Stressed? Your Daily Diet and Lifestyle Habits Can Help!

Stress is everywhere. From the biggest emotional traumas to the smallest notifications on our phones, stress is unavoidable in our modern world - but learning to manage this stress can help improve our overall sense of wellbeing.

Stress can leave you feeling overwhelmed at the best of times, but placing the body under large amounts of stress for long periods can actually cause more health issues than you’d expect! Long term, high stress can impact quality of life, causing things like high blood pressure, anxiety, and fatigue to develop.

In response to stress, cortisol is released by the adrenal glands, triggering extra glucose to be released to provide energy for a “fight or flight” response. While cortisol levels fluctuate throughout the day, high levels of stress can impact the balance of cortisol and leave us feeling less than our best. 

Let’s have a look at how your destress routine could look throughout your day.

7AM: SUNSHINE AND BREAKFAST

Good morning! Did you know, cortisol is the hormone that helps us wake up and is therefore generally at its highest for the day within 30-45 minutes of waking? 

Now, I know for many of us, the first thing we reach for is coffee, but hear me out. 

Caffeine is a stimulant, meaning it increases the circulation of cortisol around the body. Considering your cortisol levels are already at the highest of the day, adding caffeine to the mix can further increase cortisol making it more challenging to balance levels throughout the day.

Instead, let’s aim to start with a healthy breakfast and some sunshine. Research has shown that people who consume breakfast tend to experience more stable cortisol levels throughout the day, best preparing to face the day's stresses. Including a source of wholegrain, high fibre carbohydrates (like oats or sourdough) and healthy fats (like avocado or nut butter) can help to optimise brain function, improve gut health and increase overall satiety to help you feel ready and prepared for the day. 

Getting your daily dose of vitamin D by spending 15 minutes in the morning sun has also been found to support adrenal function, improve overall mood and decrease perceived stress levels, leaving you more equipped to handle the day. 

 

10AM: COFFEE BREAK

You’re at work. It’s mid-morning, your energy is starting to slip and you’re craving a caffeine hit!

If you’re like me and your daily almond latte is a non-negotiable, I get you. But, let’s try to limit this to one, maybe two per day. It is recommended we consume no more than 400mg of caffeine per day (the equivalent of 4 shots of espresso), however, when trying to destress, limiting this as much as possible can go a long way. 

If you’re open to switching up your order, switching to a green tea or matcha latté may help you feel calmer too. Green tea contains polyphenols which have been linked to providing a sense of calm while providing a similar mental alertness to coffee. Yes, that means that strawberry matcha you’ve seen everywhere may actually help you destress!

Now whether you’re a local at the coffee shop down the road or an instant in the office type of person, getting up from your breath for a breather can help to clear your mind and calm your nervous system. Where possible, use getting your coffee as a chance to get up, get some fresh air to keep you feeling even a little less stressed. 

3PM: THE MUNCHIES

Mid-afternoon and it’s common for that sweet or salty pick-me-up craving to kick in. But instead of reaching for that bag of chips or that block of milk chocolate, let’s try swapping these out slightly instead.

Maybe it’s some salted popcorn to curb that salty craving, while providing you with fibre to keep your gut happy, and a whole grain source of energy to power your afternoon.

Maybe it’s dark chocolate instead of milk chocolate to give you a higher concentration of polyphenols, helping you feel calmer and at least a little less stressed.

Maybe it’s some fresh fruit, full of fibre and antioxidants to keep your gut healthy and provide you with a refreshing snack to leave you feeling your best. 

Whatever you choose, trying to reach for a healthy, fibre rich option will help give you the energy you need to get through the rest of the day while meeting those cravings we all seem to get everyday!

 

8PM: BEDTIME ROUTINE

You’re home, you’re tired, you’ve had dinner and you want nothing more than to relax on the couch and wind-down. And actually, that wind-down routine can make a huge difference to your cortisol levels and your night sleep.

Quality and quantity of sleep has been linked to cortisol levels, with high levels often prevalent in people experiencing insomnia. Winding down before going to sleep has shown to help calm the nervous system, decrease cortisol and improve quality of sleep to leave you feeling refreshed each morning.

This routine can include a variety of self-care habits like a nightly skincare routine, reading a book before bed or switching off your phone an hour before sleep. The most important thing is that this routine is consistent every night, to signal to your brain that it’s time to wind down. 

For many, consuming a warm drink habitually before bed can be cozy and calming, helping to destress and promote a quality night sleep. Teas like chamomile or lavender can provide a sense of calm and are a great option before bed. Or, if you’re more like me and love a sweet treat to finish off your day, Moon Mylk is a great option, containing botanicals like ashwagandha and passionflower alongside magnesium to help your body relax before going to sleep. 

 

While no one food or lifestyle habit will work alone, being a little strategic about the nutrients you consume on a day to day basis, and the self care habits you choose to include in your routine can help you destress, balance your cortisol levels and leave you feeling your best.