One adjective seems to be fit for most contemporary lifestyles, i.e. stressful. Nearly every health problem diagnosed today seems to have its roots in stress. Now, it has been established that our eating habits, particularly the kind of food choices we make, can seriously impact our tendency to remain stressed. Just like there are foods that fight stress, some foods are known to induce stress.
1. Refined Sugar Foods
Food items, usually packaged or fast food goodies, packing a high concentration of refine sugar surround us everywhere. Anytime you want to get a quick bite, some form of sweetened beverage or baked item is easily available. All these foods tend to induce an immediate feeling of goodness. This is due to the instant manner in which refined sugar is absorbed—also called a sugar spike. However, the spike is soon followed by a low or a crash where the sugar-induced goodness slowly wears-off, leaving your feeing low, inducing a feeling of being de-energized or irritation. This in turn creates a craving for more sugar, creating a vicious cycle that plays havoc with your mind and drastically raising your calorie intake. It is better to choose naturally sweet foods like fruits, such as apples, mangoes and peaches that are healthier and equally sweet.
2. Packaged Foods High in Preservatives
Packed foods, particularly the cooked variety, or those requiring a greater degree of preservation contain very high amounts of preservatives like MSG apart from sugar and other chemical additives. These compounds tend to raise our blood pressure which in turn is an underlying reason for feeling uneasy and stressed.
3. Caffeine-spiked Foods
If you are a coffee addict, you must have felt the upsurge in your mood you feel every time you sip from a cup full of coffee and the intense deprivation you feel without it. The reason for this is simple—Caffeine is a strong stimulant. Yes, it is natural and having it occasionally is good for your mental health, but being dependent on it means you are making yourself more vulnerable to stress every time you aren't holding a hot simmering cup in your hand.
4. Cholesterol-heavy Foods
Cholesterol is actually one of the most essential nutrients but an excess of it can act as a major health deterrent, i.e. physically and mentally. Cholesterol in high amount tends to thicken the arteries that raises our blood pressure and induces unwanted hormonal changes. Cholesterol-heavy foods like Potato Chips and French Fries induce a greater stress on our digestive system for metabolizing the fats, making it lose out on many essential nutrients that are required for the anti-stress biochemicals, called neurotransmitters, to be synthesized and function properly.
5. Foods Packing Excessive Proteins
The world seems obsessed with eating lots of proteins. However, what people don’t understand it is that unless you are a diehard gymming enthusiast, eating excessive proteins is not good for your psychological health. This is why—serotonin is the main anti-stress hormone in our body. For converting tryptophan into serotonin, we need vitamin B6. However, when excessive protein is eaten, most of this vitamin is engaged for breaking proteins into amino acids. Certain amino acids (like phenylalanine) found in protein-rich foods inhibits synthesis of serotonin. Thus, limit your intake of eggs, protein shakes, fish and chicken unless you are trying to raise your muscle mass.
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