Stress is No Laughing Matter or Is It?

With April Fools’ day leading the month, and April being National Humor month, there’s a myriad of topics I could choose from to write about, but none would be health related or relevant to our topics of mutual interest.

Although you have to ask yourself, whoever developed our National Celebration Day Calendar must have had a sense of humor when it was decided that National Stress Awareness month would be in April. Of course it’s in April, National Tax Day is April 15^th…C’MON! So while national Stress Awareness month takes place in April, it is a topic that should be addressed all year long as many of us face considerable stress factors on a routine basis.

How does the average person deal with stress? There are a variety of things that people can do to reduce stress. Most commonly noted stress relieving activities include exercising, meditation, journaling, engaging in laughter, socializing, getting fresh air and sunshine, dedicating time to take care of yourself and taking time to be thankful. Here are a few suggestions of things to eat and drink to be sure your body has all the ammunition it needs nutritionally to help you maintain a healthy stress response.

1. Go Nuts! Snack on a handful of nuts. They’re packed with magnesium, which can help keep cortisol levels low. High cortisol levels caused by prolonged stress can create a range of health issues, from increased blood pressure to weight gain.
2. You got broccoli stuck in your what? Although many complain broccoli gets stuck in their teeth, it’s a snack for all seasons. Eating broccoli can add a healthy level of folate to your diet. Low levels of folate and folic acid are associated with insomnia, depression, anxiety, fatigue and forgetfulness. Along with the multitude of other health benefits, broccoli is a low-cal healthful snack.  
3. Sugar pie honey bunch, you know that I love you. Sugary foods decrease levels of anxiety-producing hormones, specifically through the production of glucocorticoid. Glucocorticoid is the stress hormone that is also linked to belly fat. The obvious is not to over indulge, as this isn’t a free pass on what is intended to be a little respite. Yet a little touch of sweetness might help induce the feel-good effect you need to bring on a change of pace.
4. How smart are your smart-carbs? Complex carbohydrate-rich foods can help raise serotonin levels, boost your mood and can help you relax. Serotonin is more sensitive to diet than any other neurotransmitter in the brain. Carbohydrates raise serotonin levels naturally and act as a natural tranquilizer[1]. Serotonin is crucial not only to keep your moods regulated; it’s essential to control your appetite and stop you from overeating.
5. Did you feed the chia pet today? Remember those? Well the same seeds, chia seeds, used to make those beloved garden animals popular in the late 70s are a great source of Omega-3 fatty acids. Omega-3s help brain cells to function more collaboratively, and can help you deal with stress more effectively. Cold-water fish like wild salmon, trout, herring, and sardines are other sources of Omega-3 fatty acids. But if you keep chia seeds in your pantry, they’re an easy way to add an energy and mood booster to yogurt, cereal or your favorite fruit smoothie.
6. Give yourself to the dark side. No Darth Vader isn’t calling, but dark chocolate is. In a study conducted in Switzerland, researchers found that participants with high anxiety levels who ate dark chocolate daily showed a significant reduction in stress hormone levels. By eating the equivalent of one average-sized dark chocolate candy bar (1.4 ounces – half eaten mid-morning & half in the afternoon) each day for two weeks, levels of the stress hormone cortisol were reduced as well as the “fight-or-flight” hormones known as catecholamines in highly stressed people. It should be noted that not all chocolate is created equal; your choice of dark chocolate should contain a 70% or higher cocoa content if you’re looking to enjoy any of its health benefits.
7. Got milk? This dairy delight may not be for everyone, but for those who do enjoy moo-juice, it contains tryptophan. Tryptophan is a precursor to serotonin, the mood altering neurotransmitter. Tryptophan must be obtained through diet, as the body cannot manufacture this essential amino acid on its own. Eating foods containing tryptophan is a way to increase serotonin in your brain naturally, which may have a positive effect not only on your mood, but on your sleep, appetite and pain sensation as well. It’s high levels of calcium, magnesium and potassium content will also help keep blood pressure down in turn affecting anxiety levels to be well managed.
8. Some like it hot! Warm drinks raise your body temperature, which is a feeling we associate with comfort. Likewise it triggers a similar response in our brains, offering that warm cozy feeling that helps bring stress down. This may explain why many of us prefer a warm cup of Joe in the morning and insist it helps get the day off to a good start. So enjoy that cup of hot dark cocoa without the added guilt when you need a calming gist, regardless of whatever time of day it might be. 
9. Tea for two and two for tea.  Choosing either black tea or green tea can offer some very positive stress reduction applications. Four servings of black tea daily can lower the production of the stress hormone cortisol even after a stressful event. Drinking green tea, packed with theanine, increases the brain’s output of relaxation-inducing alpha waves and reduces the output of beta waves that incite tension. So take your pick, hot or cold either offers the power packed potential to reduce stress levels.
10. Wet and Wild. Drink a glass of cold water, then go for a walk outside. The water gets your blood moving and air can invigorate the body by stimulating endorphins helping to alleviate stress. The walking will help keep blood circulating and the change in scenery may help inspire new ideas, change your mood and lift you up. 

