Improve Your Mood + Lower Stress Through Nutrition
Mood + Anxiety disorders are the most common mental illness in Canada. During these uncertain times, more and more people are experiencing anxiety due to high stress situations.
On a more positive note - let’s chat about how we can learn to manage this from a certified holistic nutrition consultant’s point of view.
FIRST THINGS FIRST….
What is holistic nutrition?
It’s a natural approach that addresses the person as whole including:
diet
lifestyle
emotional well-being
Our overall healthy lifestyle involves more than just the food we eat. Today I want to focus on exercise, food + our gut health and give you tips to support your mood and lower your stress. So let’s dive in.
EXERCISE
Our stress hormones, adrenaline + cortisol, have a purpose. When we are in a threatening situation where we might be in danger, our stress hormones develop in our body to help us to run fast or to fight. But, when the stress comes from our perception (when we have something we can’t fight) we have a build up of these chemicals. One way to lower these stress hormones is exercise! Exercise can help burn off those chemicals so then we can get back into a relaxed body and a clear thinking mind.
Whether you work a desk job, are a mom, are a student, or work from home you can make time in the day to move your body. Take a break during your day to go for a quick walk, wake up a few minutes earlier, or put your phone down to make time for some movement. It doesn’t matter what type of movement - pick something you enjoy that will get your heart rate up a bit. Your mind + body will thank you!
FOOD
Good nutrition can play a helpful role during times of stress and anxiety. I will focus on 3 nutrients that you can incorporate into your diet to help boost your mood.
VITAMIN B6
Did you know that low levels of B6 may increase panic attacks? Women are 2 times as likely as men to experience anxiety overall, but women who consume more vitamin B6 are less likely to experience anxiety. Getting enough B6 in our diet is an important way to support the body during a stressful time and help reduce anxiety.
The recommended dietary allowance (RDA) for B6 is 1.3 milligrams per day for adults.
food sources:
salmon
ground turkey
pistachio
tofu
MAGNESIUM
It is interesting to note that magnesium supplements can be used as a natural support for anxiety. It is uncommon for people to reach their daily recommended intake for magnesium so it is important to be aware of foods high in magnesium to incorporate more into your diet. Magnesium regulates neurotransmitters, therefore meeting dietary magnesium requirements can help prevent magnesium deficiency-related anxiety from occurring in the first place.
According to the Food & Nutrition Board, the RDA of magnesium is about 420 milligrams per day for adult males and 320 milligrams per day for females.
food sources:
spinach
seeds
brown rice
dark chocolate
FIBRE
2 reasons why fibre is an important nutrient to reduce anxiety.
1- It helps to balance our blood sugar which helps improve anxiety symptoms.
2- Fiber also feeds gut bacteria to produce short-chain fatty acids (produced when dietary fibre is fermented in the colon, crucial for GI health) which can decrease anxiety.
Women need 25 grams of fiber per day and men need 38 grams of fiber per day.
food sources:
flaxseed
chia seeds
beans
avocado
broccoli
GUT
If you regularly experience anxiety - it may be helpful to know that an unhealthy gut microbiome may be associated with anxiety. Research has indicated that the gut directly affects the brain, often known as the gut brain axis. When looking at some cases of anxiety, studies have shown an imbalance of your gut bacteria can lead to symptoms of anxiety. Two of my top tips to support a healthy gut are to:
- Avoid highly processed foods which are often lacking in nutrients (like fiber) and loaded with sugar.
- Avoid unnecessary use of antibiotics + over-the-counter drugs as these can disrupt our gut health and over time can harm our gut lining. If you are finding you are dependant on over-the counter drugs, or your immune system is weak, it may be time to address your gut health. 80% of our immune system is in our gut, so by improving your gut health, you will be supporting a stronger immune system!
* This blog post does not give you permission to stop taking your medication. Often it is necessary and beneficial to overall health.
I have created a 7 day meal plan to support your mood + stress.
For $38 your meal plan will include:
- breakfast, lunch, dinner + 2 snacks incorporating meals high in magnesium, fibre + B6.
- full grocery list that outlines ingredients you will need to follow the meal plan.
- shopping list organized into categories based on how a typical grocery store is laid out to avoid back tracking.
- number of servings + total prep time.
- notes included for tips on how to store left overs + I give substitution options if you are missing an ingredient or want to swap something out.
- photos with each recipe (who doesn’t like to see what their meal/snack will look like?!)
Most importantly, it will eliminate the stress over what you’re going to eat for the next week ;)
To purchase one, click the ‘add to cart’ button below!
