STEPHANIE DI GRAZIA, R.H.N / P.T.S
  • About
  • Services
  • Testimonials
  • Recipe Box
  • Media/Events
  • SWEET & SENSIBLE BY STEPHANIE
    • BEYOND THE SHAKE E BOOK
  • Blog
  • Contact

...

Dear Stress, Let's Break Up. 

9/29/2015

1 Comment

 
If you asked 100 people if they’re stressed, I would not doubt that 98 of them would say yes. Stress has become a factor in several areas of our lives and opportunities for emotional chaos are everywhere. Although the stress response can be a useful and motivating mechanism, exposure to chronic stress can have seriously damaging effects to the brain and body.

What is stress?   
The stress response also known as the flight-or-fight response, triggers the body for action to protect you from danger. The brain sends messages to the adrenals which stimulate hormones like cortisol to raise blood pressure and blood sugar. This may be useful to motivate or challenge us to complete tasks, or as a survival tactic to provide us with the energy and adrenaline to escape dangerous situations. However, when our stress response is followed by sitting on an office chair for 9 hours, we are left with an excess of unused glucose circulating in our body which can contribute to weight gain and other health imbalances.

There are three types of 'stressors' that cause a stress reaction in the body:
Chemical - caffeine, alcohol, nicotine, sugar, drug use, high fat diet, household and environmental poisons
Physical - physical inactivity or over activity, noise pollution, accidents, lack of sleep, weather changes
Emotional - fear, anger, guilt, sorrow, jealousy, hurt, anxiety
Picture
 When stress becomes prolonged, the body is forced to maintain higher levels of these natural chemicals. This leads to burn out, or ‘adrenal fatigue’ from having to function in overdrive for long periods of time. Each person has a stress threshold. While some people can handle stress well, others don't. When we reach our threshold, physical and/or emotional breakdown can occur.

Other serious side effects of stress can include neurotransmitter imbalances or hormone imbalance. These can lead to numerous symptoms or conditions like depression, anxiety, difficulty losing weight, weakened immune system, hyperactivity, cognitive disorders, insomnia, chronic pain, excessive fatigue, allergies, addiction, dysglycemia, type 2 diabetes, and more.

Since our diet plays an important role in how we can cope with stress as well as the damaging effects it may have, here are the best & worst foods for beating stress.

BEST
1. Nuts & Seeds – contain valuable stress busting nutrients like vitamins E, B, magnesium, essential fatty acids and fiber. They are also rich in zinc which is important because low levels of zinc have been linked to anxiety and depression.

2. Avocado – Avocados are rich in stress-relieving B vitamins as well as vitamin E and fiber to boost the immune system in times of stress.

3. Dark chocolate – Contains magnesium and supports healthy mood, alertness, and may help to reduce anxiety (and tastes delicious to give you that ‘sweet fix’ you seek when under stress)

4. Oatmeal – A complex carbohydrate that causes your brain to produce serotonin (our feel-good chemical) which also creates a soothing feeling. It’s magnesium, fiber, chromium, and B vitamin content also aid in combating stress.

5. Berries – contain antioxidant vitamins and phytonutrients and are rich in vitamin C, which has been shown to be helpful in combating stress.

6. Green Tea – Has smaller amounts of caffeine and an amino acid called Theanine which has been shown to be a brain booster and enhance mental performance. This would be a great replacement to coffee and energy drinks!
 
7. Salmon/wild fish – One of the best sources of Omega 3. A diet rich in omega-3 fatty acids helps to prevent cortisol and adrenaline from spiking when you're feeling tense.

WORST
1. Soda

2. Coffee and 'energy' drinks

Combining caffeine and sugar is basically a recipe for disaster. It can raise levels of cortisol and put enormous stress on the adrenal glands. It also gives you the ‘jitters’ and rapidly spikes our blood sugar which will lead to a huge crash soon after. This causes us to require MORE stimulants and repeats the cycle.

3. Alcoholic beverages

 Many people drink a glass of wine or pop open a beer to help them unwind. However, alcohol does not calm you—it actually stimulates the body’s natural stress response. It also disrupts sleep (critical for stress management), and increases your risk of cancer, stroke and heart attack.

