Your diet has a big impact on your overall health. Most people know that what you eat can impact you physically in lots of different ways- weight, energy levels, and heart health to name just a few. But did you know that your diet has a big impact on your mental health— and your stress levels?

Eating and drinking the right things can stabilize your mood and energy levels, and also help you calm down when you’re feeling tense. But fuelling up on the wrong things can lead to feeling sluggish and your energy levels spiking and crashing throughout the day.

If you’re dealing with high levels of stress and facing a lot of challenges in life, looking at your whole lifestyle is important. This includes exercise, relaxation and learning effective stress relieving techniques. Diet is definitely an important piece of the puzzle, so let’s look at some guiding principles to help you manage stress through what you’re eating and drinking.

Stabilize your blood sugar

Stress makes you tired. It interferes with your sleep. It’s therefore perfectly natural to want to grab something sugary to give your energy a little boost. And in moderation, this can be fine.

The problem is that sugar is very rapidly absorbed and used by the body. It causes your blood sugar levels to rise, which in turn alerts the body to create more insulin- the hormone which converts sugar into energy in our cells.

More insulin means that blood sugar levels quickly drop, leading to a sugar ‘crash’ not long after the rush. When the body detects low blood sugar, it releases more adrenaline- a hormone involved in the fight or flight anxiety response. This means that low blood sugar levels can directly lead to elevated stress levels.

Not only that, but when blood sugar levels drop, you’ll start to feel tired and your brain will get foggy, increasing the temptation to grab another snack to pick yourself up, and the roller coaster ride continues. A bit of sugar as a treat once in a while is fine, but relying on it for energy is a bad idea; it’s much better to get your energy from other places.

Try to cut down on:

● Chocolate and sweets
● Fizzy drinks
● Fruit juice— you might think of this as a more healthy option (and there are definitely worse things you can drink), but the juicing process breaks down all the carbohydrates in fruit juice into a form that’s absorbed much more quickly, giving the same sugar highs and lows as less healthy drinks.

Foods to eat more of

Instead, try to fill your plate with foods that fill you up and release energy at a consistent rate throughout the day.

These include protein, complex carbs, wholegrains and fiber. This is especially important at breakfast, as eating the right things in the morning stabilizes your mood and energy levels for the whole day— and can even help you sleep better at night.

Easy ways to get a more nutritious breakfast include:

● Include some protein with your breakfast- a boiled egg, or peanut butter on your toast
● Switch to whole grain toast or replace sugary cereals with alternatives high in fiber
● Eat a more balanced meal at breakfast- there’s no rule saying breakfast has to be pastries, toast or cereal. Why not have some of last night’s leftover dinner?
● Eat whole fruit instead of drinking fruit juice

Use caffeine wisely

It’s tempting to rely on coffee to get you through the day when you’re tired and groggy. And again, in moderation this is fine. But in the long run, overindulging in espressos or americanos really isn’t going to do you any favors.

Why? High caffeine levels affect the body in the exact same way as stress, elevating cortisol levels and leaving you feeling tense, irritable and unable to focus. This is precisely what you don’t need when already dealing with high stress levels.

Caffeine also lingers in your system longer than you might think, and can inhibit your ability to relax in the evening and sleep at night. Another bad night due to being unable to switch off leads to more reliance on coffee the next day, and on and on it goes.

Now don’t worry- we’re not saying you have to totally live without coffee to feel better. You just need to be more strategic with your caffeine intake to enjoy the energy boost it provides without suffering the stressful after-effects.

Tips for smarter caffeine intake include:

1. Drink one or two coffees per day- no more
2. Avoid all caffeinated drinks after 2pm, ensuring all caffeine has left your system by the evening.
3. Drink coffee right before exercise- this will give you a good energy boost for your morning run or gym session, and the exercise will counteract the buildup of cortisol so that you don’t suffer elevated stress levels as a result.
4. Switch to herbal teas in the afternoon and evening. A fresh mint tea or rooibos can be just as revitalizing as caffeinated teas and coffees, but without any risk of interfering with your sleep or stress levels.

