Release the pressure

Too much stress for too long, however, can trigger all manner of ailments, from mood swings and headaches to constant colds and infections. Your sleeping pattern can also be affected — both getting to sleep and staying asleep — so you feel tired all the time, which puts you on edge and makes you anxious. If any of these symptoms sound familiar, then it is time to eat your way to a calmer future.

In itself, weight loss is a way of relieving physical stress on the body (it can lower blood pressure and reduce the strain on the joints), as well as improving psychological stress, because the better you look, the better you feel about yourself. Here we reveal how specific foods and drinks can help you to relax, as well as lose weight.

Redressing stress-induced blood-sugar swings

Sitting just above each kidney, the adrenal glands make and release stress hormones in response to physical and emotional pressures. The hormones include adrenaline and cortisol, which, when the stress button is hit, surge through the body, instantly increasing the heart rate. The heart pumps more blood and oxygen to the muscles and brain, allowing you to move quickly and think rapidly. It also triggers the release of sugar into the blood to fuel such reactions.

When stress is a constant part of life, the body’s blood-sugar levels are on an all-day rollercoaster ride of highs and lows, which will stimulate the appetite. By eating the low-GI carbohydrate meals and snacks given in our recipes and meal-selection lists, you will counterbalance these hormone-induced fluctuations.

Replenishing nutrients

The adrenal glands need vitamin C to make stress hormones. The more stress you are under, the more vitamin C is diverted away from other important roles such as boosting your immune system. It is a classic catch-22 situation, because stress leaves you more prone to infections and illness, which in turn puts added stress on the body. In fact, being highly stressed for more than a month doubles the chance of catching a cold. Boosting vitamin C is, therefore, a vital part of the stress-busting eating plan. Great vitamin C-rich, low-GI fruits include all berries (fresh and frozen), oranges, guavas, papayas and kiwis; vegetables include green, red and yellow peppers, broccoli and all dark-green leafy varieties.

While the adrenal glands soak up vitamin C when stressed, the nerves need extra supplies of B vitamins to fight fatigue, and low-GI whole-grain carbohydrate foods, such as porridge oats and barley, are excellent sources. Breakfast cereals fortified with vitamins and minerals such as sultana bran, and wheat germ, chickpeas, oranges, apples and spinach are also good for topping up levels of vitamin B.

Relaxing muscles

Tense muscles are a constant problem when you are stressed, but calcium can help to relax the muscle fibres. Calcium-rich foods that can be eaten on the low-GI eating plan include skimmed milk, unsweetened soya milk with added calcium, low-fat yoghurt, sugar-free muesli, haricot beans, dark-green vegetables such as green beans, canned sardines and sesame seeds.

Improving sleep

Several scientists, including those in the school of medicine at the University of Chicago, have shown that lack of sleep results in the body having high levels of stress hormones on waking. This explains the urge to reach for an instant energy fix in the form of croissants and sugary breakfast cereals after a restless night. Instead, choose slowly digested low-GI alternatives. Multigrain toast with peanut butter, sugar-free muesli with skimmed milk, or poached eggs on rye bread, will all rebalance blood-sugar levels and reduce stress hormones during the day ahead.

You can also break the vicious sleep/stress circle by eating and drinking the right foods at night. A dinner containing lean turkey may help, as it is rich in tryptophan, an amino acid needed to make the brain chemicals that induce sleep. A warm, milky drink before bed is soothing, and an excellent alternative is camomile tea, because its supernutrients act on the same part of the brain as anti-anxiety medication, which helps the body to relax.

Lowering blood pressure

Long-term stress can raise blood pressure, which causes lethargy and low energy levels. Low-GI eating steers you away from salt-packed processed foods and increases fruit and vegetable intake. The result is to reduce the amount of salt in your diet, while increasing your intake of the mineral potassium. This balance is proven to lower blood pressure.

INSTANT STRESS-BUSTING FIXES

Loud food
Silly as it may sound, research shows that crunching on foods that make a loud noise and need plenty of strong jaw movements to chew can help to reduce stress. The physicality of biting and munching on an apple or a big handful of crudités does the job perfectly.

Light foods
With nearly as many nerve endings as the brain, the digestive system is one of the first bodily systems to suffer the effects of chronic stress. This can trigger bouts of irritable bowel syndrome and transitory intolerances to some foods, causing wind, discomfort and disturbed sleep. To reduce stress on the digestive system, include lamb, duck, turkey, white fish, basmati rice and pears in your diet — all foods known to be light to digest and least likely to trigger intolerances and allergies.

Reduce caffeine
Everyone knows that caffeine stimulates the nerves, and if you are stressed, it will only increase anxiety levels further. Gradually cutting back, rather than cutting it all out in one go, will help to avoid painful withdrawal headaches, but you will still feel the benefits of calmer nerves immediately.

ARE YOU FOLLOWING THE GI DIET?

We’d like you to keep track of your progress on our weblog. If you’re interested, get in touch by e-mail to women@timesonline.co.uk