Do you need to relieve stress? Don’t underestimate the power of proper nutrition in managing your stress! Our mood is deteriorating and our stress is increasing at an unprecedented rate according to cutting-edge research in the area of nutrition.
It is considered a root cause of stress or a “chicken” because much of our increasing stress and physical and emotional distress comes from easily correctable glitches in our brain and body chemistry as a result of unmet critical nutritional needs.
• We are on the most stressful diet ever known to man, with over 70% of us eating the worst junk food to relieve our stress, including a high sugar, low protein diet, caffeine/energy drinks, and other toxic substances.
• Chemical contamination in our food, air, water, soil, and even in our homes and buildings adds to the stress we experience every day.
This chronic stress and lack of nutritional balance can even destroy cells in the center of the brain that are responsible for memory. The nutritional suggestions that I will make here can help you deal with these external stressors, and they are not just quick fixes, but will correct many different imbalances in the body.
Does this sound like a typical eating day to you?
Morning: Start with a shot of sugar-sweetened coffee and cream, plus a bowl of sweetened cold cereal, some fresh or frozen sweet fruit juice? A sugary latte with a sweet donut or scone? Maybe you don’t eat anything but coffee or tea? Lunch: soda, fries, sandwich, burrito, soup mix container: a hamburger, fries, maybe just a diet soda, granola, or candy bar? Dinner: a heaping plate of pasta with some cheese, a pizza and some ice cream, or maybe, if you’re too tired, just a little more cereal or some crackers and cheese.
What’s wrong with eating this way? It is the most stressful diet ever known to man! This type of diet, so full of starches and sweets, completely overloads the adrenal glands by keeping the body full of cortisol, stresses it out and even predisposes it to cancer.
Amino Acids and Fat
According to Julia Ross, author of the groundbreaking book The Mood Cure, “After more than 30 years of intense research around the world, neuroscience has identified the cause of our false moods. More importantly, the repair tools that are They need are surprisingly simple and found in specific foods and nutritional supplements that are so exactly what the brain needs that they can start correcting emotional malfunction in just 24 hours.”
Additionally, Dr. Kenneth Blum’s research in the mid-1980s found that he could override the moodiness genes of his research subjects by giving them some nutritional nutrients, especially amino acids.
There are 22 different types of amino acids in protein-rich foods like chicken, fish, beef, eggs, and cheese. Amino acids are the building blocks of protein and each has its own name and duties to perform.
The four chemicals responsible for emotions are called neurotransmitters, the names of the main four are: serotonin, catecholamines, GABA and endorphin. Each of these also needs a particular amino acid to fuel it. If your brain is well supplied with amino fuels, you will produce true emotions in response to real events. If you don’t, you can start to create false emotions, or emotional failures that we sometimes call rumination, OCD, incessant worry, depression, anxiety, many of the emotions that go along with what we call “stress.”
Omega 3s are a family of fatty acids found in shellfish and certain plants, such as flax. Large population studies have shown that those who eat a large amount of fish have a lower incidence of depression. A variety of small clinical trials have shown that omega-3s can alleviate symptoms of depression, schizophrenia, and bipolar disorder.
The fatty acids appear to help maintain fluidity in cell membranes, reduce cell inflammation, which is caused by Omega 6 fats (found in grain-fed beef and processed oils), which are a staple of the “modern” diet. Andrew Stoll, a Harvard psychiatrist, believes that this may be the reason for the increase in the incidence of depression in the last 100 years.
Miracle Micronutrients
The study of micronutrients and mental health is known as Orthomolecular Psychiatry. This term was coined by Linus Pauling, who wrote that “nutritional supplements, unlike psychotherapy or drugs, represent a way of providing an optimal molecular environment for the mind.” B vitamins and depression.
In even more amazing new research, the role of micronutrients and feeling good is compelling. Studies by Bonnie Kaplan and Charlie Popper of Harvard University show remarkable recoveries from bipolar depression, depression, and even schizophrenia using targeted micronutrient therapies—treatments originally formulated for pigs that have shown amazing results in trials with humans! (go to TrueHope.com and click on research to see many of the studies)
Micronutrients appear to be the “backstage team” of the brain, endlessly building and maintaining cellular patterns, and also play an important role in the creation of chemical messengers that mediate mood states, such as serotonin, dopamine, and norepinephrine. . For example, zinc is involved in more than 300 enzymatic functions, and when it’s missing, a cell’s DNA can be damaged.
There is ample evidence to suggest that eating the right foods that can provide the right amino acids and Omega 3 fats, along with using supplements that contain the right balance of micronutrients, can go a long way in helping you feel better and in control of your health. stress!
I can certainly echo Dr. Ross’s findings in my own practice: “Clients who could be persuaded to eat plenty of protein and fresh vegetables three times a day and avoid caffeine, sweets, and refined starches, like white bread and pasta, they felt much better both emotionally and physically. When they ate well, even those with a lot of psychological work to do could make steady gains in counseling.”
Using supplements and a meal plan that provides plenty of protein can help you achieve results quickly. You can find more innovative stress relief solutions at http://www.realstresssolutions.com.