BETTER KNOWN CAUSES OF STRESS

More and more people these days are becoming aware of stress. Awareness that not only is stress increasing but they also have stress. As a result, a lot of us try to find out the causes and also seek some professional help. This could be in the form of psychiatrists, counselors or psychologists.

Due to a lot of information availability, we now have also learnt to figure out stress and the fact that it can be work related or personal life related. We seem to think that the following are the only causes of stress:

• Work pressure or conflict at the workplace
• Desire to grow fast, greed and expectations mismatch
• Marital or other family problems
• Interpersonal or relationship issues
• Worry regarding finances, children, illnesses or the future.
• Very recently, people have just begun to realize that lifestyle issues can also cause stress. These are things like sleeping late, sleeping less or not staying fit.

However, there is cause of stress which is more important or probably the most important cause of stress. This one reason by itself leads to mental, physical and physiological stress and we do not even realize what is the reason. This is happening due to a lack of awareness.

THE SECRET CAUSE OF STRESS

This one secret and simple reason for stress is……hold your breath…..incorrect eating. Yes, eating is causing stress. Even if you do not have problems at the workplace or in personal life, you can still be very stressed. The worse part is that you do not even think you can have stress in your life.

Because we think that stress can only be mind related, we ignore diet and eating habits completely. In fact, one of the major causes for clinical stress in children is due to the food they eat.

It is not just about what you eat, but it is also about how much you eat, when you eat, what your drink and in which way do you consume your food. All of these can actually lead to mental stress.

In fact in so many cases these days, it is not some genuine stressor or adverse situation which is resulting in stress. It is your dietary habits which are causing stress. Shocking, right? Now you may well ask that how can eating or diet have anything to do with stress?

EATING AND STRESS

Now imagine (or you may actually) have a generally happy and ‘stress-free’ life with no major work or life challenges. Lets say that you are also reasonably fit and involved in some physical activities like exercise, walking and other chores. This means you are healthy and fit with a lovely personal and professional life.

Now let us assume that the only problem you have is your dietary habits or a liking for good food and drinks. If this is the case, then you could be doing any one or some or all of the following:

• Eating at the wrong times or in a haphazard fashion.
• Eating the wrong types of food, frequently. This could be outside food, street food, junk food or foods normally considered to be unhealthy.
• At times you could also be overeating sometimes when you like something
• You may be a fast eater or believe you do not need to waste time on meals. Therefore, you tend to eating quickly and do not give enough attention to chewing properly.
• You do not eat with focus. You are normally eating while talking, working or in front of the television, computer or smart phone.
• You may like your sugary or alcoholic beverages and have them a few times a week.

WHAT HAPPENS WITH THIS KIND OF DIET OR FOOD?

Every time you eat or drink in the ways mentioned above, you load your stomach and digestive organs. You do this with either a lot of food, unhealthy food, partly chewed food or giving it food when the body does not need it. In either scenarios, the organs of digestion, absorption and elimination have to work much harder. It is the equivalent of forcing someone to work very hard, like forced labor.

Gradually, the body perceives this as actual stress. Internal stress is also stress. The body gets the idea that you could be in a place which is not too friendly or has a shortage of nutrients. It will then view this as a life threatening situation.

Now the reverse works. The body sends signals to the brain that something is wrong and not the other way around. The mind then instructs the organs, hormones and systems to go into a stress response mode. A lot of extra chemicals and hormones are released to manage the unwanted food. Blood is diverted from other essential functions to the digestive systems. Due to this, the body is working hard all the time on a prolonged basis. Sometimes, it is overworking for even months or years without any chance to recover or rest.

THE IMPACT

Due to all of this, the body then stores more sugar, fat and cholesterol. It may also divert some energy from other muscles to the digestive ones. Can we now relate this with how we feel when we eat a lot or we eat at the wrong time (or heavy food and desserts)?. We feel as if we cannot move; there is no physical strength, lethargy sets in. The body wants to sleep and so does the mind.

Very obviously, long term health suffers. Where health suffers, the mind follows. This in turn impacts the mind and all the other organs creating a cycle of stress. The net result is diseases like diabetes, high blood pressure, cardiac problems and even cancer. Eventually, even a perfectly happy, healthy and fit person becomes stressed and diseased due to incorrect eating or dietary habits.

SOLUTION FOR DIET INDUCED STRESS

The solution to diet induced stress is actually very simple. You need to eat foods which are simple and nutritious. Eat less at every meal and keep regular timings. Also avoid eating late nights and avoid all the wrong kind of food. This includes non-vegetarian food, spicy and hot food, heavy food like fried, bakes, breads, pizzas, processed food, sugar and refined flour. Another key factor is to avoid beverages like coffee and alcohol. If you want a stress free diet plan then take a diet consultation or an online diet plan from wellzee and remain healthy for life.