Fueling Resilience - Nutrition For Stress

Last week my runners fell apart (literally a chunk of foam was left in St Anne’s Park!) and I needed a new pair ASAP, so I ordered a pair of Asics Gels from Lifestyle on Thursday and was a little put out and irritated when they didn’t arrive the next day, Friday! But that’s the world we live in, immediate gratification, go, go, go, we want everything yesterday!  

Stack that piece of irritation and add to it the usual - ferrying kids to and from GAA, soccer, basketball, gymnastics. Let’s now throw work into the pot with emails being received at 6.30pm (dinner time!), your kids screaming over who’s turn it is on the Xbox, your head already into tomorrows “To Do List “and your brain is “Head Fried City!” Let’s then press REPEAT and do it all again tomorrow!

STRESS, it’s not a new phenomenal, it’s been around for centuries but in this fast paced world we live in our “Bucket” is getting filled up a lot quicker with external stressors and soon that bucket will start to overflow and so do we.

So how can we support ourselves in times of Stress through what we eat? – let me show you how.

1.      The Powerhouse – Protein, one of your stress defying allies

Protein can be described as the building blocks of life and yes they can help support our stress levels. By incorporating protein at every snack and meal it can help contribute to a slower and more sustained release of glucose into the bloodstream. This will help prevent these “Spikes” and “Dips” that we can often feel (11am and 3pm slump) that can lead to feelings of stress, low energy and irritability.

It’s often not about the amount of protein we eat in a day, it’s how our protein is spread out. Take a typical day for a lot of people:

👉Breakfast - coffee and a toast (no protein).

👉Lunch - ham & cheese sambo, packet of crisps,an tea (very little protein).

👉Dinner - meat, 2 veg and collapse! (a good portion of protein).

But unfortunately we’ve kinda “missed the boat” in terms of having sufficient protein throughout the day, heaping it all into one meal in the evening. So we can often feel tired, hungry or in my case “Hangry” (craving particularly sweet things).

Why? Protein can help regulate your cortisol levels which is our stress hormone. Protein rich foods like eggs, chicken, fish, cheese, yoghurts, peas, beans and lentils have been shown to stabilize those cortisol spikes helping to maintain a more stable stress response.

2.      Omega 3 Fatty Acids – The brain loves these, I call them The Brains Superfoods

Did you know about 60% of our brain is fat? A big blob of squashy fat!  Now I’m no neuroscientist and I can only imagine the complexity of our magnificent brains and how complex a structure they are but I’m a lay person so I’ll explain it in simple terms. Healthy fats found in foods like oily fish (salmon, mackerel, tuna, sardines), olive oil, avocados, seeds and nuts are renowned for their brain boosting properties. These fats not only support brain function but also have anti-inflammatory effects that can help reduce the impact of stress on your body. So ditch the low fat products and include a variety of good quality fats in your diet.

3.      Slow releasing complex Carbohydrates – Lets call this “Stability on Your Plate”

Choosing more complex carbohydrates like whole grains is a good start. Simple swaps from white to brown, varying your grains to incorporate more diversity like quinoa, cous cous, bulgur wheat, brown basmati rice all go a long way to providing a steady stream of energy to your brain and body. These carbohydrate sources release glucose gradually, preventing these big “Highs” and “Lows” (a bit like the Cu Chulainn rollercoaster at Emerald Park!). This stability helps prevent those blood sugar fluctuations that can contribute to increased stress levels. So make that simple swap today and go “brown”, your body, brain and wellbeing will thank you for it.

4.      Hydration – Sip your Stress Away

Water is energy and often when we become dehydrated it can affect our brain function leading to increased feelings of stress and irritability. Even the act of taking a moment to pause, grab a cuppa tea, glass of water can serve as a simple calming ritual, providing you with a brief break from the constant “Daily Juggle Act”.

Do you find it difficult to drink 6-8 glasses of water a day?

Break it up into manageable bite size glasses! 2 glasses in the morning, 2 in the afternoon and 2 in the evening. Carry a water bottle around with you and sip away at it throughout the day. Once its empty fill it up again and keep it topped up.

I’ve left number tip number 5 till last – It goes part and parcel with nutrition; Exercise! Well my Asiacs Gels did arrive so I’m going to put them to the test and head out to clear my head, to breath and distress!

Hope you enjoyed

Much Love

Susan

XXX

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