What is stress? This is a really important topic, and something that a lot of us are likely thinking more and more about. Stress, broadly defined, is anything that adds load to the body beyond life generally. Stress can be psychological (deadlines, disagreements, watching the news) or physical (fitness, lack of sleep). It’s often an external sort of insult (illness, injury and environmental toxins).
Are you feeling your best? Stress is a cause of many symptoms, and it is also caused by something. So while this article is not a deep dive into remedying it, as you would with any other imbalance, this is rather a manifesto for shifting our relationship with stress leaning heavily on plants and practices around food and its rituals to change our personal experience of stress. 95% of serotonin (your happy hormone) is made in the gut— it supports mood, desire and performance but when your microbiome is out of balance then you’re also not going to have a good time.
The effects of stress on the nervous system have been investigated for 50 years. Stress makes us rigid. Whether it is physical, emotional or mental stress, when it becomes chronic and is sustained over a long period of time, the body begins to inflame and break down, and that is when we begin to experience pain. Stress also makes it more difficult to control your urges and actions. Sleep, exercise, great food—these have to come first! If you identify you are falling into eating habits that do not serve you, consider the following:
Are you stressed? If so, how can you reduce it? How much of that stress is self-imposed? Do you need to adjust your expectations? If the stress is external, can you say no? Can you ask for more time?
What are your triggers? Ask yourself, why am I doing this? Identify your triggers. Are you anxious? Are you operating outside of your comfort zone and procrastinating, standing at the fridge? Once you understand your triggers, you are in a position to act accordingly. This will happen again, but when it does, you will understand and react consciously.
Bring all your attention to your food
Consider its history. Who grew your food? Are you aware of the country of origin? Who cooked it, did you? Did someone else? How did your food come to be on your plate? What does it look like? How does it smell? What can you taste? Cooking is one of the best ways to connect with nature and to nourish and nurture ourselves and others—for so if our ingredients are local and organic (as possible). Depending on your location, buying food from farmer's markets and other local producers will have varied degrees of access. Regardless, increasing our awareness towards ingredients lists, seeking out country of origin labelling, we begin to deepen our relationship to food and nourishment.
Water. Throughout the day
We’re all too familiar with the ubiquitous eight glasses a day. Water keeps things flowing in the digestive tract. During sleep, we fast and dehydrate. Hydration is key, and every aspect of your health will benefit from drinking enough—including your skin. Keep a bottle with you. You don’t need to buy one, I’m reusing 1L glass bottles—this makes tracking your consumption fairly easy. Add lemon, tons of ice if that helps. Your water should be filtered, investing in a filter, any filter is better than no filtration at all. If you are putting effort into your water quality, you inherently think about it and want it more, which can only be a positive. Giving yourself a good dose of water first thing daily is an essential easy move, and one that too many people skip.
Leave your place of work for fresh air
Doesn’t matter where you work, whether its’ an office tower, a mall, or from home, you leave for at least 15 minutes and get some fresh air and sun—weather dependent. The physical distance is only a positive for the mind. The sun is the most effective form of vitamin D. Highly researched now in connection with COVID-19 because of its effect on the immune system. Studies have shown that Vitamin D can expedite healing and stall inflammation in the respiratory system. A balanced approach relies on a daily fortification of the immune system, not only in times of need. This thinking should be applied to your diet in general.
Breaks
Think of breaks as an opportunity to create healthy habits. 15 minutes. This is what most people are entitled to so make sure you take it. This half-hour daily is not making it into your payslip if you don’t. Whether you take the time to message friends or family, to read, listen to a podcast. Do something but not work. I’ll take my dog Goji on a walk to pick up groceries. If you don’t have a dog, take yourself for a walk through the neighbourhood.
Work then eat. Or vice versa
Even if you are at work, stop what you are doing. Read, don’t work and eat. So that means eating breakfast before leaving for work, that is, if you leave the house to go to work. If you work from home, I strongly recommend creating a routine that serves you. Eat before you are seated at your desk.
Sit down and slow down to eat
This is something I resolved to focus on last year, particularly slowing down around meal time, being present with my food and the people I am sharing mealtime with. Or maybe not. Perhaps you need time alone. If you are outdoor, find a park bench or sit on the grass. An interesting read is Thich Nhat Hanh's How To Eat, I heard good things. Hanh recommends occasional silent meals, even when seated with your family or a group. Eat slowly, eat in moderation. Sit and take breaths before you eat.
Liquids before, and after. Not during
Drink filtered water throughout the day, but not with or right before a meal, as that can make digestion more complicated. Wait about an hour after eating. This will assist with digestion, as you won’t be diluting digestive juices.
Herbs
After dialing in diet and lifestyle, look to a blend of herbs that includes cordyceps (shown to reduce fatigue and stress, increase libido and improve cardiovascular health) and ashwagandha (supports hormone balance, emotional balance and brain function). Both are calming adaptogens that help with recovery. Reishi is one of the most studied plants, improving the body’s ability to resist stress. Licorice is another worth including, (to support cortisol levels and adrenals). Highly prized in Chinese herbalism, eleuthero is a woody herb used to boost metabolism and is known to impact the nervous system, increasing circulation and decreasing recovery time and stress levels.
Be thankful
Express a sentiment of gratitude and respect for all of the elements and human beings who come together to grow, harvest, process and in many instances, transport the food that nourishes us. Give thanks for all you have. There’s more to come, and then some. Love what you have, and the floodgates will open.
And as a final note, to reduce stress on Mother Nature, do not waste food. If you are committed to cooking, really into cooking, you will be aware of what ingredients you have on hand, organise all your ingredients and adopt a first in, first out method. I am big on regular clean outs and keeping what I have very visual. This helps you to stay on top of the food you've got, to use what’s been around the longest, and helps to reduce waste overall.
And a final, final note, all the above, pair with an adjusted environment and boundaries or if required, a new environment.
This content is not intended to be a substitute for professional medical advice. Always consult with your healthcare provider before altering your routine.
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