Your Diet Has a Direct Link To Stress

In times of stressful days, what food can give you more energy and can regulate your mood? We all have our own taste in comfort food: many of us turn to sweets such as cakes, candies, ice cream, pretzels, and other high sugar, low fiber foods. These foods may give pleasure and satisfaction for a short while, but the intake of these foods can cause high blood pressure, chronic inflammation, diabetes, weight gain, and fatty liver disease, which can sometimes lead to a heart attack or a stroke (Dr. Hu, 2022). With that, we need to set limitations on eating sweets by having a healthy diet. 

The following foods are suggested by the WHO (World Health Organization) for a healthier diet (2020):

• Fruits and vegetables. Theis includes lentils, beans, millets, oats, wheat, and brown rice. It is advised to eat 400g of fruit and vegetables every day. It can help reduce the risk of having chronic noncommunicable diseases (NCDs). Fruits are good replacements for processed sweet foods.
• Low-fat or fat-free dairy. This includes a variety of yogurts and cottage cheese: these can be a great source of protein, minerals, and B vitamins riboflavin. This is also the best way to boost your calcium intake without consuming as many calories.
• Seafood. The intake of this can give a lot of benefits to our body resistance. This can lessen saturated fats, sources of protein, and essential nutrients that include omega-3 fatty acids, vitamin A, and vitamin B. 
• Plant-based proteins. This includes lentils, broccoli, oats, hemp seeds, quinoa, and sprouted whole grain bread. The intake of these foods can reduce the risk of cardiovascular disease and some types of cancers. These foods can also assist in weight management since plant-based proteins lessen the consumption of saturated fat and cholesterol.

The following foods must be avoided as suggested by WHO (World Health Organization) for a healthier diet (2020):

• Foods and drinks that consume high levels of sugars, such as sugary snacks, candies, and sugar-sweetened beverages.
• Decreasing salt intake to the recommended level of less than 5 g per day.
• Lowering the amount of total fat intake to less than 30% to avert unhealthy weight gain.

 If we manage to have a healthier diet, we can get an increase in antioxidants that can be beneficial for stress management. All of these suggested patterns of a healthy diet must be taken in moderation. Study shows that following the above eating patterns will minimize the risk of chronic disease – one of the identified effects of aging and depression.