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Stress IV Hi, Last week we asked the question: Why is diet important in stress management? A strong and healthy nervous system is our first defence line against stress. Good nerves and a steady disposition allow you to shake away stress and handle tension effectively.. Although many factors ensure a healthy nervous system, most nutritionists believe that B vitamins play the vital role in good nerve health. If we follow the natural Life Science diet of fresh fruits, vegetables, nuts, seeds and sprouts, we will have a super a bundance of all needed nutrients- including B vitamins as well as important minerals and trace elements that build strong nerves. On the other hand, junk foods, refined sugars and starches, processed foods, non-foods like alcohol and coffee, and many other substandard foods commonly eaten deplete the body of B vitamins during the metabolism of these foods. These types of foods are nutrient destroyers. In this case, the nutrients being destroyed and depleted by junk foods are the exact same nutrients that your body needs to withstand stress. Perhaps now you can see the stress junk food cycle gets started. A person feels stressed and insecure; he/she then reaches for a sugary “reward” food, such as ice cream or sweets. After the food is eaten, additional B vitamins and other nutrients are depleted. This nutrient loss predisposes the nervous system to more stress attacks, and more junk food is eaten, and so on. Why do people use food as a refuge from stress? First of all, food is a very reassuring substance. Our earliest memories of security go back to being fed by our mother. Feeding, or eating, then represents a way back to security. Food, or digestion, is also used to deaden the feeling of stress. When the body is loaded down with a mess of food to digest, the mind becomes cloudy, dull, and desensitised. The food is used as a drug to obliterate feelings of tension, depression, despondency, or stress. Eating while under stress is actually one of the worst things one can do. Under any type of stress- Physical or mental- the digestive faculties are inhibited and digestion is always suspended. What this means is that if you eat while suffering from stress, indigestion will surely result. A proper diet, coupled with exercise, can be your best partner in stress management. But there is another important factor in effective stress management, and that is……….. To be continued next week, To your good health, Elise