How Diet Can Affect Stress
By: Brittany Hisey
What is it? How is it Done?
Diet is what you consume on a daily basis by eating or drinking what is right for your body. It's done by depending on how healthy or unhealthy your diet is on a daily basis. Eating healthy can help reduce stress, and of course eating unhealthy makes high stress levels for most. Below is some healthy and unhealthy foods to manage your stress levels.
Eat Good, Feel Good
- Healthy:
1. Fruits
2. Veggies
3. Vitamins B,C, & E.
4.nutrients & minerals
5. water
* Eat little and often -reduces stress because it keeps your metabolism going and gives you energy.
Eating a variety of color can reduce stress by helping the body break down and digest food better. These fruits and vegetables provide your body with vitamins B,C, and E, nutrients, and minerals which is what helps your body fight and reduce stress. Water is best for you because it hydrates every part of your body and gives you energy. People will drink a lot of water because it is the healthiest and helps keep toxins out of your body. These are all what the body needs to reduce stress.
- Unhealthy:
1. Skipping meals
A lot of peope will do this if they are stressed becaue they won't be hungry, or if they are stressed because they are insecure and don't want to eat. This slows your metabolism and disrupts blood sugar levels.
2. Caffeine (pop & coffee)Caffeine increases your alertness and stays in your system for hours. Before it leaves your body, Cortisol is released which is what hormone causes stress. Caffeine's symptoms can cause irritability, heart racing, tremors, and anxiety. These are all common signs of stress.
3. Sugar
Sugar is in some foods that are healthy, but ones that have over 3 teaspoons worth of sugar causes the Immune system to possibly shut down. This is because the blood can't take excessive amounts of sugar to work properly.
4. Salt
Avoid a lot of salt because it dehydrates your body and brain causing stress. It aso can cause high blood pressure.
5. Alcohol
People will revert to this for a stress reliever, but it has tons of sugar and later leads stress because they can become an alcoholic.
Healthy Diet Effects
Long term effects:
1. strong immune system
2. reduces blood pressure
3. healthy heart with no abnormal breathing
4. less stomach problems
5. constipation
Short term effects:
1. the more protein, the more energy
2. hydrated
3. less weary
*take your weight / 2 = amount of water in ounces you need of water daily to be hydrated
Why chose this method?
Diet is a method a lot of people will use to manage stress. Some people will go about this the healthy way or the unhealthy way.
Unhealthy: eating/ drinking sweets or junk food that is unhealthy for you because it's what they crave and it's their comfort food. It provides pleasure at the time. They think they will might feel good while eating or drinking it, but the effects on your body an hour or so after is unhealthy. You will feel tired. These contain fat, sugar, and fast carbohydrates that don't contain the minerals and nutrients your body needs to prevent more stress. This increases your stress levels.
Healthy: Eat good, feel good. The healthier you eat, the better your body will look and feel. You will be happy with your body and feel well due to the nutrients and minerals from the foods and drinks you have. Less stress is what everyone will want, so taking the method of trying to be healthy may be hard, but is the method everyone will want.
Side Effects
Lose weight or gain weight
Healthy: clothes fit better, feel better about yourself
Unhealthy: worried, insecure about yourself