Can a good diet protect you from stress?

The answer is YES! Having a good diet can provide the body with the nutrients needed to support you during a stressful time.

When you are in Fight or Flight the body is under duress as is trying to help you survive. Survival means access to more resources in the form of oxygen and nutrients.

In order to run from or fight a threat you need to produce many different hormones and neurotransmitters. Production of these is dependent on available nutrients. If you are eating well and are absorbing nutrients than you should move through a stressful time with more ease than someone who is nutrient deficient... which is unfortunately majority of people.

Due to a busy and unmindful lifestyle, many people are dehydrated, over caffeinated, eat on the run when they don't skip meals that is... and eat a poor diet (junk food, excess sugar, meat and fat, not enough vegetables, fruit, fibre and omega 3). Further when they eat they scoff down the food and don't chew at least 20 times before swallowing. This means that even if you eat a proper meal you wont be absorbing the needed nutrients to support your body. And in my experience this is at least 80% of people out there. No wonder stress is making us so unwell!

What nutrients you need more of when stressed?

When you are stressed you have enhanced nutrient requirements. The body needs more nutrients to produce more survival hormones etc. Which means that you will deplete your Vitamin C and B vitamin levels very fast during this time. As these are water soluble molecules you need to ensure you replenish these substrates daily as the body doesn't store them.

Vitamin C is not heat stable, as such if you only eat cooked food you run the risk of becoming vitamin C deficient. Yes scurvy is still a problem today! And some individuals depending on their genetics need to be even more mindful and ensure consistent daily intake of vitamin C to avoid a deficiency even when not stressed.

Same applies to your B vitamins which again you lose plenty of in cooking. Additional nutrients needed are magnesium and zinc, which are depleted in Australian soils making you more likely to become deficient.

What does a good diet for stress look like?

It is a diet where you don't skip meals (particularly breakfast), eat every 3-5 hours and chew you food minimum 20 times before you swallow allowing 15 minutes to finish your meals. The best diet on the planet wont help you much if you don't absorb nutrients. As such slowing down and learning how to eat is equally important to what you eat.

Overall you will need a diet where:

• More than 50% of your daily intake is made of raw food. This means having at least 3-4 pieces of fruit and 1 big salad every day. This will provide you with the much needed vitamin C and B vitamins. Keep lots of leafy greens in your diet and ensure you eat lots of colours with every meal.
• Fruits very high in vitamin c are kiwi followed by citrus (lemons, lime, oranges etc).
• Ensure you have a small amount of protein at every meal. Don't overdo animal protein and keep this to maximum one per day (chicken, eggs or fish). Vegetable proteins include legumes, tempeh or tofu which you can use for any of your meals. Legumes are particularly high in B vitamins and should be eaten most days.
• Have 2-3 daily servings of grains such as quinoa, teff, buckwheat are grains rich in minerals you need more off when stressed.
• Have daily some pumpkin seeds which are a rich source of magnesium and zinc.
• Have some potato most days as this is also a rich source of magnesium and B6.
• Use daily oils/fats such as avocado and olive oil and avoid any other vegetable oils.

You can also consider a good multivitamin, magnesium, zinc, vitamin C and vitamin D supplement along side a healthy diet to further support you when you are experiencing lots of stress.

Hope this helps,

Anca

Anca Vereen is an Integrative Dietitian and Nutritionist, Psychotherapist, Breathing Coach and Latrobe University Nutrigenomics Lecturer who specialises in stress management and creating a balanced lifestyle. For more details on upcoming stress management workshop please visit https://www.ancavereen.com/stress-management-course-Melbourne

For more information about stress pls visit https://www.webmd.com/diet/ss/slideshow-diet-for-stress-management