What you eat makes a difference in your mood.
If you’re stressed or anxious, then it’s even more critical to nourish yourself in a healthy way as part of your regular self care practice. But unfortunately, many of us use our chronic stress as an excuse to overindulge in foods we know are bad for us.
Holistic chef and food for life coach, Cheryl Rojic is an expert in creating individualized healthy eating plans to lower stress and improve immune function.
Some foods Cheryl highly suggests avoiding food with the following, especially if you’re experiencing chronic long term stress:
Highly processed foods,
Foods loaded with sugar,
Artificial flavors and colors
Non-food substances or chemicals
She says that these choices are linked to poor gut health, which plays a critical role of the healthy functioning of the nervous system. The gut strongly influences the functioning of the brain and how we handle stress, both physically and mentally.
“Let’s use sugar for an example,” says Rojic. “Many of us indulge in sugary processed carbohydrates in times of stress – a candy bar, baked goods, alcohol. High levels of cortisol, the stress hormone, usually result in an amino acid deficiency which in turn causes those cravings for sugary, as well as fatty, foods.
“To further the negative affects of cortisol, it leads to the body creating new fat cells, enlarges fat cells, and even increases how much fatty tissue your body stores, especially belly fat.
“This stubborn belly fat in turn releases cortisol – if someone is chronically stressed, it’s nearly non-stop. And this cortisol causes even more cravings for sugar and fat.”
Rojic suggests that choosing foods to support gut health and blood sugar will help to balance cortisol (the stress hormone) levels in the body.
She recommends these foods that can help put an end to the rise in cortisol and control blood sugar spikes:
Complex carbohydrates: sweet potatoes, quinoa, beans, nuts, oats and seeds. These “comfort foods” actually promote production of serotonin, the “happy hormone.”
Foods rich in Vitamin C, such as red or orange bell peppers, strawberries and cauliflower.
Dark leafy greens are loaded with protein, calcium and magnesium, a mineral that promotes a relaxed state. Folate, in those leafy greens, as well as in asparagus, is essential for a calm feeling.
Berries are rich in phytonutrients and antioxidants that fight free radicals and help to balance mood. Even one square of high quality, pure dark chocolate (72% cacao or higher), reduces cortisol and increases serotonin.
In conclusion, the connection between food and stress and anxiety is a vicious cycle. We tend to eat the worst when we’re chronically stressed, but what we eat is essential to managing our stress, lowering stress hormones, and regulating blood sugar.
Cheryl Rojic is a holistic chef and food for life coach, serving up inspiration to change the way we nourish body, mind and heart. From simmer to boil, she will help sift out and render key ingredients to create a recipe for better health. As a thriving two-time cancer survivor, Cheryl has been dishing up plant-strong deliciousness with classes and gatherings for nearly 20 years.