hormone, floods our blood stream with glucose to supply an immediate energy source to our muscles. It also inhibits the production of insulin, to ensure that the body uses the glucose released. This is commonly known as the ‘fight or flight’ response.

Once the pressure or threat has passed, our body stops releasing the stress hormones, balance is restored, and our blood pressure and glucose levels return to normal. However, if we are experiencing constant stress, these hormones remain in your body for a long period of time and can build up to produce damaging health effects. This can include insulin resistance, immune suppression, increased fat storage, digestive issues such as decreased absorption of nutrients, and increased risk of cardiovascular disease.

High levels of stress can also impact our nutrition through its impact on our emotional wellbeing. Comfort or emotional eating can be used as a way to cope with elevated stress levels, as well as cravings for foods high in sugar and salt due to fluctuations in energy levels. We can also have less time and reduced motivation to prepare healthy foods.

It’s not all bad news though, as the stress-nutrition link is a two-way street. While stress can have a negative impact on our body’s nutritional status, if we can manage to prioritise eating a well-balanced diet, we could make a difference in the impact of stress on our body’s functions. Over time, a diet high in anti-inflammatory properties, as well as lifestyle changes to manage stress, can help to lower cortisol levels and therefore decrease disease risk and improve wellbeing. We can also try to minimise consumption of foods known to be pro-inflammatory, again to support our body in reducing disease risk.

So what does this look like in practise?

- Boost consumption of fruits and vegetables. Whole plant foods contain many anti-inflammatory compounds, such as fibre, antioxidants and phytonutrients. Particularly focus on berries such as blueberries and blackberries, or nuts such as walnuts.

- Include oily fish in your diet, at least once a week. Fish such as sardines, salmon or trout are full of omega-3 fatty acids, which have been shown to have a protective effect against inflammatory diseases such as cardiovascular disease.

- Focus on gut-health promoting foods such as fruits, vegetables and fermented foods. Our gut and brain closely interact, so looking after your gut health can support you when suffering from the mood side effects of chronic stress.

- Make sure to include a source of protein, complex carbohydrates and healthy fats at each meal. Well-balanced meals can help to stabilise our blood sugar levels, important in times of elevated cortisol.

- Try to eat regularly, even if stress levels are making you feel nauseous or not hungry. Consuming enough food helps to maintain energy levels and mood, avoiding mood swings and fatigue when possible.

- Minimise pro-inflammatory substances in the diet. Eliminating or reducing ultra-processed foods, caffeine and alcohol can help our body to cope better in times of stress.

Overall, stress is a multi-faceted condition that is influenced by a variety of factors. When we know how to recognise its impacts, we can prioritise those things which actively manage stress and promote wellbeing. We can care for ourselves, nurturing our mental and physical health to bring our body back into balance and harmony.