4. Processed foods – candy, packaged cookies, donuts, crackers, cakes, muffins, brownies

5. Fried foods – fries, chips, poutine, fried chicken

These foods have little to no nutritional value but are high in refined sugar salt, calories, and artificial ingredients which only increase stress hormones and send blood sugar levels sky rocketing causing an intense sugar crash soon after.
This puts stress on the immune system, digestive tract, adrenal glands, pancreas, liver, and cardiovascular system to figure out what to do with all the excess.
These foods can actually increase anxiety and uneasiness, because without fiber to slow digestion of sugar, glucose levels spike, and so do stress hormones.
1 Comment

The Magic of Magnesium

9/11/2015

0 Comments

 
Picture
Magnesium. A remarkably powerful therapeutic nutrient that provides benefits for a wide variety of conditions and is used by every organ in your body. This magical little mineral's extensive health benefits include:

○ Prevention and treatment of muscle spasms & cramps - particularly Epsom salt (Magnesium Sulfate) which loosens tight muscles, reduces swelling and minimizes soreness

○ Decreases stress, nervousness and anxiety by relaxing the nervous system

○ Aids in restful sleep

○ Alkalizes the body and helps to return the body to it's natural pH balance

○ Helps to create ATP aka your body's energy molecules

○ Relieves PMS symptoms & menstrual cramps

○ Works hand in hand with calcium to aid in the proper formation of bones and teeth

○ Relaxation/dilation of blood vessels beneficial for blood pressure and heart health

○ Helps with constipation (particularly Magnesium Citrate) by attracting water to the colon

○ Regulates blood sugar levels by facilitating sugar metabolism

○ Is an electrolyte necessary for hydration

○ Helps the production of protein, enzymes (stimulates every chemical reaction in the body!), and antioxidants

Whether through foods sources, taken as a supplement or used topically (Epsom salt, magnesium mineral oil) make sure you get your magnesium in!

0 Comments

Top Nutrients for Beautiful and Healthy Skin

9/1/2015

 
Picture

Whether you suffer from dry skin, dandruff, acne or psoriasis the look and feel of your skin can make you uncomfortable both physically and mentally. While certain health conditions may be a factor in your less-than-perfect complexion, there are a few vital nutrients that can promote beautiful, glowing and healthy skin.


Water
Drinking water may be the most important factor in healthy skin and flushing out toxins. How much? Aim for 1 ounce per kg of body weight as a good starting point.

Omega/Essential Fatty Acids (EFAs)
Sources: Olive oil, flax seed oil, nuts, seeds and avocados.
Why? These are necessary to nourish your skin and keep the texture smooth and strong.


Vitamin A
Sources: carrots, sweet potato, red bell peppers, dark leafy vegetables, cod liver oil, egg yolks
Why? Anti-aging & prevents acne, blemishes, dry skin, and skin cancer.


Zinc
Sources: Grass fed beef, turkey, oysters, wild seafood, egg yolks, nuts & seeds (pumpkin seeds*), legumes, whole grains, spinach, carrots, squash
Why? Treats acne and aging skin, speeds wound healing and promotes skin renewal

Silica
Sources: Almonds, salmon, avocados, bananas, oats
Why? Strengthens skin (and nails) and is a major component of collagen which keeps skin toned and soft


Vitamin C
Sources: Citrus fruits (oranges, grapefruits, lemons, limes), kiwi, red bell peppers, broccoli, cauliflower, spinach
Why? Increases collagen production, reduces free-radical damage, reduces skin discolorations, anti-aging


Vitamin E
Sources: leafy greens, bell peppers, broccoli, avocado, egg yolk, cold pressed oils
Why? Anti-inflammatory, speeds wound healing, treats wrinkles topically, reduces free-radical damage, anti-aging


Protein
Sources: Eggs, Wild Salmon, Chicken, Hemp Seeds
Why? Getting enough protein is essential to make amino acids used to build and repair skin tissue and promote cellular turnover.


Fiber
Sources: Whole grains, legumes, vegetables
Why? Helps with elimination of toxins which can affect skin and cause break outs.

In addition, avoiding or limiting common dietary irritants such as sugar and caffeine may help to prevent skin reactions, in turning helping you to achieve healthy glowing skin.

    Posts

    My list of tips, substitutions, suggestions & food news.

    Archives

    March 2020
    August 2018
    October 2017
    April 2017
    February 2017
    November 2016
    September 2016
    August 2016
    March 2016
    December 2015
    October 2015
    September 2015
    August 2015

    Categories

    All

    RSS Feed

Proudly powered by Weebly
  • About
  • Services
  • Testimonials
  • Recipe Box
  • Media/Events
  • SWEET & SENSIBLE BY STEPHANIE
    • BEYOND THE SHAKE E BOOK
  • Blog
  • Contact