If any of these don’t fit into your modus operandi, some frolicsome considerations might include a few fun holidays celebrated in April that also offer us just cause to indulge as we look to de-stress. Included in April is National Pineapple Upside Down Day on the 20^th, National Cherry Cheesecake Day on the 23^rd, National Zucchini Bread Day on the 25^th, and National Blueberry Pie Day on the 28^th. Yet while these are all worthy (cough, cough, eh-hem) and delectable causes for celebration, they do offer a viable excuse to remedy our third suggestion to eat something sweet. And while justifiable, remember as noted all things in moderation, if not we’ll stress out over all the excess calories we’ve snuck in.

However, a less indulgent route might be to celebrate in the spirit of a non-food related holiday. A favorite among many is pet ownership. April 11^th was National Pet Day and is a great reminder, even if the date has past, that our pets are not only our friends, but they can also have a positive effect on our health. Studies have shown that people who own pets handle stress better. It’s also a known fact that they experience positive effects to the cardiovascular system[2].  Dog owners enjoy further benefits as walking the resident pooch encourages a less sedentary lifestyle providing positive effects on blood pressure, cholesterol numbers, and even mental stress.

For those with children National Kids and Pets Day is celebrated on April 26^th. Dedicated to furthering the bond between children and their pets, this day also helps raise awareness of the numerous animals in need of homes that remain in pet shelters. What a better way to relieve your stress than to bring home a new furry friend who needs stress relief as much as you do.

Studies show that the effects of stress can lead to physical deterioration of critical systems in the body[3], when a person’s stress response is impaired. One of the risk factors for stress is social isolation, hence our national holiday National Hang Out Day celebrated on the 19^th is not necessarily as ridiculous as it may sound. It serves to motivate us to put aside isolated activities however necessary they may seem, and allow ourselves time to engage in some much needed social time. Engaging in group activities or family events may very well be what the doctor ordered to curtail stressful feelings brought on by isolation.

Here’s a fun suggestion. Why not combine a few of the anti-stress ideas we’ve brought to light here? Pick an upcoming weekend to host an old fashioned tea party. There are no rules here, if tea isn’t your thing you can serve coffee, I serve alternative beverages at my tea parties all the time. Kick it up a notch and consider holding it outdoors. Go one higher and invite your friends with pets, to host a play-date for you and for your furry friends. Offer a choice of tea or coffee, along side of a sweet treat. Suggest a round-table of story telling, where everyone can share their favorite stories and pet tales. Hopefully the laughter that will ensue will bring about additional stress relief benefits for all who attend. The end result, you’ve changed what might have been an ordinary hum-drum weekend into an ensemble of memories and a break from the mundane. Don’t under estimate the power of a play-date at any age.

Above all don’t allow yourself to feel alone. Isolation can be quite daunting. If you don’t feel comfortable entertaining, go somewhere that instigates some level of interaction. Enjoy a beverage at a local café, as in the least you’ll have to speak to the wait-person to place your order. Maybe go to a library event and engage in conversation there. Or take a moment to visit your local health food store as there’s usually a conversation already in progress that you can join in*. If not ask what interesting new foods or products have hit the shelves. By all means don’t endure the stress of life alone.

“No man is an island, entire of itself; every man is a piece of the continent, a part of the main. If a clod be washed away by the sea, Europe is the less, as well as if a promontory were, as well as if a manor of thy friend’s or of thine own were: any man’s death diminishes me, because I am involved in mankind, and therefore never send to know for whom the bells tolls; it tolls for thee.”

* A quick nod and thanks to Beryl and Jolyne for chatting with me on a Sunday when I just needed to breathe and grab a few ideas. A shout out also to Linda & Debbie who always make time for me when I stop in. This should have been included in last month’s newsletter, forgive the tardiness of my note. 

[3] http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/24588822