For lots of people, when under pressure, the first instinct might be to reach for a quick snack or caffeinated beverages (energy-boosting drink inclusive) to help them power through their tasks. Unfortunately, most of the foods most people tend to turn to for help, actually cause more harm than good, increasing anxiety levels instead of relieving them. Here are five foods that you must totally avoid the next time you’re feeling stressed.

1. COFFEE

This is the first beverage almost everyone goes for, simply because coffee has high amounts of caffeine, and will provide an energy boost which often makes people feel better. However, research has shown that drinking coffee throughout the day can cause you to experience fluctuations in energy and alertness. According to Stephen Cherniske, author of Caffeine Blues, “caffeine can cause your body to be in a state called “caffeinism,”.

When you’re in this state, you’re likely to feel anxious, irritable, depressed, and tired — none of which will have a positive impact on your stress levels. While the caffeine in coffee may cause you to feel instantly alert (temporal feeling), soon after, you’ll experience a caffeine crash, which can cause you to feel even more stressed out.

2. ENERGY DRINKS

Energy drinks contain both caffeine and sugar. No doubt they provide an energy boost, but the effects last for a short while and then quickly wear off. Taking energy drinks when your stress levels are high is like adding a dynamic duo of trouble to the equation. A combination of both caffeine jitters and the sugar crash will definitely increase the amount of stress you’re under. Another important fact that you must take note of is that, caffeine stimulates your nervous system (which can also increase your blood pressure) there by leading to a rapid heartbeat, and cause you to feel jittery.

Too much caffeine can also affect your sleep, thus causing you to feel even more stressed out and leaving you exhausted both mentally and physically. Furthermore, when you’re exhausted, you’re prone to be more easily agitated and less patient, both of which can increase your stress levels.
So instead of chugging down an energy drink, the next time you’re facing a never-ending to-do list, reach for a calming cup of green tea instead and save yourself from more anxiety.

3. ALCOHOL

Alcohol is a strict no no when you’re feeling stressed out. Although lot’s of people turn to alcohol to relieve their stress, the fact is that it might actually increase the sensation of stress and anxiety. Alcohol stimulates the production of a hormone called cortisol, which makes people feel more stressed. According to Emma Childs, research associate at The University of Chicago, stress can also change how alcohol makes a person feels: it can reduce the pleasant effects of alcohol or increase the craving for more alcohol.

Stress is largely misunderstood, which could be dangerous for people who might be suffering from its effects.  We’ve compiled a list of questions and answers about stress to better educate you; these are the  questions that you should be looking for an answer to but might not even know to ask. By the time you’re done reading this, you should be ready to answer these questions yourself:

1. What is stress?

Stress is the feeling you experience when your body prepares a response to perceived danger or some other situation that requires urgency. Hormones are released immediately, and these hormones not only speed up your heart rate, making you to breathe faster, but also give you a burst of energy. In very simple terms, stress is your body’s way of helping you prepare in situations where your brain thinks you might need some extra help.

2. Is stress bad all the time?

No, stress is not always bad. As we just said, stress is a mechanism used by the brain to enable you overcome dangerous or challenging situations. However, stress can also be bad, particularly when it becomes chronic, or results in constant fear and paranoia. If you’re always stressed, the risk of you having a heart disease or condition, increases.

3. What causes stress?

There’s no particular source of  stress and the answer to this question usually varies from individual to individual. It could be caused by too much pressure at work or school, simply because you’re not getting enough rest,  or even by the memory of unpleasant events from the past.

4. Are there differing types and severity of stress?

Basically, there are two types of stress: Acute Stress/stress reaction and chronic stress. Acute stress/ stress reaction is the immediate response your body gives in the presence of danger. It rises rapidly, causing you to breathe faster and boosting your energy levels, and then it subsides after a time and allows your mind and body return to their normal state. A stress reaction can be more or less intense, and more or less prolonged, depending on the severity of the stressor.
Chronic stress, on the other hand, is a persistence of the stress reaction, which continues at or near its peak without return to the normal relaxed state. While the body can handle acute stress very well, and even performs better under such conditions, it is not designed to accommodate it on a sustained basis and this could lead to severe health complications. The severity of chronic stress depends on the stressor that first triggered it, the continuing stressors that maintain it, and on the lack of any real resolution. Chronic stress is what most people refer to when they complain of suffering from stress.

5. Can chronic stress be prevented?

Stress can be prevented from becoming chronic, especially in children and young adults. The most important thing in prevention of chronic stress is identifying the major stressor and if you can identify this, the next step would be trying to avoid these stressors as much as possible. Another helpful way of preventing chronic stress is by exercising, eating healthy and managing your time more efficiently.

6. What are the risks associated with stress?

The risks associated with stress are minimal at the acute stage; chronic stress, however, carries physical, biological and social consequences, and could lead to so many illnesses, such as stroke, high blood pressure, and other heart conditions. It can also result in psychological disorders like, bipolar disorder, anxiety, depression, and etc. Chronic stress can also have emotional, behavioral and cognitive effects which can affect your work and communication with others.

