Does this sound like you?
When I wake up, I feel exhausted instead of refreshed
Coffee is my fuel of choice, at least two cups per day too
My mind never stops racing. I’m constantly thinking about what’s stressing me out.
I’m trying to eat healthy but I’m too stressed out
Work has me overworked and tired. I have no room left in my brain to think about eating healthy.
How many of those can you relate to?
The old me could have easily agreed with each and every one of them.
I was overworked and turned to caffeine like most of us do.
Some days, coffee became my only source of calories for lunch, and not by choice mind you. Simply by working straight through a lunch break thanks to a stacked work schedule.
I also had the highest sugar cravings I’ve ever experienced and it’s no wonder. I was running off crap.
And the problem is, most of us don’t realize how this kind of crap is actually making our problem worse.
It is literally creating a vicious cycle and that’s exactly what I want to help you break today.
I’m here to show you how your diet is causing you to be even more stressed than you already are. The good news is that everything is fixable.
You Are What You Eat, right?
Since I’m no expert, I’m going to share my favorite tips from nutritionist Dr. Gillian McKeith’s book You Are What You Eat (also the title of the BBC show she hosted which is where I first learned of her).
It was through her help that I first realized what the hell was going on.
Let’s just say, it ain’t pretty.
So I’m here to share her words of wisdom with the hope that you won’t make the same mistakes I made.
You’re Pushing Your Body into Overdrive
According to McKeith, the foods and drinks listed below stimulate your liver to go into overdrive.
When this happens, your blood sugar levels are thrown out of whack causing you to:
- Crave sweets
- Struggle to lose weight, especially in stubborn hip, thigh, and tummy areas
- Become irritable and moody
- Experience anxiety out of the blue
- Wake up several times throughout the night
- Have a feeling of hunger that never dissipates
- Become sleepy in the afternoon
If this sounds like you, keep reading…
Stress Inducing Foods
These foods need to come out of your diet as soon as possible. Otherwise, you’re only going to bring more unnecessary stress into your life.
Start by cutting back instead of going cold turkey though.
#1: Caffeine
I don’t care how you get your fix — coffee/tea/soda/chocolate—it’s time to start reducing your caffeine fix.
McKeith mentions that caffeine pumps adrenaline throughout your body which increases your stress levels and triggers your “Fight or Flight” response.
When you constantly do this, you wear out your adrenal glands and mess with your metabolism.
The result: you’ll start to gain weight that’s extremely difficult to lose and you’ll feel like crap overall (my words, not hers).
#2: Alcohol
As I write this, I am 4 days away from being 100 days booze-free.
But it wasn’t always this way.
I enjoyed a glass or two of wine after work.
Happy hours weren’t routine, but I did find myself attending one at least once a month.
And I never thought I really needed to quit.
That is, until I found out how it was affecting my health.
From a stress standpoint, alcohol also pumps extra adrenaline into the body.
This causes us to experience nervous tension (as if we’re under attack or threat), restless sleep, and irritability the next day.
Have you ever felt like you weren’t in the mood to do anything after a night of drinking?
Well, your body is literally recovering from a stressful attack. It needs time to rebuild.
On top of that, when you drink alcohol in excess, McKeith mentions that you’re “increasing fat deposits in the heart and decreasing immune function.”
And there’s more: Alcohol makes it that much harder for your body to purge nasty toxins floating around in your body.
If those toxins have nowhere to go, they’ll just continue to circulate in your body meaning the added stress never actually goes away.
#3: Sweets
Maybe your drug of choice isn’t a liquid and you struggle with sweets during times of crises.
I wish I could say you were in better shape, but you’re not safe either.
Sugar gives us an initial hit of energy. On the outside, this is a good thing.
As for the inside, it’s a war zone in there.
Just like with #’s 1 & 2, the sugar stimulates your system and overworks your adrenal glands.
This time, we see things like poor concentration, irritability, and depression.
On top of overworking your adrenal glands, the sugar puts an added strain on your pancreas too which can lead you right down the diabetes path.
#4: Salty Foods
Crave the salty goods?
Now we’re talking:
- Increased blood pressure
- Emotional instability
- Depleting the adrenal glands
Processed foods packed with salt need to get the hell out of your life. End of story.
#5: Cow’s Milk and Dairy
Most of us are ill-equipped to digest dairy properly.
As much as we love cheese, it’s time to say sayonara.
To my surprise, these foods can specifically trigger allergic responses according to McKeith. #NoThankYou
#6: Red Meat
Did you know that eating red meat can cause an increase in your anxiety and stress levels?
I didn’t either. I thought it was just fattening.
Nope.
It’s stress inducing and fattening.
#7: Processed Foods/Additives/Margarines
You already know why these foods are so bad so I’m only going to stress the most important point here.
And I’m going to do this using quotes, straight from the horse’s mouth since I’m not the expert.
“In order to digest refined foods, your body has to use its own vitamins and minerals, so depleting its stores.”
This means you’re not getting any nutritional boost, it’s costing you a huge amount of calories, and you’re giving up some of your vitamin and mineral stores along the way. All for a few seconds of pleasure.
It’s a total ripoff.
And when you keep eating these nutrient stealing foods, you’re slowly chipping away at your immunity shield leaving you susceptible to getting sick and run down.
If this happens, you won’t have enough energy or nutrients to fight whatever you’re up against and you’ll just keep feeling unwell for longer than necessary.
It’s time to start cutting down on these foods starting today.
Not only will you feel better stress-wise, you’ll also do your heart and your waistline a huge favor.
While you’re eliminating those stress causing foods, it’s a good idea to add in ones that will help you cut down your levels even further.
11 Foods that Calm the Nerves
According to Gillian, these foods are the ultimate de-stressers:
- #1: Celery
- #2: Sunflower seeds
- #3: Brown rice
- #4: Algae
- #5: Cabbage
- #6: Almonds
- #7: Berries
- #8: Sesame seeds
- #9: Asparagus
- #10: Garlic
- #11: Avocados
You can find almost every ingredient at your local grocery store which means there’s no excuse for not reaching for these healthy foods instead of the first seven.
By cutting back and eliminating these bad-for-you foods, you’ll start feeling better instantly.
To keep the conversation going, join our Facebook group. I’d love to hear your thoughts on today’s article!