Yesterday, I shared some information about the symptoms and causes of stress, as well as steps to dealing with stress. This information came from the PTSD support group I attended at the London Health Sciences Centre (LHSC) here in London. I'd like to continue the conversation today with additional steps we can take within our lives to minimize the stress we feel.
This information also comes from the PTSD group.
Lifestyle changes are the number one way we can start to de-stress our lives. "A healthy lifestyle is an essential companion to any stress management program and is extrenely important for many reasons. Lifestyle changes can have a dramatic impact on daily stressors while the other strategies are more personalized for individual needs."
Nutrition: Many people develop cravings for salt, fat and sugar to counteract tension and stress. As a result, they gain weight. The release of cortisol, a major stress hormone, appears to encourage abdominal fat and may be the primary connection between stress and weight gain. Cortisol is a glucocorticoid. These hormones, along with insulin, appear responsible for stress related food cravings.
This information also comes from the PTSD group.
Lifestyle changes are the number one way we can start to de-stress our lives. "A healthy lifestyle is an essential companion to any stress management program and is extrenely important for many reasons. Lifestyle changes can have a dramatic impact on daily stressors while the other strategies are more personalized for individual needs."
Nutrition: Many people develop cravings for salt, fat and sugar to counteract tension and stress. As a result, they gain weight. The release of cortisol, a major stress hormone, appears to encourage abdominal fat and may be the primary connection between stress and weight gain. Cortisol is a glucocorticoid. These hormones, along with insulin, appear responsible for stress related food cravings.
Evidence suggests that hormonally induced cravings for "comfort foods" may have a biological benefit for managing stress. Eating comfort foods appears to reduce the negative hormonal and behavioural changes associated with stress, which might lessen the impact of stress on an individual. Carbohydrates in particular may increase levels of tryptophan and large neutral amino acids. This leads to more serotonin, which might improve mood and performance under stress.
Also, there may be a "reward-based stress eating" model. In this theory, stress and tasty, high calorie foods cause the brain to make chemicals called endogenous opoids. These neurotransmitters help protect against the harmful effects of stress by slowing activity of the brain process called the hypothalamic-pituitary-adrenal (HPA) axis, thus weakening the stress response. Repeated stimulation of the reward pathways through stress induced HPA stimulation, eating tasty food or both, may lead to changes in the brain that cause compulsive overeating.
Dangerously, stress can exacerbate existing diabetes by impairing the patient's ability to manage the disease effectively. Therefore a healthy nutritional plan becomes increasingly important when developing a stress management program for the following reasons:
Usually, a varied meal plan is more interesting and thus easier to stick to. Like exercise, start slowly introducing healthier food choices into your daily eating habits. A severe or sudden change in your eating habits can undermine your success. The following are some suggestions:
Also, there may be a "reward-based stress eating" model. In this theory, stress and tasty, high calorie foods cause the brain to make chemicals called endogenous opoids. These neurotransmitters help protect against the harmful effects of stress by slowing activity of the brain process called the hypothalamic-pituitary-adrenal (HPA) axis, thus weakening the stress response. Repeated stimulation of the reward pathways through stress induced HPA stimulation, eating tasty food or both, may lead to changes in the brain that cause compulsive overeating.
Dangerously, stress can exacerbate existing diabetes by impairing the patient's ability to manage the disease effectively. Therefore a healthy nutritional plan becomes increasingly important when developing a stress management program for the following reasons:
- a healthy nutritional plan also blunts the harmful effects of stress directly within the body
- a healthy nutritional plan proactively deals with potential weight gain
Usually, a varied meal plan is more interesting and thus easier to stick to. Like exercise, start slowly introducing healthier food choices into your daily eating habits. A severe or sudden change in your eating habits can undermine your success. The following are some suggestions:
- cut back on sweets, fat and salt intake
- make healthier choices when eating out
- eat more vegetables
- join weight watchers or a similar program
- seek out on-line programs
- seek the help of a nutritional specialist in order to meet your individual needs.
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