Top 10 Stress-Reducing Foods + CortiSLIM!

1. Oatmeal

Oatmeal helps get serotonin flowing, a calm-inducing hormone. Go with steel cut or old fashioned oats (instead of instant oatmeal) because they¹re higher in fiber and take longer to digest. Therefore, their calming effect lasts longer.

 

2. Oranges

Oranges make the list because they¹re rich in vitamin C. Reliable studies show that it helps lower blood pressure and the stress hormone cortisol, while strengthening the immune system.

 

3. Spinach

Too little magnesium may trigger headaches and fatigue, compounding the effects of stress. Spinach is packed with magnesium, which also regulates cortisol levels and promotes feelings of well-being. A cup of spinach contains 40% of your daily requirement, so work it into your meals or smoothies.

 

4. Salmon

A diet rich in omega-3 fatty acids helps keep cortisol and adrenaline from spiking when you're feeling tense. For a steady supply of omega-3's, try to eat at least 3 ounces (about the size of your palm) of salmon 2-3 times a week.

 

5. Black Tea

Drinking black tea may help you recover from stressful events more quickly. One study compared people who drank 4 cups of tea daily for 6 weeks with people who drank juice or coffee. The tea-drinkers reported feeling calmer and had lower levels of the stress hormone cortisol after stressful situations.

 

6. Pistachios

Pistachios are a good source of healthy fats. Eating a small handful of pistachios, walnuts, or almonds every day may help lower your cholesterol, ease inflammation in your arteries, decrease your risk for diabetes, and protect against the effects of stress.

 

7. Avocados

One of the best ways to reduce high blood pressure is to get enough potassium, and half an avocado has more potassium than a banana. Avocados are also rich in stress-relieving B vitamins, which help promote healthy nerves and brain cells. Guacamole is a good choice when stress has you craving a high-fat treat. Avocados are high in calories though, so mix a bunch of onions and tomatoes into your guacamole and be careful not to overeat.

 

8. Almonds

Almonds are chock-full of helpful vitamins: Vitamin E to boost the immune system, plus B Vitamins, which may make you more resilient during bouts of stress and help boost your immune system. To get the benefits, enjoy a small handful daily.

 

9. Asparagus

Depression has been linked to low levels of folic acid, and asparagus is an excellent source. A single cup of asparagus provides 2/3 of your daily value, and it¹s easy to fit into almost any meal. Try marinating them in olive oil and wrapping them in foil on the BBQ. They¹re also great steamed or sautéed in an omelet.

 

10. Blueberries

Blueberries are loaded with antioxidants and vitamin C, making them excellent stress-busters. When we¹re stressed, our bodies need vitamin C and antioxidants to help repair and protect healthy cells. Combine blueberries with Greek yogurt for a well-balanced, stress-reducing snack.

 

11. CortiSLIM Advanced with Vinpocetine   www.cortislim.com

Excessive Drinking Linked to Early Childhood Trauma

Why can some people control themselves from drinking too much while others go on to make fools of themselves or destroy their lives?

Sometimes the tendency to drink excessively may be more than just a case of escaping from problems or too much partying. The likelihood for alcoholism has been linked by scientific research to childhood stress.

Now, stress is not all that bad. In fact, it is necessary for survival as the right amount of pressure helps a person to think and act better in the face of difficult situations we will encounter throughout life. Cortisol, our main stress hormone plays a key role in the body’s “fight-or-flight” response by increasing our body’s available energy and nutrient supplies to our muscles so we can respond with quickness and efficiency.

So if too much stress is bad for us, where do we draw the line? According to research published by the National Center for Injury Prevention and Control of the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, the benefits of stress stops when it is ‘severe enough to overwhelm a child’s ability to cope effectively’.

Too much stress suffered over a long period can result to ‘a variety of short- and long-term negative health effects.’ It can disrupt the development of the brain in early life, and also impair the functioning of two body systems that play a vital role in developing a physically and emotionally healthy human being—the nervous and immune systems.

An article written by Dr. Steve Bressert for Psych Central (a website providing the latest news and research about psychological disorders, treatments and medication) adds that prolonged stress suffered as early as infancy could permanently change the way our stress hormones respond and how we react to stressors such as when drinking alcohol.

Wait...did you say drinking alcohol is stressful? In the short term it makes you relaxed, but if you continue to drink while the stress is ongoing (which is most likely the case as alcohol will not actually solve the problem) it increases the possibility that you’ll drink more...and more as a means of coping, till it leads to dependence.

