Eat Your Way To Stress Relief With A Healthy DietMany people find an escape from stress with food. And the foods that are typically eaten during stressful times are fatty foods and junk foods. All of these foods are bad for your health and may actually make your stress and anxiety worse. When you're stressed, you may eat comfort foods to relax. But this puts on weight, which makes your body more prone to illness, which stresses you out even more. You needn't stay trapped in this cycle. By making good food choices, you can help your body help you to feel better. Here are some tips for having a healthy diet for stress relief. Don't Blame Yourself You live stressful life. It's not your fault that you feel stressed and don't want to diet. The human body has a natural tendency to want to eat when it is stress. Stress tells the human body that there is a real or perceived danger. So the body prepares for this stress by stocking up on food. This appears to be an evolutionary response to stress. The human body is programmed to think it lives outside to work in the fields all day and not think about sticking to a healthy diet for stress relief. But do not let your body rule your head. Your body can be retrained to crave more variety and better nutrition. It just takes practice substituting healthy foods for junk foods. Water and Fiber in Your Diet If you don't make any other change to your diet, just eat more fiber and drink more pure, clean water. This greatly aids any healthy diet, for stress relief. Water and fiber help give you a full feeling and keeps away the painful constipation that often occurs to new dieters. Alcoholic beverages don't count as water. In fact, alcohol dehydrates you and makes you thirstier. Fiber is found in fresh fruits and vegetables, whole grains, nuts and beans, and to a lesser extent in cooked vegetables. These are things you should be eating anyway, so think of eating more fiber as helping to eliminate stress and eating healthier. Avoid Caffeine If you are used to drinking a lot of caffeinated drinks, hot or cold and eating a lot of chocolate, gradually cut back. Coffee adds anxiety! Don't try to quit cold turkey, though, as you may go through some painful withdrawal symptoms like headaches. This can greatly reduce your chances of sticking with a healthy diet for stress relief. Cut back one cup of coffee or one glass of cola for a week, and next week cut back yet another cup or glass, and so on. Drink more water, herbal tea or fruit juice instead. You don't see results right away, but keeping at it will give you the confidence to make other choices for a healthy diet for stress relief. That and you'll sleep better, which can also lower your stress. The bottom line is that a healthy diet has many benefits. You will eliminate stress on your mind and body by eating a healthy diet. You will also lose weight and live a better life on a healthier diet. |