11 minute read
MANAGING STRESS
MANAGING STRESS AND BLOOD SUGAR By Nourishing Your Pallet
We throw the term “stress” around a lot, and as of late it has been used much more. What exactly does this little word entail? Is stress a bad thing? It depends on the perception of it and the length of time. Stress, in and of itself, is not bad and can help us to grow. Yet, when stress is prolonged to the point where it is debilitating, problems begin to arise. Another term for this is allostatic overload, or the cumulative wear and tear of the body systems from chronic stress and/or the body’s inability to adapt to that stress. How does this relate to blood sugar regulation? We will take a look at the link between stress and cortisol. Cortisol is a catecholamine, or hormone, generated by the adrenal glands. Initially, it works as an anti-inflammatory and helps our body to be awake. In fact, cortisol is typically elevated in the morn-
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by Drew Mulvey
ing to keep us alert and focused for the day. But here is where the problem lies. When the body is exposed to this hormone for prolonged periods of time, cells become less sensitive to insulin, which can halt weight loss and create that extra tire around the middle. How is this? Glucocorticoids, such as cortisol, are responsible for halting the secretion of insulin from cells in the pancreas known as beta cells, inhibiting the uptake of glucose; it can impair the signal from insulin in the muscles. One of insulin’s roles is lipogenesis, or the creation of adipocytes, or fat cells. This can also contribute to storage of visceral fat, which is the precursor to comorbidities, particularly insulin resistance. Thus, prolonged exposure can cause weight loss resistance and, later on, blood sugar issues. Therefore, it is important for us to manage stress. One way to accomplish this is using the power of nutrition.
Nutrition
Carbohydrates Just as mood can dictate what we eat in healthy or unhealthy ways, food can also have an effect on our mood and counteract the negative effects of stress. With all the hype around low-carb diets, it may be time to debunk the myth that carbs are the enemy. They are, in fact, our friends. Carbohydrates help amino acids such as tryptophan, which are responsible for the generation of our well-being compound serotonin, cross the blood brain barrier. Craving carbs when we want some joy leads to the next factor below. Carbs also decrease production of cortisol, our stress hormone. As mentioned above, exposure to cortisol over an extended amount of time can create insulin and weight loss
resistance. It can also disrupt sleep patterns and eat away at muscle tissue. When blood sugar regulation is an issue, complex carbohydrates are emphasized over simple carbohydrates. These are composed of polysaccharides, or long chains of sugar molecules, and are higher in fiber, which slow down digestion of these carbohydrates and the release of glucose into the blood stream, preventing sugar spikes. These types of foods are also labeled “low glycemic” and include unprocessed whole grains such as steel cut oats; fruits such as berries and lemons; and non-starchy vegetables such as broccoli, cauliflower and asparagus. Their counterparts, which are void of fiber, are composed of simple sugar chains. Such foods include table sugar, white bread, white pasta and white rice. Pairing carbohydrates with a source of quality protein and/or healthy fat, such as almonds, will also slow down the release of glucose into the blood stream.
Micronutrients Micronutrients play quite an important role in our sense of wellbeing, focus and mood. Of particular importance are vitamin B6, magnesium, tryptophan and any food that can increase dopamine levels. Each is connected to neurotransmitters essential for our well-being (serotonin) and sleep (melatonin and dopamine). For a mood boost, it is important to incorporate sources of each as part of a healthy diet. Let us take a further look at what each do and what foods can provide it in our diet.
B6 is a co-factor in the generation of 5-HTP to serotonin and melatonin, our well-being and sleep neurotransmitters. Sources: Organic sweet potatoes, potatoes, bananas, organic yogurt, brown rice, organic peanuts, wild caught fish such as salmon and tuna; pasture-raised eggs; organic, pastured chicken liver, and grass-fed beef; organic carrots, organic spinach, green peas, bananas, chickpeas, avocados
Magnesium decreases transmission of excitatory neurotransmitters and is a co-factor in the production of serotonin, which can help with mood and sleep. Sources: Pumpkin seeds, green leafy vegetables, avocados, broccoli, asparagus, nuts (cashews, almonds), seeds, legumes, whole grains, chocolate, organic tofu, quinoa
Tryptophan is the precursor to well-being neurotransmitter serotonin and our sleep neurotransmitter melatonin. Sources: Organic turkey (causes us to feel sleepy), wild-caught fish, pasture-raised eggs, grass-fed dairy, pumpkin seeds, sesame Phenylalanine/Tyrosine are direct precursors to dopamine, the neurotransmitter responsible for our wake/sleep cycle, mood and focus; it is also our reward center. Low dopamine levels can contribute to anxiety, which can then decrease insulin sensitivity and dysregulate blood sugar. Sources: Grass-fed, pasture-raised meats; wild-caught fatty fish such as salmon; oats; oregano oil; seaweed; almonds; chocolate; organic coffee; avocado; fruits such as bananas, organic berries, apples and papaya
From the lists above, be honest about which ones are appetizing and mix them in with favorite seasonal dishes. Thanksgiving is on the way! Why not add a little mashed sweet potato and cinnamon topped with pumpkin seeds to the mix with a free-range turkey, or organic tempeh and tofu? Cinnamon is also beneficial for insulin sensitivity and makes the starch in the sweet potato more digestible. Gobble up!
References:
McEwen, B. Sleep deprivation as a neurobiologic and physiologic stressor: Allostasis and allostatic load. Metabolism. 2006. 55(10 suppl 2). https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/16979422/. Accessed October 2, 2020.
