Eat Breakfast Regularly

A well nourished body always has a bigger capability of coping with stress. The earlier the body is prepared, the better. When a day is about to be filled with stress at work or anywhere else, it pays to keep the body well prepared to handle it as it comes. Bear in mind that stress can easily deplete the body of essential resources that keeps it functioning well. Too much stress can also induce the body to use up more of a variety of nutrients which can easily lead to serious deficiencies. If the body is not prepared to cope up with the changes that stress can bring, it would likely react negatively in some way or the other.

To prepare the body for the stress ahead, people should need to keep their body well-stocked with nutrients. If done early in the day, the better the chances that the nutrients are well stocked up to handle the body’s needs. This can be assured by eating breakfast regularly.

But the ability to cope with stress can be worsened by skipping breakfast which is the most important meal of the day. The result would be a body that would react very poorly to stress as it comes. But by eating a well-balanced breakfast regularly, the body is ensured of a build up of much needed resources and nutrients, making it more capable of coping with stress for the day.

A Well-Balanced Meal

Apart from eating breakfast regularly, eating a well-balanced meal should also be considered. What will a breakfast be of use if it doesn’t provide the body with its much needed nutrients? There are certain nutrients that the body needs in order to fight off the effects of stress more effectively. Also remember that stress can speed up the use of some of these nutrients.

When the body is under stress, it starts to produce stress hormones. The stress hormones then trigger the body to excrete a number of essential minerals such as calcium, iron, zinc and magnesium from the body. These minerals, when present in the body, actually help it cope with the symptoms and physical signs associated with stress.

The essential minerals that are excreted by the body as it produces stress hormones actually help to avoid mood swings and help the muscles to relax. Without them, the body won’t be capable of handling or coping very well with stress and would even make it worse. Along with essential minerals, more antioxidants such as vitamin A, B, C and E may be needed by the body since it tries to increase the use of such nutrients while it is under stress.

The antioxidants help the body fight the free radicals which are released by the body’s adrenal glands when it reacts to stress. By eating an well-balanced diet, you are helping your body build up on the essential nutrients that it needs to fight off stress. There are also several nutritional supplements available that would help make up for essential nutrients that may not be provided fully by your diet.

Using good nutrition to fight stress is sensible stress management.

Eat a variety of foods to ensure that you consume all of the forty to sixty nutrients you need to stay healthy. These include vitamins, minerals, amino acids (from proteins), essential fatty acids (from vegetable oil and animal fat), and energy from carbohydrates, protein, and fat. While most foods contain more than one nutrient, no single food provides adequate amounts of all nutrients.

Try to maintain a diet of mostly whole (unprocessed) foods. Stay away from caffeine (coffee, tea, cola, chocolate), which causes nervousness and inhibits sleep if too much is ingested. Caffeine causes a fight-or- flight response in your body and uses up your reserves of the B vitamins, which are important in coping with stress. Alcohol also depletes your body’s B vitamins, and can disrupt sleep and impair your judgment or clarity of thought. Avoid sugar. It provides no essential nutrients and can cause an immediate “high” followed by a prolonged “low.”

Studies have shown that the body depletes its stores of nutrients when under stress, mainly protein and the B vitamins as well as vitamins C and A. A deficiency of magnesium, which helps muscles relax, has been linked to “Type A” or high-stress personalities. If you are under prolonged stress or are at risk for hypertension, consume foods high in potassium, such as orange juice, squash, potatoes, apricots, limes, bananas, avocados, tomatoes, and peaches. You also should increase your intake of calcium, which is found in yogurt, cheese, tofu, and chick- peas.

If you find that you have difficulty managing stress and often feel fatigued or stressed out, you might want to examine your diet for deficiencies in certain nutrients.   If you are deficient in certain nutrients, you will need to alter your diet or take supplements.

Since every person is unique, nutritional needs vary to some degree. It will probably take several months to change your diet and establish healthy eating habits. Experimenting and taking the time to reform your eating will have very positive immediate and long- term effects. Choose foods that you enjoy and try to make meals pleasurable times. Eat a relaxed meal. Continue your healthy diet and supplements even after the period of stress has passed so that your body will be best prepared to cope with the next stressful situation you encounter. The goal is to maintain maximum health with good nutrition, exercise, and active stress management.