Avoid binge or comfort eating

When we’re feeling anxious or overwhelmed, we often end up throwing all healthy eating habits out the window and reaching for comforting snacks like chocolate, crisps or pastries. There are a couple of reasons we tend to comfort eat.

● Depleted willpower- our willpower— the ability to resist temptation— is a limited resource. High stress levels and constant worries can deplete it, meaning that you’ve no willpower left to fight the urge to snack.
● Insulin interference- stress can actually have an impact on the levels of insulin produced in the body, and how effectively it functions. This means that when we’re stressed, the body is less able to use the sugar in our blood as fuel, so we naturally find ourselves craving more.

Binge eating is a surefire way to lead to rapidly rising and falling blood sugar levels, leaving you feeling wired and agitated one minute and tired and irritable the next. Eating lots of the things we know are bad for us can also lead to guilt and poor body image.

The best way to avoid the cravings for unhealthy food is to eat a balanced meal at breakfast and lunch. Filling up on protein and wholegrain will stop your body craving quick hits of energy.

You can also help yourself avoid comfort eating through a bit of forward planning. If you know you find it hard to resist certain snacks, don’t keep them in the house. Instead, stock up on healthier snacks like fruit, nuts and dark chocolate so that if you feel the urge to snack, at least you’re snacking on something good for you.

Look after your gut

There is a strong connection between gut health and mental health, known as the gut-brain axis. This means that poor digestion can lead to stress and anxiety, and vice versa, as well as leading to problems like bloating, constipation and acid reflux.

Taking care of your digestive system is about both what you eat, and how. Here are some pointers:

● Eat more fiber- fiber is essential for helping food move smoothly through the guts. Berries, wholegrains, broccoli and dried fruits are all great sources.
● Stay hydrated- likewise, drinking enough water is vital for healthy gut functioning. Experts recommend men drinking around 3.7 liters of water a day, and 2.7 liters for women.
● Eat more slowly- scoffing down your food while you’re running about getting ready in the morning, or grabbing a quick lunch on the go during the day puts a lot of additional strain on your digestive system and can lead to reflux and bloating. Instead try to take some time just for eating, and ensure you properly chew every mouthful.
● Eat probiotic yogurt- this contains helpful bacteria which aids in digestion and keeps your stomach and intestines healthy.

Foods for healthy brain functioning

Finally, there are various different things you can eat which can help your brain function more optimally. Many of these foods help you stock up on essential compounds that help your brain combat stress, resist mental illness and function at its best. Foods to try include:

● Almonds- these are rich in magnesium, vitamin E and healthy fats, all of which promote healthy brain function.
● Pumpkin seeds- another good source of magnesium, essential for helping the brain fight stress and worry.
● Blueberries- blueberries are rich in vitamins and antioxidants which keep your brain healthy.
● Chai seeds- these are a great source of omega-3, a healthy fatty acid with a range of health benefits and links to reduced anxiety.
● Dark chocolate- this form of chocolate improves blood flow to the brain and helps your brain cells communicate more effectively. This makes you more able to adapt to challenges and deal with difficulties.
● Salmon- salmon, and oily fish in general, are another great source of omega-3. They also contain nutrients which help regulate levels of serotonin and dopamine- neurotransmitters essential in mood regulation.

Food for thought

No one is perfect, and no therapist would reasonably expect you to eat a perfect diet all of the time.

That said, there are some foods, drinks and eating habits which can make stress and anxiety worse if they’re too big a part of your routine. And there are plenty of foods you can eat more of to improve your physical and mental health.

Don’t stress too much about counting every calorie or perfectly balancing every meal, but see if you can find some simple changes you can make to your shopping list and daily eating habits.

And remember, eating to help with stress is only part of the picture. Learning to regulate stress and build a stress-proof lifestyle requires looking at your life as a whole. You can always speak to our expert therapists for a helping hand if you want to know more.