The Effects of Stress on the Body and How to Manage it with Real Food (Part 2)

Chronic stress is like Dennis the Menace – it causes mayhem on our body and then leaves us to deal with the repercussions.

If left unmanaged, stress can take over the body and leave you exhausted and battered.

Ok, just to be clear friends – I am not leading you down a path to gloom and doom. Stress can be managed, but how it’s managed looks different for everyone.

Last week I talked about how stress specifically affects the endocrine system (hormones, blood sugar, etc). If you haven’t read The Effects of Stress on the Body and 5 Ways to Manage Stress (Part 1), please read that first and then come back to this post. Note– when you’re stressed, the endocrine system is typically the first to tell you that you are. This week, I am revealing how to manage stress through the six foundations I base my practice on and why this is important:

Nutrient-dense, whole foods lifestyle
Digestion
Blood Sugar
Fatty Acids
Mineral Balance
Hydration

Nutrient-dense, whole Foods lifestyle

Eating foods that are as close as they were intended to be consumed by nature (i.e. whole foods) provides the body with a high nutrient count and flavor. In essence, whole foods nourish the body because they are real food.
Real food allows the body to break down the nutrients and absorb them properly.
Examples of nutrient-dense whole foods:
- Grass-fed meat, pasture-raised poultry and eggs, wild-caught seafood, organic fruits and vegetables, sprouted nuts and seeds, legumes (beans), and grains
Remember: our bodies need different things so we need to honor that.
- Move away from fad dieting– no such thing as a “one size fits all” diet or quick fixes or pills. NONE.

––> Processed foods add stress to the body because the ingredients aren’t easily recognized by the body (ex. hydrogenated oils, refined sugars, food coloring, preservatives).

Digestion

Practice sitting in a relaxed state when it’s time to eat and take 3 deep breaths before a meal to transition your body into “rest and digest” mode.
- This allows the body to focus on triggering the digestive juices and prepare it to breakdown and absorb nutrients – boys, it’s go time!
Step away from work and electronics so you can focus on enjoying your food, such as flavors, textures, and smells.
Chew approximately 30 times before swallowing.
- For all my perfectionists out there, this doesn't need to be exact!
Drink liquids in between meals.
- Drinking liquids during your meals, as well as a lot before and after, can dilute your stomach acid which makes it more difficult for your body to break down the foods you are eating. This is a challenge for most people, so practice taking sips instead, especially if you are thirsty.

––> Eating fast, eating while standing or driving, eating while distracted, etc. can cause stress to the body, which results in gas, bloating, cramping, and/ or indigestion.

Blood Sugar

Blood sugar is controlled by the central nervous system’s communication with the pancreas, adrenals, adipose tissue, liver, and skeletal muscle.
Increasing B-vitamin rich foods helps combat stress within the body.
Examples of foods rich in B-vitamins:
- Pasture-raised organ meats, grass-fed meat, pasture-raised chicken and turkey, wild-caught seafood, leafy greens, properly prepared nuts and legumes, vegetables that vary in color, etc.
Fact: Never before have we had the emergency need to lower blood sugar. The increased consumption of processed foods and refined foods, environmental toxicity, and stress create a unique and critical need.

––> Refined carbohydrates and sugars put stress on the body. Highly processed foods activate the brain’s reward center and bypass normal satiety hormones, which leads to eating past the point of physical satiation. This can cause a rapid rise in blood sugar which the body sees as an emergency. Emergency=fight or flight mode.

Fatty Acids

Fatty acids support the inflammatory process, provide fuel for the body, cushion organs and joints, make healthy cell membranes, and make food taste better.
Eating foods rich in fatty acids helps the body to promote healing and combat stress.
Examples of foods rich in fatty acids:
- Fresh nuts and seeds, wild-caught seafood (high in omega 3s), cold-pressed oils (coconut, olive, avocado), pastured butter, and ghee.

––> Eating a low-fat diet puts a strain on the body to nourish hormones (hormones need fats), manage the body’s healing process, properly absorb the fat-soluble vitamins A, D, E, K, and regulate energy absorption.

Minerals

Minerals act as cofactors for enzyme reactions and they help with things like maintaining the pH balance of the body, contracting and relaxing muscles, and facilitating the transfer of nutrients across cell membranes.
Eating mineral-rich foods support the response to stress.
Examples of mineral-rich foods:
- Organic vegetables, seaweed, organ meats, wild-caught seafood, nuts and seeds, legumes, and bone broth.

––> Minerals are depleted when the body is stressed, so it’s important to increase your intake of mineral-rich foods.

Hydration

Water consists of 55- 60% of our total body mass. This is why we can go for a couple of weeks without food but only a few days without water.
Improves cell to cell communication, regulates body temperature, transports nutrients, removes waste and toxins, among many other roles.
Rule of thumb – drink half your weight in ounces of water.
- Include electrolytes to support minerals in the body, such as adding a pinch of sea salt to your water.
Fact: Water is the most common nutritional deficiency in the American population. I know– GEEZ.

––> It’s especially important to stay hydrated when you’re in a state of stress to properly function. Once your body becomes dehydrated, you may start to feel anxious, fatigued, or irritable. More mature signs of dehydration are heartburn, migraines, and joint pain.

To Recap

Our bodies go through stress daily. That’s normal. What’s not normal is chronic stress (stress that lingers), but it can be managed and reduced!

You may have noticed I don’t just speak to nutrition. I also talk about functional movement and self-love/ mindset because I look at the whole body. Stress is a prime example of why I do this because it affects the ENTIRE body. So, I’ll leave you with this–

The more you use your brain in specific ways, the stronger the pathways become that support these specific activities. The same goes for your body’s response to stress. Mind blown?? Yep, me too.

Friends, it's time to focus on managing stress instead of letting it manage you. So, let’s practice more stress-reducing activities together, starting with my 5 Ways to Manage Stress.