Adam TC, Hasson RE, Ventura EE, et al. Cortisol is negatively associated with insulin sensitivity in overweight Latino youth. J Clin Endocrinol Metab. 2010;95(10):4729-4735. doi:10.1210/ jc.2010-0322
Castro AV, Kolka CM, Kim SP, Bergman RN. Obesity, insulin resistance and comorbidities? Mechanisms of association. Arq Bras Endocrinol Metabol. 2014;58(6):600-609. doi:10.1590/00042730000003223
Wurtman RJ, Wurtman JJ. Carbohydrate craving, obesity and brain serotonin. Appetite. 1986;7 Suppl:99-103. doi: 10.1016/ s0195-6663(86)80055-1. PMID: 3527063.
Soltani H, Keim NL, Laugero KD. Increasing Dietary Carbohydrate as Part of a Healthy Whole Food Diet Intervention Dampens Eight Week Changes in Salivary Cortisol and Cortisol Responsiveness. Nutrients. 2019;11(11):2563. Published 2019 Oct 24. doi:10.3390/nu11112563
Pitchford, P. Healing with Whole Foods. North Atlantic Books. Berkeley, CA. 1993.
Drew Mulvey, MS, CDN is a certified dietitian/nutritionist, founder of Redeeming Life Nutrition, LLC, and author of The No-Title Cookbook. She practices out of Southbury, CT. Connect at Drew.Mulvey@RedeemingLifeNutrition.com or RedeemingLifeNutrition.com.
the pandemic intensifying the normal academic, social and hormonal turmoil of these pivotal years. It’s no wonder teens are reporting record levels of stress, anxiety and depression: In a Pew Research survey, 70 percent of teens said mental health was a major problem among their peers—and that was in February, before the pandemic hit. A recent online poll found that most teens are worried that the pandemic will affect their family’s physical or financial health and that many feel lonelier than usual and worry about losing ground in academics and activities.
Extending a helping hand to teens is not always well received. They can be notoriously resistant to advice, even when they’re stressed, partly because of their brain chemistry, explains Gail Saltz, M.D., clinical associate professor of psychiatry at the New York Presbyterian/Weill Cornell School of Medicine and host of the Personology podcast. A teen’s highly active amygdala makes risk-taking a thrill even as the frontal lobe that weighs consequences is not fully developed, while at the same time, a teen seeks independence—an identity and freedom to be more like an adult. “This combination means their capacity and interest in taking parental direction is not there,” she says. “As a result, parents in reaction often get louder and more insistent in telling them what to do, which fails and drives them further away.”
The best way to communicate with a stressed teen, say many child psychologists, is to listen deeply while letting them do most of the talking, and offering sympathetic support while withholding judgment. Instead of giving advice, “Validate your teen’s experience and attempt to step into their shoes. Let your teen know that you hear them, that you support them in their decisions and ask your teen what you can do to help them,” advises clinical psychologist Alyssa Austern, PsyD, of Chatham, New Jersey. Other steps can
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Stressed-Out Teens
Ways to Help Them Chill
by Ronica O’Hara
Being a teenager is never easy, but it’s even harder these days, with the upheaval of
help a teen weather this time of high stress:
1Back up the basics. Make sure there’s healthy food and snacks in the fridge. Encourage teens to exercise daily, especially outdoors, and support them in getting eight to 10 hours of sleep.
2Make self-compassion a family habit. The self-compassion approach to self-care, which is rapidly gaining ground among psychologists, has three elements: treating ourselves as kindly as we would a dear friend, realizing that many other people have the same problems so we’re not alone, and mindfully and nonjudgmentally observing our emotional state.
This method has proven to be helpful not just for adults, but for teens, as well. A University of Edinburgh meta-analysis that synthesized 17 studies of more than 7,000 teens in six countries concluded that those with high levels of self-compassion had lower levels of stress caused by anxiety and depression. University of North Carolina researchers found that teens exhibited lower stress, anxiety and depression, as well as more resilience and gratitude, after six self-compassion sessions.
A good place for parents to start is with themselves: If they are anxious, overprotective or fearful, a teen is likely to follow suit, reports a study in the Journal of Abnormal Child Psychology. Helpful books, websites and programs for both teens and adults can be found at SelfCompassion.org, operated by Dr. Kristin Neff, an associate professor of educational psychology at the University of Texas at Austin who was a pioneer in the concept.
3Engage them with creative activities. As teens can seek independence, making sure they spend quality time with the family is also important for their well-being, research shows. “Find ways to connect, converse and unwind together as a family,” advises Crissy Fishbane, of RaleighDurham, North Carolina, co-founder of HER Health Collective, an online community for mothers. “Teens need to see their parents engaging in self-care behaviors themselves, and it’s even better if you can engage in self-care as a family.” She suggests taking a virtual or outdoor yoga class together, playing a board game, having sudoku competitions, learning deepbreathing techniques or starting a family book club.
4Encourage reaching out to help others. A study in the Journal of Adolescence suggests that altruistic behaviors, including large and small acts of kindness, may increase teens’ feelings of self-worth, especially if it involves helping strangers. In Poland, the more teens helped out others in a flood, the more supportive and proactive they became, another study found. Depending on their interests, teens may be drawn to local environmental, social justice, religious or political activities. DoSomething.org offers useful ideas and links, and environmental projects for teens can be found at EarthForce.com, SierraClub. com and GlobalClimateStrike.com.
Ronica O’Hara is a Denver-based health writer. Connect at OHaraRonica@gmail.com.
Other Helpful Resources Making Friends with Yourself: A Mindful Self-Compassion Program for Teens and Young Adults: centerformsc.org/ msc-teens-adults
Seven Expert Tips for Talking with
Teens: ParentAndTeen.com/keep-teenstalking-learn-to-listen/tal
How to Communicate with Your Teen
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