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Stressed out? Change your food!

What you eat can add to rising stress levels

BALANCED DIET No stress

Stress! Let your food kill it. Nobody wants it. Yet stress is the biggest slow poison today. It is not only the cells of one's body that get affected, but also our relationships, social behaviour and work output, etc.

Stress feeds stress. That's why you hear a lot about the counselling sessions, meditation schedules, yoga and relaxation therapy, etc.

Quite interestingly, if handled right then killing stress can be easy too. As easy as simply selecting your food.Our response to stress is chemical. Since the food we eat changes our internal chemistry, it can also impact our ability to deal effectively with stress. So if we do a simple thing like becoming choosy about what we eat and what we avoid, then half the battle is already won. Now let's see what all shall one eat to boost stress handling abilities.

Basically, we have to have a healthy diet with lots of fresh fruits, vegetables (especially beans), and whole grains. The best animal sources are fish, chicken and extremely low-fat dairy products.

If we have a well-balanced diet, including lots of carbohydrates (rice, pasta, potatoes, breads) and fibre(fruits, vegetables, grains), we shouldn't need dietary supplements. Stress does deplete or block some nutrients, and we can replenish these nutrients with the following foods:

Vitamin C: Found in oranges, grapefruit, kiwi fruit, strawberries, green/red peppers, mangoes, and cauliflower.

Vitamin B-Complex: Found in meat, seafood, legumes, whole grains, enriched breads and cereals, dairy, and leafy green vegetables.

Magnesium: Found in tofu, wheat germ, almonds, sunflower seeds and pumpkin seeds.

Calcium: Found in yoghurt, cheese, tofu, and chickpeas.

Potassium: Found in orange juice, tomatoes, potatoes, apricots, peaches, apricots, squash, limejuice, bananas, and avocados.

We must reduce our intake saturated fats, salt, white flour, processed foods, caffeine, alcohol and other diuretics and soft drinks, especially those with artificial sweeteners.

Besides, eating regular meals is critical. Skipping meals, excessive dieting, over-eating, under-eating, and vitamin overdoses are all sources of body stress, which can lead to obesity, hypertension, high blood cholesterol levels, and/or nutrient deficiencies.

So, eat well, have lots of fruits, go in for white meat. And drive all blues away.

RAKESH KUMAR

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