MANAGING STRESS - DIET

MANAGING STRESS - DIET

Healthy food habits, such as eating right, avoiding excess sugar, surfeit of fat, and
avoiding alcohol and tobacco will help one handle stressful situations more effectively. A
well balanced diet is crucial in preserving health and helping to reduce stress. Certain
foods and drinks act as powerful stimulants to the body and hence are a direct cause of
stress.

This stimulation, although quite pleasurable in the short term, may be quite harmful
in the long run. One will have more energy and self-confidence, and be less likely to
experience the physical side-effects of stress when one eats a balanced diet, gets enough
sleep, drinks enough water and exercises regularly. Indiadiets.com prescribes the following
eight point plant for health diet:

1. Eat plenty of fiber, pulses, whole grains, foods made with wholegrain flour (such as
wholegrain bread), and fruit and vegetables give you the benefit of fiber as well as
its associated essential fatty acids, minerals, and vitamins. Grains are better only
coarsely ground.

2. Eat plenty of fresh fruit and vegetables, especially green leafy ones. These give you
the vitamins, minerals, essential fatty acids and fiber you need. Peel the fruit as
little as possible (peel and pith are nutrient rich). Cook vegetables lightly by steaming
or stir-frying and eat some raw everyday to benefit from their hormones and enzymes.

3. Cut down your fat intake (especially saturated fat ). Choose fish, offal (organ meat),
game, poultry, whole grains, pulses, nuts and seeds, or sprouted seeds, rather than
red meat and cheese.

4. Cut down your sugar intake. Use sugar as flavoring rather than as a food. Avoid
cakes, sweets, chocolates, biscuits, puddings, ice-creams, jam, fruits canned in
syrup, soft drinks, sugar in tea and coffee, and milk shakes.

5. Cut down your salt intake. Instead of adding salt to your food use herbs, spices,
fresh ginger, horseradish, lemon juice, tomato puree, vinegar, soy sauce, vegetable
stock, yeast extract, chutney, and other flavorings.

6. Cut down your consumption of processed food to avoid the “ empty calories” of
saturated fats, added sugar, refined cereal grains, and additives.

7. Drink only moderate amounts of alcohol.

8. If you are overweight, exercise more and consume the amount of food and drink
that will enable you to reach and keep to your optimal body weight