Fight against stress with your diet

Stress is the body's reaction to an attack, often linked to trauma or shock. It is a set of physical and physiological reactions of the body to an unusual situation or following a trauma.

This mechanism puts your body on alert and allows you to act in the face of a harmful situation. However, if this condition persists, it is best to remedy it .

What are the causes of stress?

We observe different causes of stress : we live in a world where everything moves very quickly and where things seem to escape us.

The first cause of stress observed is stress at work : 24% of employees say they are stressed.

THE relationship difficulties are another source of stress. This can be family or friendly conflicts , but also more simply speaking in public, expressing a request, accepting criticism or a compliment.

THE financial problems , the vision of an uncertain future can generate a chronic stress . Today, to this list we can add the management of the pandemic and its individual and collective consequences. This changing daily life, worry about illness have an extremely anxiety-provoking nature.

What are the consequences of stress on the body?

Stress can harm our psychological and physical balance . It causes certain bodily reactions: sleep disorders , appetite problems, chronic fatigue , irritability, nervousness or even memory impairment .

Our autonomic nervous system responds to immediate stress with adrenaline . In the long term, it is the hormones that take over.

THE cortisol is a hormone produced by the adrenal gland. It breaks down the proteins contained in the muscle, to produce a surplus energy , it also increases blood sugar levels, triglycerides and cholesterol.

Additionally, cortisol reduces the effectiveness of the immune system .

If we do not react quickly, in the long term, stress contributes to the appearance of certain digestive diseases; it can also cause palpitations, eczema, herpes, etc.

Fortunately, solutions exist!

How to fight stress?

We cannot eliminate stress from our lives, we must learn to live with it.

Here are some tips to help you manage stress:

• Physical activity
• Sophrology, meditation and yoga.
• Breathing exercises
• A healthy diet.

It is this last solution that we will focus on.

What foods should you choose to manage this anxiety-provoking period in the best conditions?

We understand that cortisol destroys muscle proteins. It is therefore essential to provide a sufficient amount of protein to our body to remedy this.

In times of stress, our metabolism requires extra energy. We must therefore favor slow sugars and foods rich in vitamin C and iron. Magnesium will help secrete good hormones like dopamine.

Against stress: the foods to favor

Starches and dried vegetables

• Bulgur, corn, potatoes, Jerusalem artichokes, white beans, coral lentils

The vegetables

• White cabbage, Chinese cabbage, red cabbage, Brussels sprouts, watercress, spinach, chives, parsley, semolina

Fish and egg meats

• Chicken, turkey, beef, tofu, salmon, white fish

Fruits

• Guava, banana, kiwi, orange, lemon

Miscellaneous

• Hazelnuts, Chia seeds, flax seeds, almonds, dark chocolate

The anti-stress menu

Morning

• Orange spinach kiwi smoothie
• Bowlcake with almond milk, banana, egg, dark chocolate chips, Chia seeds, hazelnuts, almonds and oat flakes (*see recipe below)

Noon

• Tomato salad with corn
• Chicken stuffed peppers with Roman soup
• Citrus salad with orange blossom water and toasted almonds

Evening

• Watercress soup with vermicelli
• Omelette with herbs and potatoes
• Multi-seed bread
• Edam
• Lychee yogurt

Anti-stress bowlcake recipe

List of ingredients

• 1 banana
• 1 tablespoon of Chia seeds
• 30g oat flakes
• 1 teaspoon agave syrup
• 2 tablespoons crushed hazelnuts
• 1 tablespoon dark chocolate chips
• 1 egg
• 1 tablespoon of almond milk

Preparing the anti-stress dish

1. In a bowl, break the egg and mix it with the milk, agave syrup and Chia seeds (for soft seeds, leave to soak for an hour in the refrigerator)
2. Peel and cut the banana into cubes.
3. Add the banana and flakes to the mixture
4. Microwave for 1min30
5. Once cooked, invert the bowl onto a plate.
6. Treat yourself by taking care of the decor, a pretty presentation promotes the secretion of the happiness hormone, dopamine.