7. Can medication help lower my stress level?

The simple truth is, no. One thing you must understand about stress is that it’s not a disease so technically it cannot be cured. There are , however, some medication that can help you manage the symptoms of stress (such as headaches, diarrhea and constipation, etc) without really lowering your stress levels, but it is always better to learn to manage stress though relaxation, exercise and other stress management techniques.

Conclusion

Medication can be helpful for many things, but usually not for dealing with stress. Some people take tranquilizers to calm them down immediately, but it’s far better in the long term to learn to manage your stress through relaxation or stress management techniques. Be careful not to confuse stress with anxiety. If you suffer from anxiety, speak with your doctor about a treatment or management plan(which might include medication).

A professional fitness instructor will be able to help you design a personalized fitness plan that will help you relieve stress and achieve your weight loss or fitness goals. If you would like to hire one, please get in touch with us at:

WhatsApp number: +971565830067 (Just send us code 5147and we will get back to you ASAP)
Contact Us: Click here to send us your details or fill in the form below.

You can get in touch with us 24/7 and one of our experts will not only give you a free consultation but also help you pick out an appropriate male or female personal trainer to meet your needs. One-on-one personal training lessons are available in Dubai, Abu Dhabi, Sharjah, Ajman and RAK.

As you might know by now, stress can build up to a lot of complications, including illnesses and emotional trauma, which in turn can lead to even greater complications. Stress can also be the precursor to depression.

In dealing with stress, medication can sometimes help to ease depression and other symptoms of stress, but then again, the risks of troubling side effects like a numbness, loss of sexual interest and weight gain are high. You might want to try some other means of dealing with stress other than medication, and we have compiled a listed of alternative treatment options that will help you deal with stress and its effects (depression in particular) safely and effectively:

Exercise

Exercises–aerobic exercises especially–will go a long way in improving your health. Exercise in generally not only improves your health, it also has a way of improving your mood temporarily, by boosting the release of the body’s feel-good chemicals called endorphins. It also keeps your mind busy for a while, taking it off that situation that might have caused the stress in the first place, whether it be work, or studies or family problems. Research has shown that exercise may also have long-term benefits for people with depression. Regular exercise seems to encourage the brain to rewire itself in positive ways. The best part is, you don’t need to run marathons to get these benefits, and simply going for a brisk walk a few times a week would be very helpful.

Eat Healthy

To be totally frank, there’s no magic diet that instantly fixes stress, but there are foods that may actually mitigate or exacerbate whatever symptoms of stress you might be feeling. Foods like alcohol, for instance, shouldn’t be the first food to go after when you’re feeling stressed out. On the other hand, foods which contain Omega-3 fatty acids, such as fatty fish, and folic acid, such as spinach and avocados, could help relieve the symptoms of stress and depression.

Get Enough Sleep

You might be surprised to find out that it is quite possible that the only reason why you’re stressed is because you’re not having enough sleep. 7-8 hours of sleep each night is the recommended amount of sleep adults should have regularly.

Try Having More Fun

The simple fact is, having fun will help improve your mood and also distract you from whatever it is that might be bothering you and contributing to raising your stress levels. Most people spend most of their time at work or working in some way or the other and work related issues are the reason for elevated stress levels. If possible, the best thing you could do is get a job that you actually love doing and in that way, you’ll be having fun throughout the day, and won’t feel so stressed out when challenges do arise.

Conclusion

There you have it! 5 different activities you could do without having to face the possible side effects that many stress relieving medications come with. Try to fix your daily schedule to adapt to these activities.

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As we go through life, some amount of stress is inevitable, but the way we handle it will determine just how serious it’s affects will be. Some people tend to eat more of junk foods when they’re stressed, some don’t eat at all, and others take it out on their kids and spouses. The truth is that what you eat may actually help relieve your tension. Indeed, some foods may help stabilize blood sugar or, better yet, your emotional response. Here are some foods to reach for when you feel stressed out.

1. Avocados

Though Avocados might be high in fat and calories, they also contains a high amount of potassium which is needed to reduce high blood pressure. Not only is it rich in potassium, it is also rich in glutathione, a substance that specifically blocks intestinal absorption of certain fats that cause oxidative damage. Avocados also contain lutein, beta-carotene, vitamin E, and more folate than any other fruit. One thing to remember though, is the fact that as much as avocados are a fruit, they have a very high fat content, so watch your portion size.

2. Cashew Nuts

Nuts in general are very nutritious and filling. If you’re trying to lose weight, nuts are ideal foods as they have a combination of fat and protein that just fill you up. Cashew nuts in particular are an excellent source of zinc and low levels of zinc have been linked to both anxiety and depression. The body doesn’t really have an efficient way of storing zinc for future use, so it’s important to get some every day. If you get fed up of eating cashew nuts, you could trade cashews for other nuts such as, peanuts and walnuts.

3. Milk

Research has shown that calcium eases anxiety, depressions and mood swings linked to Pre-Menstrual Syndrome. Low-fat milk is the best source of calcium, so when you’re a bit tensed up or you feel your stress level has been raised due to deadlines at work or due to something else, a cool glass of low-fat milk will help you relax and ease off.

