5 Types of Foods You Should Avoid to Reduce Stress Levels

Stress can do a lot of things to your body and mind. It is one of the leading causes of heart disease, contributes to the development of diabetes, ups your risk for stroke, and can lower your immunity making you more susceptible to other diseases and conditions. Everyone has some level of stress in their life, but if you have a stressful job or lifestyle you can help reduce stress levels and improve how your body responses to stress by altering your diet.  

Your body responds to stress in many different ways. Your blood pressure may go up, your heart rate may increase, your “fight or flight” response can kick in giving you anxiety, and you can get edgy and cranky. You may not be able to get rid of the stress in your life, but knowing what foods to avoid can help you reduce stress levels, and your body’s response to them.

Caffeine

One of the culprits is caffeine. Caffeine isn’t just in coffee; it can be in some surprising sources. Chocolate has caffeine, tea, cola, some instant breakfast mixes, instant drink mixes, energy drinks, and other foods have hidden caffeine. Surprisingly some sodas have caffeine that you wouldn’t suspect. Some brands of orange soda have caffeine. Be sure to check the label when you purchase any of these items to see if they have caffeine in them. Today there are several decaffeinated alternatives for many of these foods for you to choose from.

Sugar

An imbalance in blood sugar causes fatigue, confusion, mood swings, and weight gain. Sugar in itself is not bad for you; it is the amount of sugar in our diets that is the culprit. Like caffeine, sugar is hidden in many of the foods you eat. Cereal is a good nutritious way to start your day, but if it is high in sugar you might as well just eat a few spoonfuls of sugar instead, for example a serving of Fruit Loops (3/4 cup) has 12 grams. Now if you go to Subway and get a Sweet Onion Teriyaki Chicken sandwich, that’s another 17 grams of sugar. Wash it down with a Coke Classic and you add 39 grams of sugar. That is 78 grams of sugar before supper. Dried fruits contain a lot of sugar. Dried cranberries have 29 grams in 1/3 cup. You have to read the labels of processed foods you buy, and keep in mind that any ingredient which ends in “ose” is a form of sugar.

High Fat Foods

Foods high in fat not only make you gain weight, but they actually can make your body have a hard time balancing your blood sugar levels. The reason for this is many Type II diabetics produce insulin, but there insulin receptors are blocked by fat cells. This may sound a bit strange, but Type II diabetes is typified by your body’s inability to use the insulin it produces. A person who has most of their body fat around their middle is at a higher risk for heart disease and stroke. Limit your high fat foods such as bacon, full fat cheeses and milk, fatty cuts of meat, and fried foods. Healthy alternatives are low-fat dairy products, chicken, fish, pork, lean red meat, and baked instead of fried foods.

Processed Foods

Many of the processed foods are high in not only calories, sugar and fat, but sodium. If you are sensitive to sodium you may experience edema (water retention) and high blood pressure from consuming too much. Eat as fresh as you can, and instead of reaching for a boxed mix try making dishes on your own. Cooking can be a stress reliever, so you’d be killing two birds with one stone; healthier eating habits and stress relief.

Alcohol

Basically alcohol is empty calories. Your body converts alcohol to sugar and that adds more stress to your system. It’s okay to have a drink or two once in a while, but excessive alcohol consumption is bad for your liver, kidneys and can lead weight gain. If you are going to drink, try a glass of wine. Wine has antioxidants and polyphenols which are good for you. Like all good things, moderation is the key when consuming alcohol.

Stress is a fact of life, but by avoiding these foods you can help your body handle the stress you’re under. Stress levels can be lowered by eating a healthy diet and getting exercise. Try to get 30 minutes of exercise three times a week and eat a low-fat diet. Eat what is in season and eat as many fresh foods as you can, and you will give your body the fuel it needs to handle stress and reduce your stress levels.

Teena writes for self development resource site where you get access to articles on all aspects of self development and to large selection of hypnosis downloads and nlp training programs from industry experts. 

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