Defined simply, stress is the body’s reaction to a threat
or challenge resulting from a situation (called a stressor) that can be either
positive or negative. The body does not differentiate between psychological and
physiological stress. And stress is the
number one killer, and one of the things that can stop you from achieving your
goals.
Physical Symptoms:
Physical changes when under stress may include tense
muscles, pounding heart rate, cold or clammy hands, headache, sweating, and a
feeling of butterflies in the stomach, dry mouth, stomach ache, heartburn,
colds, fatigue, constipation, teeth grinding, skin rash and back pain.
Mental and Behavioral Symptoms:
Irritability, anxiety, apathy, nervousness, depression,
hostility, forgetfulness, confusion, short temper, overeating, under-eating,
overly emotional, excessive smoking/drinking and withdrawal from relationships.
Other signs of stress include talking faster than normal,
biting one’s nails, pacing, restlessness, hyperactivity, distractibility, and
trembling. Under chronic stress the person will seem tired, restless, and feel
out of control.
How to get rid of Stress?
Diet & Lifestyle!
Diet – The Foods You Eat
Foods play a vital role in providing mental and physical
nourishment for relieving stress. For stressed people, the foods that you need
to avoid are the ones that contain a great amount of caffeine and alcohol.
Sugar should also be avoided because it causes the blood sugar to soar and then
drop very quickly.
To get rid of stress, there are different kinds of stress
relief food that you can try for your mental and physical wellness. Below are
several types of stress relief food to help you in managing stress:
Asparagus – This green vegetable is high in folic acid that helps stabilize your mood. The body releases hormones that affect the mood when stressed and eating asparagus is a good way to block these hormones. Folic acid is actually needed by the body to make serotonin, it is a chemical naturally produced in the body that affects mood in a positive way.
Tuna – Tuna is also a great stress relief food option because of its stress-fighting vitamins. Tunas are rich in vitamins B6 and B12 and it is also a good source of protein. If you love mayonnaise, it is advisable to use a low-fat mayonnaise for a healthy meal.
Raw Milk – Milk is very nutritious and high in antioxidants. It is also rich in vitamins B1, B12, calcium and protein that can make you feel relaxed. You can have a bowl of cereal and milk for breakfast to battle the stress ahead of you. Drinking a warm glass of milk also help induce sleep. However, pasteurized milk is denatured and irradiated and can CAUSE stress. This is why we recommend raw milk (which is hard to get).
Beef – Beef is also a good stress relief food even though it is usually not considered when talking about health but beef contains good amount of zinc, iron, and B vitamins that also helps in stabilizing the mood. People always think that beef is not good for the body but it is actually more nutritious than chicken. The secret to making a nutritious meal with beef is to not include the fat because it is high in cholesterol.
Cottage Cheese and Fruit – Cottage cheese is a stress relief food that is rich in both protein and calcium. Mixing cottage cheese and fruits high on vitamin C like oranges is a good combination to help fight stress. Vitamin C contains antioxidants that fight free radicals that are released when you are stressed. Furthermore, these free radicals are known to cause cancer.
Blueberries – Blueberries are high-fiber, low-calorie fruits that contains vitamin C antioxidants good for combating stress. You can mix blueberries with cottage cheese or you can also eat them alone for a healthy snack.
To know more about other kinds of stress relief food, it
is best that you consult a dietician.
Lifestyle – The Exercise You Get
Research has shown that best tension reliever is physical
exercise. It is a great remedy for stress. No other thing comes near exercise
in reducing stress. Exercise also helps you sleep by relaxing the tense
muscles.
Positive Benefits:
1. Exercise is a diversion that enables you to relax due
to a change in environment or routine. It also serves as an outlet to dissipate
emotions.
2. It improves blood flow to your brain, bringing
additional sugars and oxygen that may be needed when you are thinking
intensely.
3. When you think hard, the neurons of your brain
function more intensely. As they do this, they can build up toxic waste
products that can cause foggy thinking. By exercising you speed the flow of
blood through your brain, moving these waste products faster.
4. Exercise can cause release of chemicals called
endorphins into your blood stream. These give you a feeling of happiness and
positively affect your overall sense of well being.
5. There is also good evidence that physically fit people
have less extreme physiological responses when under pressure than those who
are not. This means that fit people are more able to handle the long term
effects of stress, without suffering ill health or burnout.
In addition to a regular exercise program, you can
incorporate these stress reducing exercises.
1. Do some gentle neck rolls to help get rid of the
tension. Let your chin drop slowly forward. Slowly roll you head to you right
shoulder, back, left shoulder and front. Now do the same in the opposite
direction. Do it slowly and repeat 10 times.
2. Inhale 10 deep breaths. Fill your lungs full, hold and
exhale slowly, ridding all the air. Repeat. The fresh dose of oxygen will also
recharge your energy.
3. Lie on the floor or sit in a comfortable chair. With
your hands at your side or on the chair arm, visualize each part of your body,
beginning with you toes and moving up. Take your time and feel you body relax,
bit by bit.
4. Sit on the edge of your chair, and lean forward,
resting your chest on your knees with your hands and head hanging loosely.
Slowly unroll you back, vertebra by vertebra, until you’re sitting up nice and
straight. This is an excellent exercise for unknotting your back
5. Stand and stretch with you hands over you head. Swing
down to touch your toes, bending your knees if you need to. Repeat 5 to 10
times. Now place your hands on your hips, with your legs apart. Bend forward
until your chest is parallel. Turn your head and body slowly to the left, then
right forward. Repeat five to 10 times.
Hopefully this article has helped. Remember, stress is nothing to play
with!! I will leave you with a video on
using EFT to deal with stress
