Food & recipes

Healthy Eating: Use your diet to banish stress

Permanently jittery and on edge? Here’s how changing your diet could calm you down, says Lucy Dimbylow

Permanently jittery and on edge? Here’s how changing your diet could calm you down, says Lucy Dimbylow
Have you ever felt agitated without really knowing why?With a racing heart, a churning stomach and a sense of impending doom, it’s easy to put your jitters down to not having enough hours in the day. But it could be your diet, rather than your stressfull lifestyle, that’s putting you on edge.

Food has a powerful impact on our mental and physical wellbeing, and when we’re eating the wrong things, our bodies respond in the same ways as when we’re stressed. And the comfort food we crave to get through a busy day could have long-term effects on our mental health:according to recent Spanish research, people who regularly indulge in junk food are 37 per cent more likely to become depressed.

So could the contents of your kitchen cupboards, rather than your overfilled diary, be the cause of your stress symptoms? And how can you overhaul your diet to relieve the pressure but still enjoy your food?

The blood sugar rollercoaster

If your mood is like a rollercoaster, chances are your blood sugar levels are, too. These fluctuations in blood sugar are the main cause of diet-related stress symptoms. “When your blood sugar dips,the body’s natural response is to make you eat something that will increase it quickly,” explains women’s health expert Dr Marilyn Glenville, author of Fat around the Middle(£9.99 Kyle Cathie). “This causes the peaks and troughs in blood sugar that can lead to stress symptoms.”

When you’re genuinely stressed, it’s easy to fall into a vicious circle of eating for comfort – and then eating again to recover from the subsequent blood sugar crash. “Chocolate or coffee might give you an immediate pleasure rush, but when the blood sugar high wears off, you feel you need that ‘emergency food’ again, and your blood sugar ends up yo-yoing,” says health and wellbeing consultant Liz Tucker.

Even if your diet appears balanced, the foods you eat could still be stressing your system.“Symptoms such as digestive discomfort,headaches and low mood can be caused by food intolerances,” explains nutritional therapist Jill Hyams. “The chemicals that your body releases to deal with the effects of the intolerance have an impact on your brain chemistry, and leave you feeling ill at ease and depressed.”

Dietary stress can manifest itself in a wide range of ways. “Common symptoms include anxiety, panic attacks, digestive problems like flatulence or irritable bowel syndrome, headaches and palpitations,” says Marilyn Glenville. You may also experience sleep disturbances, muscle cramps, depressive symptoms, irritability,tearfulness and even changes in your concentration span and memory.

Common culprits

Many foods are implicated in producing a stress response in your body. Sugary foods, unsurprisingly, cause the biggest disturbance in blood sugar levels, with foods like chocolate, biscuits,cake, desserts like yoghurt and ice cream and sweet breakfast cereals causing an instant surge in blood glucose, followed by a crushing low.“Unfortunately, these are the foods we crave, as in primeval times, when food was scarce, we were driven to seek the most sugary, fatty and calorific foods possible,” explains Liz.

Refined, processed and high GI foods also contribute to blood sugar fluctuations, triggering stress symptoms. These include white pasta, white bread, white rice and pre-packed foods. Stimulants such as tea, coffee, fizzy drinks and alcohol put the body under stress as well

In some cases, it’s not what you eat that sends your body into stress, but how you eat. “The Western diet tends to be high in carbs but low in protein,” says Jill.“Protein is essential for stabilising blood sugar, and should always be included in a carb-rich meal.”

CALM EATING

So what are the secrets to overhauling your diet and bringing your physical and mental wellbeing back into balance, without denying yourself pleasure from foods? We asked our experts for their top tips.

GO LOW AND SLOW

A low GI diet – that is, one that includes lots of vegetables, pulses, nuts, seeds, fish, small amounts of organic meat and wholegrain carbs– is the best diet for stabilising blood sugar,providing a steady release of energy rather than a quick, stress-inducing burst. “This is probably the single most important change to make to your diet; you should feel the benefits within days,” says Jill.

EAT LITTLE AND OFTEN

“If you go longer than three hours without eating, your blood sugar will drop, causing unpleasant physical symptoms,” says Dr Glenville. “Aim to eat three meals a day, with amid-morning and mid-afternoon snack. A small snack before bedtime, such as an oatcake, can also help to avoid your sleep being disturbed by the early morning blood sugar low.”