Alcohol and brain chemistry

I’ve mentioned earlier that the occasional stress is an inevitable fact of life and can even be healthy for us. The body’s expected reaction after the threat is over is to gradually decrease cortisol levels until we return to our normal state. But for chronic stress sufferers or long-term heavy drinkers, their body struggles to return to its physiological state ofbalance. As the demands increase on their body’s systems, it sets a new (lower) balance point, resulting in a less effective body functioning.

One such effect is on brain chemistry. Since the balance is now tilted, when alcoholics experience stress, they may experience higher anxiety levels than non-alcoholics as their brains demand the release of higher levels of cortisol and other stress hormones. Cortisol is also linked to the brain’s “pleasure” systems, which is why a heavy drinker with higher-than-average cortisol levels need to drink more than before in order to achieve the same effect. In addition, cortisol plays a role in learning and memory (what a very busy hormone!), which is why our heavy drinker is more inclined to make drinking a habit and has an increased tendency of a relapse.

And oh, did I forget to mention why some alcoholics don’t seem to eat much, yet have large bellies? Cortisol causes the body to crave for high-fat foods AND tells it to put excess body fat in the abdomen, that’s why.

The deciding factor

You may be thinking that a lot of people experienced difficulties (broken family, poverty, war and famine, etc.) when they were young but didn’t turn out to be alcoholics or drug addicts as adults.

A person’s resilience, or the ability to cope with stress is influenced by several factors in the environment. These factors may help offset the effects of physiological changes that happened in early childhood.

Dr. Bressert’s article mentions that the strength of the relationship between stress and drinking depends on whether alternative coping mechanisms and social supports are available.

A study published in the National Institutes of Health also indicate “that mediating factors such as gene-environment interactions and family and peer relationships are important for resilience.” Another research published by the National Institute on Alcohol Abuse and Alcoholism credits positive thinking, an optimistic attitude, problem solving and planning as the characteristics of resilient people.

Managing Stress

Managing Stress:

We all have stress sometimes. For some people, it happens before having to speak in public. For other people, it might be before a first date. What causes stress for you may not be stressful for someone else. Sometimes stress is helpful – it can encourage you to meet a deadline or get things done. But long-term stress can increase the risk of diseases like depression, heart disease and a variety of other problems.

There are very few among us who have never experienced stress. Whether it’s a pending work deadline or an overwhelming physical threat, our body’s response to stress can be both helpful and harmful.

Our stress response gives us the strength and speed to ward off or flee from impending danger. But when it continues, stress increases cortisol levels and can put us at risk for obesity, heart disease, cancer, and a variety of other illnesses. [Stress System Malfunction Could Lead to Serious, Life Threatening Disease by George Chrousos, M.D., Chief of the Pediatric and Reproductive Endocrinology Branch at the National Institute of Child Health and Human Development and Philip Gold, MD, of the Clinical Neuroendocrinology Branch at the National Institute of Mental Health, National Institutes of Health, 2002].

A threat to your life or safety causes your body to undergo immediate physical changes. A chemical signal deep inside your brain speeds stress hormones through the bloodstream, preparing your body to be alert and prepared to escape danger. This is known as the “Flight or Fight” response. You have faster reaction times, your concentration becomes more focused, and your agility and strength increase. When the stressful situation ends, hormonal signals switch off the stress response and the body returns to normal. [George Chrousos, M.D., and Philip Gold, MD, National Institutes of Health, 2002].

But with today’s fast paced lifestyle, stress often doesn’t let up. Many of us now constantly experience anxiety and worry about work, relationships, money, the economy, college expenses, and job security-among others. As a result, the stress hormones produced by our body in anticipation of physical harm or threat continue to wash through the system in high levels, never leaving the blood and tissues. The stress response that gave our ancestors the speed and endurance to escape life-threatening dangers runs constantly in many modern people and never shuts down.

If you have chronic stress, the best way to deal with it is to take care of the underlying problem. Counselling can help you find ways to relax and calm down.

Regular exercise, as well as medicines, and the following supplements, may also help:

Supplements, like CortiSLIM, that have stress mitigating ingredients can be helpful.

Supplements that reduce insulin resistance can be useful.

Chromium in appropriate form and dosages has been shown to be an effective insulin sensitizing agent that reduces excess insulin as well as glucose.

Calcium in appropriate form and dose may reduce fat deposition.

Vanadium can reduce appetite as well as improve glucose utilization by cells, thereby reducing excess insulin production.

Green Tea has been found to reduce absorption of fats, as well as reduce excess insulin production.

Green Tea also has an effect that increases metabolism, thereby increasing calorie burning with normal daily activities. Also, Green Tea contains caffeine that in many instances can reduce stress.

Magnolia Bark may reduce stress and cortisol secretion.