{"id":2511,"date":"2015-03-25T08:16:45","date_gmt":"2015-03-25T08:16:45","guid":{"rendered":"http:\/\/healthylivinglondon.com\/?p=2511"},"modified":"2015-03-25T09:35:17","modified_gmt":"2015-03-25T09:35:17","slug":"stress-busting-tips-and-complimentary-foods","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/healthylivinglondon.com\/wellbeing\/stress-busting-tips-and-complimentary-foods\/","title":{"rendered":"Stress Busting Tips and Complimentary Foods"},"content":{"rendered":"<h5>When we are stressed the body secretes cortisol, which is an important hormone created by the adrenal glands. \u00a0Cortisol is activated by the Sympathetic Nervous System and increases when the body has a \u2018fight or flight\u2019 response to stress.\u00a0 In small amounts this has a positive effect on the body and gives us energy for survival. It also helps us control glucose metabolism, insulin release, regulation of blood pressure, immune function and our inflammatory response.<\/h5>\n<p><img loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" class=\"alignnone wp-image-2513\" src=\"https:\/\/healthylivinglondon.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2015\/03\/StressBustingTips.jpg\" alt=\"Stress busting tips\" width=\"640\" height=\"427\" srcset=\"https:\/\/healthylivinglondon.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2015\/03\/StressBustingTips.jpg 1000w, https:\/\/healthylivinglondon.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2015\/03\/StressBustingTips-300x200.jpg 300w\" sizes=\"(max-width: 640px) 100vw, 640px\" \/><\/p>\n<p>In today\u2019s society, we encounter a wide variety of stresses, which has changed significantly over the years. If we think back a few thousand years, our stress levels would typically be raised when we were in imminent danger for ones wellbeing, including lack of food, warmth, or being chased by an angry bear! In today\u2019s society, that stress profile has changed dramatically with people in a state of constant (or \u201cchronic\u201d) stress. Chronic stress is defined as constant or repeated stress (as a result of\u00a0having less time to rest, more noise, continuous input of information (especially through your phone and social media), influx of toxins, break downs in family support systems, work pressure etc.) that your body does not have the chance to recover from and therefore keeping the Sympathetic Nervous System activated. This leads to impairment of the immune system and general health, which can show itself in a variety of symptoms within the body.<\/p>\n<p>It is\u00a0important\u00a0that the body has the chance to recover from these stresses and return to\u00a0\u2018resting\u2019\u00a0state and there are some simple ways to do this in our modern hectic lives. Below are some stress busting and relaxation techniques:<\/p>\n<ul>\n<li><strong><span style=\"color: #ff00ff;\">Exercise regularly<\/span> \u2013 <\/strong>Exercise affects a neurotransmitter that has an antidepressant-like effect on your brain, helping you to cope with stress, while helping to decrease muscle tension.<\/li>\n<li><strong><span style=\"color: #ff00ff;\">Focus on your breathing<\/span> \u2013 <\/strong>Take three deep breaths through the nose and release slowly before reacting to a stressful situation. This will help\u00a0oxygenating your body properly as well as correcting your internal and energetic balance, having a direct impact on your nervous system.<\/li>\n<li><strong><span style=\"color: #ff00ff;\">Eat right<\/span> \u2013 <\/strong>Scientific research has\u00a0shown that there is a link between the gut and the brain.\u00a0Nourish\u00a0your gut to help improve brain function and mood control.\u00a0 Fermented food and high-quality\u00a0proboscis\u00a0will help with this and there are some more food tips below.<\/li>\n<li><strong><span style=\"color: #ff00ff;\">Take a break outdoors<\/span> \u2013 <\/strong>Research shows that this helps to lower cortisol levels and even 5 minutes a day can make a difference.