Stress Repairing Nutrients
Healthy Fats: monounsaturated
fats and omega three fatty acids. Monounsaturated
fats: olives, nuts, canola oil, avocado. Omega
3 oils: salmon, flaxseed, soy (Sweet Habanero Olive Snapper, Backcountry BBQ Shrimp Salad have seafood with Omega 3.)
Vitamin C: oranges,
kiwi, strawberries, spinach, broccoli, peppers (Chipotle Olive Turkey Chile includes peppers.)
B Vitamins: green leafy vegetables, legumes, whole grains, seafood (Harissa Olive Lamb Bulgur has whole grain.)
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Stress & Overeating
by Connie Guttersen, RD PhD,
author of the Sonoma Diet
Food As A "Calming Drug."
Eating "comfort foods" can cheer us up and perhaps may even make us feel better. For the first time it has been shown that eating "comfort foods" or calorie rich foods diminishes the body's response to chronic stress by acting as a "calming drug." This new report published in the September 2003 issue of the Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences (1), suggests that the tendency to overeat during times of chronic stress is biologically driven and is part of a stress response system within the body. Under the direction of Professor Mary Dallman, co-author Norman Pecoraro investigated how hormones and brain cells shape eating behavior and stress responses that ultimately contribute to America's obesity epidemic, depression, type 2 diabetes and increased cardiovascular morbidity and mortality.
This study, which was conducted on stressed rats, concludes there are definite mechanisms that interact with food, coping and energy storage. The authors also conclude that the results would apply to humans since both rats and humans have the same stress response system that kicks in when stress or threat occurs. This news does not come to health professionals as a surprise, since medical studies have already reported that dieting, either by caloric restriction or decreasing total fat consumption to very low levels, provokes stress, anxiety and even depression. (2,3,4)
The studies further conclude that these feelings may be related to the actual amount and type of fat consumed. Dieting and weight cycling decrease serotonin levels by decreasing the blood levels of the amino acid precursor, tryptophan. Dieting also results in alterations or depletion of total membrane essential fatty acids, such as omega 3 fatty acids. These changes in the membrane distribution of fatty acids leads to a neurochemical imbalance conducive to depressions.
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Chronic Stress & Overeating.
Earlier studies have shown that there are clear links between chronic stress and overeating in some people (5, 6). One of these links is a definite increase in compulsive behavior. In rats, for example, it is characterized by wheel running, while in humans it could mean more frequent trips to the fridge or particular cravings. In short, it is all related to food. During stress, "happy messengers" such as serotonin, noradrenalin and dopamine begin to malfunction. The nerve centers then begin to receive mostly overstress messengers. This state of overstress is characterized by fatigue, aches, anxiety, depression, sleep disorders, and a general feeling of being overwhelmed.
| Symptoms of "Overstress" |
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| Blood Pressure |
Aches |
| Anxiety |
Depression |
| Sleeplessness |
Overwhelmed |
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The body experiences two kinds of stress, acute and chronic.
Both have metabolic responses to bring conditions back to
normal. Acute stress stimulates the body to release a cascade
of stress hormones such as glucocorticoids, which interact
with the brain and central nervous system. If stress persists
more than 24 hours, such as in chronic stress, stress hormones
become chronically elevated and trigger anxiety, which in
turn causes more signals in the central nervous to further
release more stress hormones. This "chronic stress response
network" as coined by Pecoraro, modifies a variety of mechanisms
associated with coping, one of these factors includes food
intake.
The chronic high concentration of glucorticoids increases
the preference for high sucrose and fat foods and systematically
increases abdominal fat storage. In turn, the negative feedback
or metabolic response of this is for the abdominal fat stores
to inhibit catecholamines and corticotropin releasing factors
in the brain and hypothalamus--in other words, the abdominal
fat stores generate a stress-relieving signal in the brain.
