Mental health articles

Certain nutrients have been shown to help with stress. The “fighting five” are the vitamins A, C, and E and the minerals zinc and selenium. These disarm those “nasty” free radicals produced under stress. Foods containing such antioxidants include: plums, tomatoes, kiwi fruits, dark green vegetables (cabbage, kale, broccoli, spinach), seafood, sesame seeds, and pumpkin seeds. With continued stress, it might also be worth getting a nutritionist to check your levels of DHEA(dehydroepiandosterone) and cortisol: stress decreases the former and increases the latter, and a nutritionist can help you rebalance these.

Vitamin C supports the adrenal glands and can be most easily found in black and red berries, kiwi and citrus fruits. The adrenal glands also need magnesium, found in grains, green leafy vegetables, soya beans, almonds, wheatgerm, cod, and mackerel. Cutting down on sugar (and alcohol) helps the liver to detoxify the body. Stimulant drinks (coffee and caffeine drinks) encourage adrenalin production and should be cut down or eliminated totally.

Please do not drink anythingwith aspartame (a sweetener used in many soft drinks, and even in flavoured mineral water) in it.

Tags: anti-stress, foods, stress