<\/li>\n<li><strong><span style=\"color: #ff00ff;\">Enjoy yourself<\/span> \u2013 <\/strong>Make sure you have time in your day for fun activities, as the old saying\u00a0\u2018laughter is the best medicine\u2019 is so true. Or a relaxing reward at the end of the day could be an Epsom salt bath.<\/li>\n<li><strong><span style=\"color: #ff00ff;\">Manage your time<\/span> \u2013 <\/strong>Make a list of what you need to achieve and do the most dreaded task first so you can enjoy getting through the rest of your tasks without it hanging over you.<\/li>\n<li><strong><span style=\"color: #ff00ff;\">Keep hydrated<\/span> \u2013 <\/strong>Drink plenty of water as dehydration can exacerbate the feelings of anxiety and stress.<\/li>\n<li><strong><span style=\"color: #ff00ff;\">Meditate<\/span> \u2013 <\/strong>Positive\u00a0mental attitude, which can be helped through meditation, can help us deal with stress, so not focusing on the negatives or what might go wrong.<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n<p>Foods that can help us cope with stress and definitely foods to increase at stressful times include:<\/p>\n<ul>\n<li><span style=\"color: #ff00ff;\"><strong>Cashew nuts<\/strong><\/span> &#8211; highest natural sources of tryptophan, the precursor for the production of serotonin, your\u00a0\u201chappy hormone&#8221;<\/li>\n<li><span style=\"color: #ff00ff;\"><strong>Blueberries<\/strong> <\/span>&#8211; rich in vitamins and phytonutrients (plant nutrients), with a variety of antioxidants that are considered extremely beneficial for relieving stress<\/li>\n<li><span style=\"color: #ff00ff;\"><strong>Almonds<\/strong><\/span> \u2013 have healthy fats, zinc and iron to help with brain function and balance mood.<\/li>\n<li><span style=\"color: #ff00ff;\"><strong>Dark Chocolate<\/strong><\/span> \u2013 Reduces cortisol (make sure this is 70+% cacao)<\/li>\n<li><span style=\"color: #ff00ff;\"><strong>Bananas<\/strong> <\/span>&#8211; Bananas contain dopamine, a natural reward chemical that boosts your mood. They\u2019re also rich in B vitamins, including vitamin B6, which help to soothe your nervous system, and can promote sleep.<\/li>\n<li><span style=\"color: #ff00ff;\"><strong>Turmeric<\/strong><\/span> &#8211; curcumin has neuroprotective properties and studies have shown that it can enhance mood in those with depression.<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n<p><a title=\"Rebecca Pilkington\" href=\"http:\/\/www.rebeccapilkington.com\" target=\"_blank\"><strong>Rebecca Pilkington, Naturopathic Nutrition<\/strong><\/a>, practicing in London and Claygate, Surrey. <a href=\"mailto:rp@rebeccapilkington.com\">Please get in contact<\/a>\u00a0if you are looking for help with your health goals or if you are interested in finding out about more about which foods compliment your DNA<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"<p>When we are stressed the body secretes cortisol, which is an important hormone created by the adrenal glands. \u00a0Cortisol is activated by the Sympathetic Nervous System and increases when the [&hellip;]<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":2,"featured_media":2513,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"open","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"_genesis_hide_title":false,"_genesis_hide_breadcrumbs":false,"_genesis_hide_singular_image":false,"_genesis_hide_footer_widgets":false,"_genesis_custom_body_class":"","_genesis_custom_post_class":"","_genesis_layout":"","footnotes":""},"categories":[194],"tags":[198,10,164,81,240],"class_list":["post-2511","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","has-post-thumbnail","category-wellbeing","tag-destress","tag-healthy-living-in-london","tag-inspirational","tag-stress","tag-wellbeing-2","entry"],"yoast_head":"<!-- This site is optimized with the Yoast SEO plugin v23.5 - https:\/\/yoast.com\/wordpress\/plugins\/seo\/ -->\n<title>Stress Busting Tips<\/title>\n<meta name=\"description\" content=\"Guest blogger and naturopathic nutritionist, Rebecca Pilkington, reveals her top stress busting 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