However, if the stress does not diminish, the abnormally elevated
concentrations of glucocorticoids will continue to promote
abdominal obesity. Unfortunately, this particular type of
obesity is strongly associated with type 2 diabetes, cardiovascular
disease and stroke. So while an occasional relief of anxiety
with sweets or fatty foods may not be too harmful, habitually
attempting to relieve stress by high fat/sugar foods may be
bad for the health in the long run. A better solution to calming
nerves with high sugar/fat foods would be to choose healthier
sources of dietary fat such as monounsaturated oils and smarter
choices of carbohydrates. TOP
Three Anti-Stress Brain Chemicals - "Happy Messengers"
- Serotonin
- Induces Good Sleep
- Noradrenalin - Gives you energy
- Dopamine -
Body's natural pain killer
Metabolic Effects of Chronically Elevated Glucocorticoids During Stress.
- Stimulates the
release of corticotropin releasing factor
in the brain and begins the chronic stress
response effect.
- Act in the brain to increase the
salience of compulsive activities (i.e. seeking
food) and food preference for sugar and fat.
- Redistribute energy stores into intra-abdominal sites, which in turn relays a stress relief signal to the brain.
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Chronic Stress & Insulin Resistance
Studies (7,8) have found that as glucocorticoids increase with chronic stress there is a redistribution of stored energy to intra-abdominal cells and an increase in insulin resistance. The insulin resistance that occurs as a result of these elevated hormones is most likely a consequence of a hepatic rather than a peripheral tissue response. Insulin resistance is a group of health risk factors that increase the likelihood of heart disease, diabetes and some cancers. Other risk factors for insulin resistance besides excessive abdominal body fat include high blood sugar, high blood triglycerides, low density lipoproteins, and high blood pressure. People with insulin resistance do not always have every one of these risk factors, but usually have many of them. Recent medical literature also suggests that insulin resistance is associated with work related mental and emotional stress as well as other aspects of a stressful lifestyle. The link between insulin resistance and obesity is actually a vicious cycle: obesity contributes to insulin resistance and insulin resistance contributes to weight gain by not processing glucose efficiently. Stress can now also be viewed as a contributing link to this cycle as it may promote both metabolic conditions.
Insulin resistance is also affected by the type of dietary fat consumed. (9,10)
Preliminary studies in animals and humans suggest that insulin
resistance is increased by an increased consumption of saturated
fat and improved by the increased consumption of monounsaturated
fats and omega three fatty acids. There are many diet and
lifestyle choices that can improve stress and insulin resistance.
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Here are Six Lifestyle Choices for Health and Stress Reduction
- Enjoy exercise
Exercise increases the body's cells sensitivity
to insulin and can relieve mental stress.
- Lose weight if necessary
As little as a 10% reduction in body weight can
improve the cells' sensitivity to insulin.
- Choose the best carbohydrates
Avoid "pick me up" refined sugary carbohydrates
and aim for the nutrient dense whole grains.
Low fiber, refined carbohydrates stimulate
the most insulin secretion, almost immediately
after being consumed. Aim to keep the total
caloric intake of carbohydrates to no more
than 45% of total calories. Again, with the
emphasis on whole grain nutrient dense choices.
- Rather than focus on a low fat eating diet, maintain a healthy intake
of dietary fat, approximately 30 to 35% of
total calories with a greater emphasis on
the healthiest choices: monounsaturated fats
and omega 3 fatty acids. - Olives, nuts, peanuts,
canola oil, and avocados do not affect insulin
levels and are heart healthy. Omega 3 oils
are predominant in salmon, walnuts, flaxseed,
and canola. It is conceivable that dieting
with low fat diets provokes stress, anxiety,
and depression. So choosing healthy fats becomes
even more important.
- Consume adequate protein with meals
Protein rich foods are not only nutrient dense
but also promote satiety.
- Manage stress and develop good sleeping habits
Stress and inadequate sleep i ncrease the stress hormones (i.e. Coritsol) and increase insulin resistance. TOP
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