There are so many things in this world that can work to our detriment. In this series, we have been talking about what you can remove from your day to day life that will improve your stress levels and thus, your health!
Today we are talking about toxic food. This can be a touchy subject because there are so many different thoughts about what is toxic to eat. However, I think most people can say that eating clean, lean meats, vegetables, nuts, seeds and fruit would be a great place to start the conversation of what is healthy!
This means that processed foods like most grains, dairies, foods with added sugar and alcohol all are things that can raise inflammation within the body. When we increase the inflammation levels in the body, we expose ourselves to a variety of hormones, not all of which are beneficial when we are exposed for long periods of time!
One of these hormones is cortisol. Cortisol is the stress hormone and is beneficial in small doses. It is the fight or flight hormone (among others) and it is very helpful when used correctly in the body. However, if your body is exposed to this hormone for a long time, due to poor nutrition, then your body starts to gain weight, feel tired, have more pain, have more anxiety and have more digestive problems.
This prolonged elevation of cortisol can be reduced with proper nutrition and rest! However, it would be better to avoid this problem all together! You can help by following many of the steps that we have been outlining in the past two weeks!
Things to avoid that increase stress:
- Extra work for your job
- More appointments
- More commitments (think bookending your day)
- Poor nutrition
Things to add that decrease stress:
- Sleep
- Reading
- Prayer or Meditation
- Time with friends and family
- Exercise
By working hard to make these changes in your life, you can dramatically improve the stress that it is in your life! This will make you healthier, but also happier in your life!
If you want to decrease your stress and need help, we want to help you! We specialize in improving life for people with exercise and nutrition coaching! If you feel you need more help, reach out to us here! Our experts are ready to guide you to the life that you most want to live!
