Beat Holiday Stress!

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What would holidays be without added stress? While the coming days and recent weeks should be a time rich with healthy relationships, joy, and gratitude, we may find ourselves overcome by frustration from unmet expectations and poor planning. Add to that the rich, sugary foods typical of this time of year, and we have a recipe for emotional upheaval.

Where do we begin to reduce and then eliminate the stress building blocks? We start with our diet, of course. We are what we eat. When we eat junk, we turn our bodies into junk; when we eat healthful, nutritious foods, our bodies reward us with health and well-being. And that definitely equates to less stress and gives us the opportunity for some of that joy and gratitude.

The greatest stress-producing foods are things like:

• Caffeinated drinks (tea, coffee, energy drinks, numerous soft drinks)
• Sugar
• Gluten (studies have shown that gluten (from wheat, barley, rye, etc.) negatively impacts mood by blocking production of serotonin.)
• Processed and refined foods (like white rice, fast food, pastas; anything with artificial colors, flavors and preservatives, flavor enhancers (like MSG), trans fats and other synthetic ingredients)
• Alcohol
• High-fat foods

Some great stress-avoiders in the food category are ones like these (which I found in a great article on Dr. Joseph Mercola's website):
Green leafy vegetables
Turkey
Fermented foods
Wild-caught salmon
Blueberries
Pistachios
Dark Chocolate (yes, chocolate!)
Vitamin D from a great dose of sunshine (not a food, but vitamin D helps with serotonin production)
Seeds (for magnesium)
Avocado

Other beneficial foods: Oats, Green tea, Walnuts, Cashews, Chamomile tea, and Blueberries

All of these foods sound like great additions to a power pantry. Just in time for the holidays, you could stock up on these stress-fighters and look up some new recipes to try. And maybe this is the perfect time to overcome the typical stress and burn-out by trying healthful foods our bodies will love.

By the Way

If you're visiting others for the holiday and concerned there will only be unhealthy food, snack and dessert choices, then consider taking a healthful dish to share with everyone (like hummus or guacamole instead of french onion dip or ranch dressing to go with the veggie tray and chips).

Also, need a sure-fire way to bring the stress level way down? Work on deep, calming, peaceful breathing. Concentrate on the peace you are seeking this holiday and focus your attention on slow, steady, rhythmic inhaling and exhaling. You'll feel better in no time!