7 Food and lifestyle tips for stress and overwhelm
When left unchecked, stress of any kind - money, relationships, or physical stress like inflammation, infection, or hormone imbalance - can build up to the point where we feel completely overwhelmed. And when that happens, it’s easy to stop prioritising self-care and slide into unhealthy habits.
If this is happening to you, take a moment to get inspired by these tips for managing stress and overwhelm.
Fill your fridge full of colour
Let’s start with food. Make it easy to eat well by stocking up on healthy options. One way to do this is to fill your fridge with colourful fruits and vegetables.
Colourful plant foods are packed with polyphenols [1] – compounds that fight inflammation, feed the gut microbiome, and bolster immunity. Opt for fresh and frozen versions, and remember that things like frozen pomegranate seeds, chopped ginger root, and pureed garlic all count.
Include protein and fat in every meal and snack
This is a great tip to reduce sugar cravings and gain longer-lasting energy levels.
Carbohydrates like bread and pasta are broken down quickly in the digestive system and provide a short burst of energy. For longer-lasting energy and to support blood sugar regulation, its vital to include a generous palm-sized serving of protein (think meat, fish, eggs, tofu, or pulses) and some healthy fats. Good options for fats include oily fish, avocado, full-fat yoghurt, butter, a few nuts or seeds, or a generous glug of olive oil.
Stock up on soup
Homemade or store-bought fresh soups are incredibly useful during stressful times. If you don’t have much of an appetite or know that your meals aren’t as good as they could be right now, soup can provide helpful nutritional insurance.
Use some of the brightly coloured vegetables I mentioned earlier to make a tasty soup and add shredded chicken, diced tofu, and/or lentils for protein. For more inspiration check out my soup recipes.
Get a good breakfast
Breakfast can be a divisive topic but it really does set your hormonal rhythms for the rest of the day. Skip it or base it around simple carbohydrates like orange juice and pastries, and it becomes much harder to regulate your blood sugar and energy levels.
Get it right and you’ll feel calmer and more energised, even if lunch and dinner don’t go to plan.
So what makes a good breakfast? Aim to include:
Complex carbohydrates like oats or wholegrain sourdough toast.
Protein from eggs, meat, fish, tofu, or beans.
Healthy fats from chia seed (try my Berry Chia Pudding, ground flaxseeds, oily fish, avocado, or olive oil.
Create a gratitude journal
Keeping a gratitude journal has been shown to reduce the impact of stress and positively reframe difficult situations [2]. It helps you focus on what you already have in life and pay attention to little things that bring you joy. Things like a friendly chat with a stranger, a beautiful sunset, and the robin singing in the garden.
Start by listing 3 things you’re grateful for each day before you go to bed. Some days you might list more than 3 but if you don’t that’s okay, this small act of noticing is enough to help you reframe what’s happening and feel encouraged by the good in your life.
Get outside, everyday
The Japanese call it “Shinrin-yoku” or “taking in the forest atmosphere”. Whether you live near a forest or not, research shows that spending time outdoors in any kind of green space modulates the physical and mental response to stress [3].
The effects of daylight and natural surroundings modulate heart rate and blood pressure, support a healthy sleep/wake cycle, and downregulate your sympathetic nervous system ( aka the “fight or flight” response).
And you don’t have to spend a long time outdoors either. Researchers in the U.S. found that just 10 minutes a day can have a positive effect on mental wellbeing [4].
Use a daylight lamp
If stress and overwhelm have left you feeling sluggish, low and unmotivated, a daylight lamp may help. These are especially useful in winter when shorter daylight hours can affect your sleep/wake cycle.
A good quality daylight lamp will deliver around 10,000 lux (lux is a measurement of the amount and intensity of light), the equivalent of ambient daylight. Use it for at least 30 minutes a day to get the best effects.
I hope you’ve enjoyed these tips. If so, I recommend you choose 1 or 2 that sound do-able for you right now and put them into action. And as always, if you want more personalised support for your diet and lifestyle, get in touch today to book your FREE 15-minute discovery call.
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References
Minich, D. M. 2019. A Review of the Science of Colorful, Plant-Based Food and Practical Strategies for “Eating the Rainbow”. Journal of Nutrition and Metabolism, 2125070. https://doi.org/10.1155/2019/2125070
Fekete, E. M., & Deichert, N. T. 2022. A Brief Gratitude Writing Intervention Decreased Stress and Negative Affect During the COVID-19 Pandemic. Journal of Happiness Studies, 23(6), 2427. https://doi.org/10.1007/s10902-022-00505-6
Kondo, M. C., Jacoby, S. F., & South, E. C. 2018. Does spending time outdoors reduce stress? A review of real-time stress response to outdoor environments. Health & Place, 51, 136-150. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.healthplace.2018.03.001
Meredith, G. R., Rakow, D. A., Eldermire, E. R., Madsen, C. G., Shelley, S. P., & Sachs, N. A. 2020. Minimum Time Dose in Nature to Positively Impact the Mental Health of College-Aged Students, and How to Measure It: A Scoping Review. Frontiers in Psychology, 10, 488425. https://doi.org/10.3389/fpsyg.2019.02942
