{"id":145685,"date":"2026-03-23T20:15:27","date_gmt":"2026-03-24T01:15:27","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/www.sleepyeyeonline.com\/goodnews\/?p=145685"},"modified":"2026-03-23T20:15:27","modified_gmt":"2026-03-24T01:15:27","slug":"family-living-focus-nutrition-ideas-for-stress-reduction","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.sleepyeyeonline.com\/goodnews\/family-living-focus-nutrition-ideas-for-stress-reduction\/","title":{"rendered":"Family Living Focus: Nutrition Ideas for Stress Reduction"},"content":{"rendered":"

Gail Gilman, Family Life Consultant, M.Ed., C.F.C.S. and Professor<\/em>
\nEmeritus, University of Minnesota<\/em><\/p>\n

Stress depletes the body of energy in a variety of ways.\u00a0 Loss of sleep,
\nfeelings of agitation or depression, and development of poor eating habits
\nare “side effects” of stress that need intervention.\u00a0 Some stress can help
\nus rise to the occasion and get things done, but too much stress drains the
\nbody.\u00a0 One way to break the stress cycle is by changing the diet to one that
\ncan help reduce stress.<\/p>\n

The body under stress will experience a reduction in vital nutrients, such
\nas B vitamins, which are nervous system helpers.\u00a0 Depending on magnesium to
\nhelp with muscles and calcium for bones, the overstressed system may benefit
\nfrom vitamin and mineral supplements.\u00a0 Before starting a vitamin regimen,
\nconsult with your primary doctor about any special needs you may have.\u00a0 The
\ndoctor may be able to refer you to a nutritionist who can target specific
\nrequirements and make useful dietary changes.<\/p>\n

When stressed, all individuals may go for “comfort food,” which can include
\ncoffee, even if it is decaffeinated.\u00a0 Coffee, sodas, and chocolate are three
\nmajor suspects when it comes to providing comfort while introducing
\ncaffeine, which will sap one’s ability to relax.\u00a0 Caffeine also dilates the
\nkidneys, increasing the need to empty the bladder.\u00a0 While there is nothing
\nwrong with active, healthy kidneys, it becomes inconvenient in the middle of
\nthe night.\u00a0 Frequent urination also requires that we put the water back into
\nour system, and a continuous cycle of tasty beverages with caffeine’s
\nstimulating element can dehydrate our systems.<\/p>\n

Dehydration is a common nutritional problem.\u00a0 We do not wash our clothes in
\nsoda or tea, but we frequently “wash our insides” with these substances.
\nMany people complain that “water is boring,” and they have a point.\u00a0 Some
\nfolks recommend adding a splash of cranberry juice, lemon, or lime to adjust
\nthe flavor.\u00a0 There are vitamin supplements that can be added to water to
\nprovide a break, also.\u00a0 The added hydration can be a tremendous stress
\nreducer, especially when incorporating exercise into a stress management
\nprogram.<\/p>\n

Small changes that focus on key areas such as fat, fiber, and sugars lead to
\nbig improvements in overall health.\u00a0 Many of us opt for drive-thru or
\ndelivery to solve the stress of cooking a meal. Some fast-food companies are
\noffering healthier choices, but the old, less healthy favorites may be hard
\nto get away from.\u00a0 If you find that you are having a problem acclimating
\nyourself or your loved one to the “healthy” options, add on components such
\nas salad or vegetables to round out the meal and incorporate fiber.<\/p>\n

Fiber helps the body move food through the digestive system, enhances the
\n“full” feeling and improves digestion by helping eliminate waste from the
\nsystem.\u00a0 Constipation can increase stress in the body both physically and
\nemotionally.\u00a0 A balanced system eliminates waste at the proper intervals,
\nallowing the individual to feel comfortable physically, leading to emotional
\ncomfort as well as physical.<\/p>\n

When it comes to vitamins, the first priority is to “eat” your vitamins
\nthrough “whole” foods that retain their nutrients.\u00a0 Whole foods do not have
\nto be served raw, but there should be no processing that adds preservatives.
\nCreating “whole food meals” can be done gradually by adding salads, or by
\nblanching or steaming cut vegetables.\u00a0 Since time and energy are usually a
\nfactor, consider paying extra for pre-cut vegetables.\u00a0 When cooking “whole”
\nfoods for you and your loved one, you may need to add time on to the quick
\ncooking for softer vegetables.<\/p>\n

Even frozen foods, properly cooked and with a minimum of additives, can
\nprovide better nutritional alternatives than one might imagine.\u00a0 Opt for
\nminimal processing.\u00a0 This includes the amount of sodium in canned, frozen,
\nor even in deli-prepared foods.<\/p>\n

Salad bars or food bars in grocery chains may appear healthy but combine
\nquestionable ingredients.\u00a0 For example, the “healthy” tuna salad may contain
\nfar more mayonnaise than some people might use.\u00a0 The same is true for salad
\ndressings prepared at salad bars and added on to the greens.\u00a0 Most retailers
\nand restaurants will disclose nutritional values, but you can get an idea by
\njust looking at some offerings.\u00a0 One way around the confusion in salad bars
\nis to mix “plain,” unadorned vegetables, nuts, and pastas with a smaller
\nportion of your favorite sauce laden dish.<\/p>\n

Overeating can be a reaction to stress, but it is also something that
\ncreates stress on many levels. Experimenting with smaller portions and more
\nfrequent meals can reduce the demand on the body to process a big meal at
\nonce.\u00a0 This technique also cuts down on berating oneself for eating too
\nmuch.<\/p>\n

Any physical distress can result in generalized stress for the individual,
\nwhich includes even a mild raising of blood pressure.\u00a0 \u00a0Salt is a nutrient
\neveryone needs; but when overused, it can create bloating, mild dehydration,
\nand problems with blood pressure.\u00a0 Salt alternatives range from lemon pepper
\nto products like dulse, a sea vegetable that adds salt flavor but may be
\nhealthier because it is not table salt.\u00a0 With any changes, look for items
\nthat may create food allergies.\u00a0 For example, sea vegetables can create
\nallergic reactions in people who have an iodine allergy.<\/p>\n

Sugar in moderate quantities can be metabolized and exercised away.\u00a0 The
\ndefinition of “moderate” varies from one source (and one individual) to
\nanother.\u00a0 Cutting out sugar may be impossible, considering many foods (even
\nones from the health food store) contain some variation of sugar.<\/p>\n

Sugar’s other names are high fructose corn syrup, cane sugar, turbinado,
\ndextrose, maltose, and others.\u00a0 Sugar “alcohols” like maltitol can still
\naffect blood sugar.\u00a0 Artificial sweeteners have their drawbacks, too.
\nAllergies, digestive intolerance, and more are part of “real” and “fake”
\nsugar. Until you allow your body a break from sugar, you may not be able to
\ntell which reactions are due to its consumption.<\/p>\n

Reducing allergens and foods that keep the body in a “hyper” state
\n(caffeine, salty foods, and sugars) take away the need for the body to work
\nto process the ingredients.\u00a0 Taking a break from some foods and additives is
\none way to reduce stress on the body.\u00a0 Rather than a stressful and radical
\nmakeover of your diet, remove one item at a time, and rotate it back into
\nyour diet about four days later.\u00a0 This can help you identify minor and major
\nfood stressors on the body.<\/p>\n

Allergens, portions and “bad foods” can add stress to your life.\u00a0 Adjusting
\nthe content and quantity of food leads to less stress and better nutrition.<\/p>\n

Watch for more Family Living Focus information from Gail Gilman, Family Life
\nConsultant, M.Ed., C.F.C.S. and Professor Emeritus – University of Minnesota
\nin next week’s paper.<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"

Gail Gilman, Family Life Consultant, M.Ed., C.F.C.S. and Professor Emeritus, University of Minnesota Stress depletes the body of energy in a variety of ways.\u00a0 Loss of sleep, feelings of agitation or depression, and development of poor eating habits are “side effects” of stress that need intervention.\u00a0 Some stress can help us rise to the occasion …<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":1,"featured_media":142950,"comment_status":"closed","ping_status":"closed","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"_bbp_topic_count":0,"_bbp_reply_count":0,"_bbp_total_topic_count":0,"_bbp_total_reply_count":0,"_bbp_voice_count":0,"_bbp_anonymous_reply_count":0,"_bbp_topic_count_hidden":0,"_bbp_reply_count_hidden":0,"_bbp_forum_subforum_count":0,"om_disable_all_campaigns":false,"_monsterinsights_skip_tracking":false,"_monsterinsights_sitenote_active":false,"_monsterinsights_sitenote_note":"","_monsterinsights_sitenote_category":0,"footnotes":""},"categories":[191],"tags":[],"class_list":["post-145685","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","has-post-thumbnail","hentry","category-newsletters"],"aioseo_notices":[],"publishpress_future_action":{"enabled":true,"date":"2026-08-28 20:13:18","action":"change-status","newStatus":"trash","terms":[0],"taxonomy":"category","extraData":[]},"publishpress_future_workflow_manual_trigger":{"enabledWorkflows":[]},"amp_enabled":true,"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.sleepyeyeonline.com\/goodnews\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/145685","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.sleepyeyeonline.com\/goodnews\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.sleepyeyeonline.com\/goodnews\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.sleepyeyeonline.com\/goodnews\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/1"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.sleepyeyeonline.com\/goodnews\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=145685"}],"version-history":[{"count":1,"href":"https:\/\/www.sleepyeyeonline.com\/goodnews\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/145685\/revisions"}],"predecessor-version":[{"id":145686,"href":"https:\/\/www.sleepyeyeonline.com\/goodnews\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/145685\/revisions\/145686"}],"wp:featuredmedia":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.sleepyeyeonline.com\/goodnews\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media\/142950"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.sleepyeyeonline.com\/goodnews\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=145685"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.sleepyeyeonline.com\/goodnews\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=145685"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.sleepyeyeonline.com\/goodnews\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=145685"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}