The Hindu Business Line : Feed the stress!

Feeling overworked? Losing sleep worrying about home and work? Eating on the run because you just cannot find the time? You’re not alone. Everyone experiences stress at times — adults, teens and even children. Yet, small alterations to the diet can very easily help cope with the stresses of the 21st century lifestyle.

Jasmine, 41, could not put her finger on exactly what was wrong with her. A senior manager in a financial firm and a mother of two young kids, she worked long days and her job involved fair amount of travel. She was constantly tired, suffered from frequent bouts of cold and flu and had severe digestive problems. Her flawless complexion now was covered with small spots and she had dark circles under her eyes. Some days she would feel she’d hit rock bottom by the end of the day at work and could hardly muster up the strength to get back home to spend quality time with her family. Then, she was diagnosed with irritable bowel syndrome.

Jasmine’s stressful lifestyle and irregular eating patterns seemed to have taken a toll on her body. Her diet lacked key nutrients required by the body to cope with stress. This contributed to her low energy levels, bad skin and sleep problems. Chronic stress depresses the digestive and immune system and in the long run is a contributing factor for illnesses such as cancer, diabetes, auto-immune disorders, cardio-vascular disease and many more. After a few nutrition sessions incorporating the suggestions given below, Jasmine regained her health and ability to spend lot more quality time with her family. She is energetic and handles work and home pressures far more effectively.

Certain nutrients have been shown to help the body deal with stress and support the organs that are involved in the stress response. Antioxidants such as vitamin A, C and E and the minerals such as zinc, selenium help to neutralise the free radicals (highly reactive-damaging molecules which are produced as a natural waste product of metabolism and due to external stressors) formed in the body when under stress.

Nutrients such as vitamin B5 or pantothenic acid (crucial for the production of the stress hormones), vitamin C and magnesium support the adrenal glands that produce and release stress hormones.

Food Sources

Go for whole fruits and steamed/stir-fried vegetables to retain as much of the nutrients.

Vitamin C– Amla, guava, jamun, pineapple, pear, lemon/lime, broccoli, capsicum, strawberries, grapefruit, potato (steamed), melon, sweet potato, spinach, cabbage.

Vitamin A & Beta Carotene — Oily fish, eggs, papaya, carrots, mango and all orange, yellow and green fruits/vegetables.

Vitamin E — Green leafy vegetables, vegetables oils, wholegrains, nuts and eggs.

Vitamin B5 — Salmon, curd, chicken, sweet potatoes, pulses and legumes, egg, mushrooms, wholegrains, peas, nuts, dates, salt water fish.

Magnesium — Almonds, beans, spinach, oats, peanut butter, soya milk, corn, wholegrains especially brown rice, curd, banana, pork and dark chocolate (in moderation)

Zinc — Oysters, flax seeds or linseeds, nuts, oats, sunflower seeds, crab, turkey, soybeans, chicken, fish and eggs.

Selenium — Brazil nuts, wheat germ, shell fish, tuna, eggs, garlic, oats.

Stress-buster meals

Grilled salmon or mackerel pate on wholegrain crackers

Almond/peanut butter on wholegrain toast

A fruit and a handful of mixed nuts

Chickpeas/rajmah with brown rice

Spinach salad with flax seeds, sunflower seeds and boiled egg

Smoothies with soya milk, curd, sunflower seeds and mango

Tomato or lentil soup

Sweet potato halva

Grilled crab patties with wholegrain bread.

Mixed bean salad

Lifestyle Tips:

Quit smoking and drink responsibly.

Drink only one-two cups of tea/coffee a day.

Relax when you eat

Find some “me” time into your schedule — join a yoga/tai-chi class, listen to music, chill out with family and friends, or just pamper yourself with a day at the spa.

Find time to exercise three times a week for 20-30 minutes.

The author is a nutritionist.

meghna@nutrinirvana.com