We all experience stress at some point in our lives. It’s not inevitable though, and our mood could be altered by the foods we eat. How we handle stress is very much down to the individual, but we can learn tricks and techniques to help us cope better, in the same way some of us use yoga or fishing to de-stress. Of course, there are many ways to combat stress, but in this article we are only concerned about how foods can impact how you feel.
CEA itself is stress busting – don’t you think it’s like looking at art grow?
Eating well for improved mental health is not difficult, but it can take know-how and a bit of will-power. Incorporating the right foods in your diet can help reduce stress levels, it’s literally a no-brainer! Foods that are rich in magnesium, like spinach and almonds, can promote relaxation. Omega-3 fatty acids found in flaxseeds are also known to help reduce anxiety. Complex carbohydrates, such as whole grains, can stabilize blood sugar levels which positively impacts our mood. And, don’t forget about foods that are high in antioxidants, like berries and dark chocolate, which combat stress-related free radicals.
My kids love good food. They learnt to grow food at their school allotments which I encouraged (and also you will not be surprised to find out, I coordinated the growing and ran the breakfast club) for all. Here are two of mine picking fresh grown corn before heading to their breakfast club beside the primary school. It leads to a life-long understanding of the importance of stress-free food ingredients and good eating habits. Many studies have detailed significant improvements in concentration from kids attending breakfast clubs and eating well before class. It’s been well documented that kids that eat well before lessons start will behave better and ultimately perform better, reducing stress in teachers.
Regular breakfasts with berries stabilize blood sugars and anthocyanins in darker fruits fight free radicals. Bananas are a great source of potassium in the morning which reduce blood pressure and anxiety. Bananas also contain serotonin and Vitamin B9, tryptophan, both of which have relaxant effects.
So what’s this got to do with CEA, we hear you say?
Some of us are lucky in that we discovered how to use ‘gardening’ in its most technical sense as a way to relax. Ironically, many hydroponic growers start this kind of hobby to release themselves from the stress and worries of the day. I for one find just sitting in my greenhouse with a cup of tea listening to the sound of running water, admiring how beautiful my plants look, the most stress-free part of my day. So it could be that if you are rubbish at fly-fishing and not bendy enough for yoga, that growing your own produce is actually one of the best ways to combat stress.
Janet Colston PhD is pharmacologist with an interest in growing ‘functional’ foods that have additional phytonutrients and display medicinal qualities that are beneficial to human health. She grows these using a range of techniques including plant tissue micropropagation and controlled environmental agriculture to ensure the highest quality control.