A Dietitian’s Survival Guide - Stress at Christmas
For many people, stress has become a daily problem - work deadlines, traffic jams, family commitments, exams, even world events. But, for some Christmas is a particularly stressful time of the year.
Research suggests that some stress is in fact normal, and can improve our performance. However, when it becomes something more permanent, instead of protecting us, it can eventually make us more vulnerable to health problems, including headaches, stomach upsets, high blood pressure, and even heart disease.
In fact, the more this stress response is activated, the more difficult it becomes to turn it off in the future. Therefore, we need to learn how to effectively deal with stress levels, before they escalate out of control.
So, how can you manage stress this Christmas?
There are various lifestyle strategies that can help, but did you know that how you eat can also make a difference to the way you feel? Food alone doesn’t remove our stress, however eating can help to make you feel more in control of a situation, therefore improving your resistance to stress.
- Go outdoors regularly - breaking from your normal routine, and adding a little sunshine, and fresh air can immediately reduce stress levels.
- Take care of yourself - eating a healthy, balanced diet will do wonders for stress levels, helping you to feel more rational in difficult situations.
- Get enough sleep – lack of sleep is a big contributor to how we feel, and react.
- Start each day with a healthy breakfast - think of your body as a car, it doesn’t run well on empty, does it? It’s the same for your body. Choose a high fibre cereal, such as porridge, or wholegrain bread, with fresh fruit, and low fat yoghurt, or milk
- Regular meals and snacks are extremely important - this will ensure that your body has a steady energy supply, helping to maintain your blood glucose levels, which in turn will help control feelings of stress.
- Choose high fibre carbohydrates at each meal - this will provide the fuel your bodies needs, and also provide a source of B vitamins, which are beneficial for nerve and brain cells.
- Eat plenty of fruits and vegetables - they contain essential antioxidant vitamins, and other nutrients, which help to counter free radical damage, thought to be heightened during times of stress. Choose a range of brightly coloured fruits and vegetables for maximum benefit.
Aside from eating well, what else can you do?
Making time to relax and unwind is extremely important. Do something which you enjoy, maybe listen to your favourite cd, take a relaxing bath, exercise, or read a book. This should be a time when you have no interruptions - think of it as recharging your batteries!
If you tend to worry continually, restrict yourself to a half hour each day when you allow yourself to think about these matters. During this time you can write down your concerns, and evaluate them, but throughout the rest of the day say to yourself, “I’ll think about that later.” This will help reduce the amount of time you spend each day worrying unnecessarily.
When you do feel stressed try to stay positive, take it one day at a time, and remember worrying won’t change anything!
Never want to miss a single article on Dietriffic again? You can stay in touch for free by subscribing to my most recent articles via email or RSS feeds.
Best wishes!
Article adapted from the Australian Healthy Food Guide (Dec, 2007), “Eat to Beat Stress,” Karen Kingham (APD). Image source.
Did you enjoy this article? Please be kind enough to share it -
You may also like to read the following:
