Stress can cause physical and mental strain on your body. Often times, when you experience stress, your heart begins to race, and you can’t seem to catch your breath. Your body is trying to protect itself against whatever it is that heightens your fight or flight, but continued stress can cause serious risks such as the risk of heart attack, high blood sugar, weakened immune system, and these are just a few.
There are many ways that we can face stress and move past these feelings of anxiousness. Making things such as sleep and exercise a priority are great ways to fight stress. Another fantastic way to combat the sticky palms and heavy breathing is by turning toward your diet. I’m sure I’m not the only one that has turned to fast or comfort food in stressful situations. However, these things can cause you to feel worse and have low energy. Here we’ve put together a list of what to turn towards when you’re feeling stressed out. They’ll increase your energy levels and even boost your mood!
More Vitamin C!
Vitamin C can actually lower your levels of stress and reduce the physical and mental effects that you experience. A wonderful part about Vitamin C is that you can find it in many fruits, vegetables, and even buy it in supplement form. Most foods contain some sort of Vitamin C, but we’ve put together a list of Vitamin C rich foods below:
- Citrus fruits
- Papaya
- Strawberries
- Broccoli
- Spinach
- Tomatoes
Make sure to keep in mind that if you cook many of these foods high in Vitamin C, it can actually reduce the antioxidant content. The best way to consume these foods is uncooked.
Stick to a regular routine!
When you push off eating to once or twice a day, you often increase your level of irritability. It’s essential to stick to a regular routine and eat three times a day. This allows your body to receive the energy that it needs to keep you feeling good and won’t overload your body.
Try sticking to a schedule of when you eat and meal prep. This way, you won’t find yourself turning toward something quick or easy and can keep yourself from stress-eating. A few other ways to prevent stress eating are:
Remove all temptation – throw away the leftover chocolate cake from last week and put away the snack food that sits on your counter.
Try out a new recipe – when you get cooking in the kitchen, your mind moves on to focus on the food that you’re making. Making your own meals can actually improve your overall health!
Drink water – pick out your favorite water bottle and make a goal for yourself on how many times you want to fill it throughout the day. Staying hydrated is incredibly important to your health, and when you’re dehydrated, you can actually experience worsened mood and energy levels.
Turn toward foods that are easier to digest!
Did you know that when your body is under stress, your digestion can be depleted? To avoid having trouble digesting your food during this time, turn toward things that will be lighter on your stomach. Steam your vegetables rather than eating them raw. This time could be great to try out that new soup or chili that you’ve had on your recipe list and haven’t had a chance to make yet!
The next time that you find yourself in a pit of stress, make sure to turn toward these three things as they can help aid you back to your normal self. If you’re still feeling stressed, there are many ways to help lessen your anxiousness. Check out these 16 Simple Ways to Relieve Stress and Anxiety according to Healthline.com, and let go of that stressful feeling!