EAT A RAINBOW

Antioxidants – substances that help repair the damage to your body caused by toxins in your diet – can help control stress symptoms.“Vegetables, particularly the brightly coloured ones, are the best source of antioxidants, so make sure that you’re getting more of your five-a-day from vegetables rather than fruit, and that half of every main meal is made up of veg,” Liz explains.

THE RIGHT COMBINATION

Eating some protein alongside your carbs will stabilise your blood sugar. “The best source of protein is whey powder, followed by eggs,fish, meat and pulses,” says Jill. “Adding whey to your morning porridge or muesli will help balance your blood sugar right from the start of the day.”

SNACK SMARTER

Rather than grabbing a cup of tea and abiscuit when you’re flagging, switch to ahealthier – but still tasty – alternative. “Often,snacking is about the ritual, and a herbal tea and some wholemeal toast with pure fruit spread can be just as satisfying,” DrGlenville suggests. “Also, look in the baby food aisle for cereal bars that ares weetened with fruit rather than sugar

BREAK HABITS GENTLY

If you rely on stimulants like caffeine and chocolate, cutting them out can cause withdrawal symptoms like headaches, irritability and fatigue. “It’s better to reduce your intake gradually to avoid these side effects, rather than going cold turkey,” says Dr Glenville.

BOOST YOUR BREAKFAST

Breakfast is rightly said to be the most important meal of the day, so make sure it packs both a protein and carb punch for lasting energy.“Try adding ground nuts to your porridge, or make yourself a poached egg or smoked salmon on toast,” advises Jill. Sounds better than a bowl of cereal, doesn’t it?

VITAL VITAMINS

“Many vitamins and minerals help to balance blood sugar and relieve stress symptoms, including the B vitamins, magnesium (known as nature’s tranquiliser), and chromium, which helps control cravings for comfort food,” says Dr Glenville. Try Tranquil Woman Support (£22.97 for 90 capsules)to help you cope with everyday stress and strain.

CUT OUT CULPRIT FOODS

If you suspect that food intolerances could be contributing to your physical symptoms, an elimination diet – in consultation with a nutritional therapist or dietician – is the best way to identify trigger foods. “A good probiotic can also improve your gut health, as can eating anti-inflammatory foods such as blueberries,rosemary and turmeric,” Jill advises.

KNOW YOUR LIMITS

Realistically, few of us eat perfectly all the time. “When you’re overhauling your diet, it’s a good idea to be strict for the first four weeks or so, while you’re breaking your bad habits,”suggests Marilyn. “But beyond that point, if you can follow the rules 80 per cent of the time, your body will be able to cope with you relaxing at the weekend, and by paying attention to what your body is telling you, you’ll learn to recognise how far you can stray before your symptoms start to kick in again.” Finding this balance is the key to relieving the stress symptoms caused by your diet, withoutf eeling like you’re depriving yourself. “The rollercoaster of energy highs and lows and mood swings will level out, and you’ll feel healthier and more able to cope with unavoidable everyday stress,” says Marilyn. “It’s as if your whole body has calmed down – regardless of what life throws at you.”

CASE STUDY

‘I’m calmer,healthier and more energetic now’

Jemima Eames, 36, from Hampshire, is an EFT practitioner

“In my early twenties, I suffered from depression and anxiety, and had physical symptoms including irritable bowel syndrome, sleep problems and painful, erratic periods. I was als oabusing my body: I smoked, drank,and ate too much junk food. Over the following years, I had counselling and took anti-depressants, and in2009, started using EFT(tapping on acupuncture points throughout the body), which helped stabilise my emotions

“Then, 18 months ago, I saw a nutritionist, who recommended an alkalising diet:effectively eating a raw vegan diet,alongside taking superfoods like algae, wheatgrass and bee pollen. I decided to give it a try. Within a week, I had boundless energy, my periods became more regular, my thrush had gone, my anxiety symptoms and IBS disappeared, and my sleep improved. It was incredible.

“Now, I follow the alkalising diet when I’m at home, and eat mainly salads and smoothies, but I relax when I’m going out. I’ll have a coffee or a cake, and don’t say no to a drink on special occasions. I find if I follow the diet 80 per cent of the time, my body can cope with cheat days.

“Overhauling my diet, combined with EFT, has made an enormous difference to my life. I feel balanced,calmer and more stable: the dark days of depression and anxiety are far behind me.”

Article by

Lucy Dimbylow

Article by

Lucy Dimbylow