4. Dark  Chocolate

You’ve probably read from previous articles that some types chocolate helps keep your heart healthy; additionally, chocolate helps reduce stress levels. Research has shown that, in moderation, chocolate does actually make you feel better after a bad day.

5. Green Tea

Green tea not only helps you lose weight, but it’s also an excellent food to boost your brain and also enhance your mental performance. Green tea also protects us against some types of cancer. Drink a cup of green tea to start off your day and be sure of a great day ahead of you, with less stress.

6. Fatty Fish

Fatty fish such as salmon and tuna contain Omega-3 fatty acids, which can prevent surges in stress hormones and may help protect against heart disease, depression, and PMS (premenstrual syndrome). For a steady intake of omega-3, aim to eat at least 3 ounces of fatty fish at least twice a week.

Conclusion
These foods not only help reduce your stress levels, but are also generally nutritious to your whole body system. Always have in mind that the foods you eat will play a major part in your health and fitness, so it’s important to always take your nutrition seriously.

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Inasmuch as Stress might not technically be a medical disease, it sure does have a lot of symptoms on our body, physically, mentally and emotionally.
Many people fail to realize that the reason why they feel the way they feel is because of stress. They mostly connect their constant headaches or insomnia to a certain illness. Some go to the extent of even getting drugs to treat that illness they think might have, totally ignoring the fact that stress might be the actual culprit. Stress can cause certain changes in your behavior and also in your health. Sometimes they might be clear signs and other times, you can’t really link them, but whatever the case might be, it’s always better to find out the roots of these problems and most importantly on time, before it reaches the chronic stage.
Stress can show itself in many different ways- see below for so many different ways that it could, and try to observe yourself, or your colleague at work or your family members to see if they’ll exhibit or complain of some of the characteristics. However these characteristics will be placed in categories namely, cognitive, behavioral, emotional and physical.

So let’s kick off with Cognitive symptoms

COGNITIVE SYMPTOMS

Cognitive is derived from the word Cognition and Cognition has to do with the set of all mental abilities and processes related to knowledge, attention, memory and working memory, judgment and evaluation, reasoning and computation, problem solving and decision making, comprehension and production of language, etc. Human cognition is conscious and unconscious, concrete or abstract, as well as intuitive (like knowledge of a language) and conceptual (like a model of a language). Cognitive processes use existing knowledge and generate new knowledge.
So if your cognitive abilities are compromised, it would definitely affect your work negatively and so many other important decisions you make.
Here are some common cognitive symptoms.

• Memory problems
• Inability to concentrate
• Poor judgment
• Seeing only the negative
• Anxious or racing thoughts
• Constant worrying

EMOTIONAL SYMPTOMS

Emotional symptoms are one of the easiest way you can recognize a stressed individual. Other symptoms can also be symptoms of other diseases or illnesses, but the emotional symptoms are most times strictly related to stress.
Some of these symptoms include;

• Moodiness
• Irritability or short temper
• Agitation, inability to relax
• Feeling overwhelmed
• Sense of loneliness and isolation
• Depression or general unhappiness
• Loss of confidence, motivation and confidence

BEHAVIORAL SYMPTOMS

Another easy way to identify a stressed person is by his or her behavioral change. It could vary from just simple and minor changes to major changes, you just find yourself doing things that you were never used to doing before. Most people usually use the statement, “I don’t seem to understand myself anymore”. They say that they just lose interest in what used to give them so much joy before and they keep isolating themselves from family and loved ones. Behavioral symptoms include the following.

• Changes in eating habits
• Increased smoking, drinking or drug taking ‘to cope’
• Mood swings effecting your behavior
• Twitchy, nervous behavior
• Changes in attendance such as arriving later or taking more time off.
• Sleeping too much or too little
• Isolating yourself from others
• Procrastinating or neglecting responsibilities
• Nervous habits (e.g. nail biting, pacing)

PHYSICAL SYMPTOMS

These symptoms like I said earlier, can also be symptoms of other illnesses. But you must also have in mind that they might be as a result of stress. So next time you get some of these symptoms, don’t be in a hurry to take pain relief drugs. What drugs will do is to cure the symptoms, but remember, it is always better to cut off the source than to keep battling with its symptoms.

Some of these symptoms include;

• Aches and pains
• Diarrhea or constipation
• Nausea, dizziness
• Chest pain, rapid heartbeat
• Loss of sex drive
• Frequent colds

CONCLUSION
It is important to take note of these symptoms immediately they commence and open up to your doctor. You might not easily notice it, sometimes it might be your colleague at work or your family member that’ll notice these symptoms and tell you about it. So don’t be offended when they do, instead try looking for a way to adjust.

WhatsApp number: +971565830067 (Just send us code 5237 and we will get back to you ASAP)
Contact Us: Click here to send us your details or fill in the form below.

You can get in touch with us 24/7 and one of our experts will not only give you a free consultation but also help you pick out an appropriate male or female personal trainer to meet your needs. One-on-one personal training lessons are available in Dubai, Abu Dhabi, Sharjah, Ajman and RAK.
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