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Anti-stress diet the effect of eating habits on mood
Table of Contents
1. What is stress?
Stress is the body's response to demands that disturb its balance. Stress can be caused by a variety of factors, such as illness, separation from a partner, death of a loved one, loss of a job, noise or war. The force of their impact on the body will vary. Even some everyday situations can cause stress. For example, a car crash can cause a delay in an important meeting.2. How does stress affect the body?
In most cases, stress is associated with changes in the intensity of appetite. During stressful situations, the body increases the level of cortisol (the stress hormone) which causes the body to feel hungry, and its chronic rise negatively affects health.3. The circulatory system
As a result of cortisol' s action, blood vessel diameters decrease, resulting in an increase in blood pressure. tissues and cells are less nourished and poisoned, which can cause hypertension and heart failure.4. The immune system
Constantly elevated cortisol levels decrease the number of lymphocytes and, as a result, the body's immune system.. increases susceptibility to various diseases and infections.. the body may also have difficulty coping with disease due to improper defense mechanisms (e.g. fever).5. Hydroelectricity economy
Excess cortisol also affects the water and electrolyte economy. Sodium is retained in the body and its excessive build-up can cause swelling. Additionally, sodium can increase blood pressure This is particularly important information for people with hypertension.6. The nervous system
Cortisol affects the peripheral and central nervous systems, so changes such as visual impairment, tremors, and anxiety have been observed, and some people may also experience aggression.7. It's a movement system
Long-term elevated cortisol levels have a negative effect on the movement system. As a result of the hormone's action, the body uses more calcium and glucose for muscle work, which unfortunately is not very safe. Glucose is then produced from other substances important to the body e.g. from amino acids that result from the breakdown of muscle proteins. This is not beneficial for the active movement system because it causes muscle weakness and muscle tissue deficiency.8. Metabolism
The scientific experiment showed that in 30% of the participants, negative emotions caused an increase in appetite, while in 48% the effect was the opposite they showed a lower level of hunger. It all depends on the specifics of the study group and their individual situation. People on restrictive diets with too low calories in response to stress are more likely to eat more food than people who are not losing weight (M. Macht 2008).9. Is this even an anti-stress diet? What to eat and what to avoid?
Stressful situations increase the need for serotonin as well as those who suffer from depression and mood disorders. Research shows that improper nutrition affects the gut microbiome, which in turn can increase the risk of depression (T. G. Dinan et al., 2019). Stressful conditions increase serotonin consumption. However, neurotransmitters that contain tryptophan of one of the major nerve agents that need to be supplied to the body with low levels of fatty acids in the blood. Studies show that impropriate nutritional diets can also increase the ability of the gut to absorb high levels of stress from the gut.10. Other ways to deal with stress
The recommended dietary model is an anti-inflammatory diet that supplements the deficiencies of vitamins and minerals. However, this is not all. Nutrition is also important regular physical activity, rest, and proper hydration are also important. In addition, it is worth knowing techniques to help fight stress. It is not possible to eliminate it completely, but it is important to control nerves properly in difficult situations.
