Diet and good nutrition is only one part of effective stress management.
Welcome to my blog @Age Smart Nutrition. My goal is to explore nutrition topics and explain them to educate the average consumer.
My name is Claudia Martin-Ayoade and I am a Registered Dietitian, Writer, Speaker and a passionate nutrition advocate for food insecurity. I am originally from Jamaica and likes to introduce my clients to tropical foods in order to expand their nutritionl options and reduce food boredom.
I don't know about you but I refuse to let stress take over my life. Multiple studies have shown that stress leads to various forms of illness and death. My mantra is to not let anyone, or anything take years off my life. These are my rule of thumb to reduce stress.
Rule 1: Eat a healthy balanced diet and drink water every day. The adage that ‘you are what you eat’ is true. You need to eat a variety of foods in order to get the vital nutrients to build your immune system in order to help your body fight the effects of stress and reduce the harm it can cause.
Rule 2: Get physical! Add physical activity at least 3 times per week for minimum of thirty minutes. Work up a sweat and you will release endorphins that will uplift your mood and if you lose some weight then your mood will be even better!
Rule 3: Identify the cause of your stress and change your environment. Sometimes it is necessary to change where you hang out and with whom you hang out if you want to reduce your stress.
Rule 4: Identify what and who makes you happy and pursue increasing those moments. While you may not get them every day, it will certainly make the times you do much more special.
Rule 5: Sometimes you can start a new hobby that you enjoy. Don’t make general plans that becomes overwhelming and causes you not enjoy the process. In other words, make sure it is realistic and brings you joy! Learn a new dance or start a garden!
Rule 6: Don’t forget to get enough sleep. Your body needs to rest and recharge for you to feel your best.
Rule 7: Find the humor in the stressful moments. If you look hard enough there is humor because it is all in your perspective. I took my que from late night talk show hosts who find the humor in the everyday depressing news.
While eating healthy is important, it is only a part of what should be a more comprehensive stress management plan. Don’t create more stress by stressing out about food! Celebrate the positives, manage the negatives and live to laugh another day!