Stress-Busting Snacks – Why Keep On Hand

A balanced diet full of colorful fruits and vegetables is perhaps the best shield against stress-related health problems, but carbohydrates will quickly soothe you in a tense moment, says Judith Wurtman, author with Nina Frusztajer Marquis of The Serotonin Power Diet:

Here, Wurtman explains why you should keep stress- zapping snacks on hand:

Portions are key: While we're fine with taking just one aspirin and waiting for the headache to fade, we often eat straight through our emotional crises, Wurtman says. Take in about 120 or 130 calories of carbohydrates, stop eating, wait 20 minutes, and you'll feel the effects without having stuffed yourself. 

An empty stomach: Carbohydrates such as dry cereal contain tryptophans, which are amino acids that are converted into the serotonin in the brain. Serotonin is often called a "feel good" neurotransmitter—it has been shown to calm us down and restore mental energy. But to feel serotonin's lovely effects, it's best to eat on an empty stomach.

Skip the bacon: If you choose, say, a small baked potato as your stress-suppressing snack, skip the butter topping. Fat will slow down the digestion process, delaying your much-needed serotonin boost. Protein completely thwarts serotonin production, so please skip the bacon too.

Stress busters: Wurtman found that women suffering from PMS—a predictable source of stress—felt much better after having a carbohydrate drink than a protein and carbohydrate concoction. "It made them less angry and much less tired," she says. A low-fat muffin or brownies are a nice option if you are irritable but on the run.

A little grazing: Often what makes an event stressful in the first place is its unexpected quality. That's why you should keep serotonin levels high during the day by snacking in between meals with foods like low fat muffin, for instance. "If you have enough serotonin in your system at all times," says Wurtman, "you're not going to melt down."

Bad rap: Carbohydrates have gotten a bad rap thanks to the popularity of protein-heavy plans such as the Atkin's diet. But eaten the right way—think jam on toast—they do provide an energy boost. For you dieters who are terrified of carbs, Wurtman says that serotonin is actually an appetite suppressant.

Try Healthy and LowCalorie Snacks and Muffins

Stress Nutrition Tips

Your Body, Mind and Spirit are one and form a whole. The human body is the greatest machine on the earth. Even more than that – greatest self-repairing machine. As all machinery, it needs fuel. But for self-repairing we need special fuel – one that provides us with all necessary macro and micro nutrients: healthy food. Unhealthy foods poison your body and increase stress levels. That's not the worst of it. Where your body goes, your mind follows, just as where your mind goes your body follows.

A physically unhealthy body can influence the mind to be unhealthy, unmotivated, moody, tired, unclear, forgetful, anxious, and stressed. We all know these are not comfortable feelings.

And on the contrary: if our fuel is of high quality, our bodies function well and we think clear, we are full of energy, vitality, our overall health is excellent and we prosper. The fuel we give to our bodies’ engine comes directly from food, from things we eat.

During the period of stress, the body uses up nutrients quicker than usual and chronic long - term stress damages all body systems, digestive system included and empty all body’s nutrient reserves. Therefore here are some considerations to take into account to develop your daily diet and supplementation plan.

The key to of good stress nutrition is the balance, variety and moderation. To stay in good health the body needs the right balance of macronutrients: protein, carbohydrates, fats and micronutrients: vitamins, minerals and phytonutrients and water.

Take Action:

Eat 5 -6 times per day to avoid unstable blood sugar levels and escape fat storage, and ensure stable energy levels. Low and stable blood sugar levels reduce not only stress but also the risk of adult type diabetes.

Aim for 7 to 10 servings per day of different coloured organic fruit and vegetables. Colorful fruit and brightly green vegetables are perfect for stress prevention/ reduction nutrition - they are rich in antioxidants and phytonutrients.(eat them as much as possible and preferably raw or very lightly cooked). This is not as difficult as it looks.

Eat foods with high fibre content. Eat both types of fibre: soluble and insoluble. This gives the muscles of the walls of the digestive system some bulk to work against.

Eat complex carbohydrates (oatmeal, buckwheat, whole-wheat bread, pasta and brown rice). Many whole grain foods rich in complex carbohydrates are good sources of essential vitamins and minerals as well. Foods rich in complex carbohydrates include also vegetables, peas, and beans. NB: one teaspoon of sugar or its equivalent suppresses the immune system for 5 hours after eating.

Protein is essential for growth, development and repair of body tissues. Although keep protein intake within moderation. Avoid red meat completely. Eat more beans and pulses, grains, seeds and nuts. Fish and organic poultry are also acceptable. Soy is also a good source of protein.

Fats Take fish oil for omega 3 essential fatty acids or eat oily fish 2 or 3 times a week. Eat a variety of seeds each day (pumpkin, sesame, sunflower and always linseeds) and walnuts . Mix them together and add them to cereal and salads.

Recommended Reading

Prescription for Nutritional Healing, 4th Edition

The World's Healthiest Foods