FOOTLOOSE AND…
Chronic stress is no fun for either sufferer or family member or friend or co-worker. But addressing the problem, magnified by symptoms such as fatigue, tense muscle, shaky hands, heartburn, headaches and insomnia, can produce important positive results.
There are things you can do without expensive “outside involvement,” which include coping strategies like planned physical activity, yoga, breathing exercises, strong management of your personal time, massage and positive thinking! Studies show chronic stress is linked to serious health issues like high blood pressure, obesity and depression. The sooner you tackle it, the better.
One painless antidote to the problem is to make sure your diet includes the following four stress-fighting foods.
Blueberries are loaded with antioxidants and counter the negative effects of stress hormones like cortisol.
Dark chocolate is rich in flavonoids. Seek chocolate with cocoa content of 60 percent or higher. Dark chocolate also contains a natural mood enhancing chemical called phenethylamine.
Then there is the well-known stress-fighting of fatty fish and other Omega-3 rich foods. A lesser known effect of eating Omega-3 rich foods like salmon, trout, flaxseed, walnuts and soybeans is they suppress stress hormones and charge up the “feel good” hormone, serotonin.
Finally, there are sunflower seeds, an excellent source of folate, which promotes the de-stressing brain chemical dopamine.
Face up to the problem — you can control it.
