How to prevent study stress through healthy eating

Study stress can be quite hazardous to one’s health. It can lead to the development of unwelcome diseases such as diabetes, heart palpitations or arrhythmia, and others. In addition, it can lead to difficult-to-heal mental complications such as depression or anxiety disorders. However, there are certain means of preventing such health problems due to high levels of study stress. This includes changing one’s eating habits and learning to identify the warning signs of high stress levels or a subsequent burnout. In this article, useful information is given on identifying the signs of having high stress levels or a burnout as well as how healthy eating prevents such events.

Warning signs of having a burnout

Study stress can and often triggers the body’s “fight or flight” response. This is a reaction during which the body releases hormones such as adrenaline to prepare the organism to defend itself regardless if it is through fighting off the threat or by fleeing from it. Once the threat has been eliminated through either fighting or running away, the response deactivates and the body enters a state of recuperation which includes a feeling of being tired and hungry. However, constant or chronic stress such as the one created through repetitive worry about impending deadlines or soon-to-be exams can lead the body to prolong the response. This results in the body entering a state of resistance between the initial stage of alarm and the stage of rest. Such a state of resistance depletes the organism of its resources such as the energy collected from food and causes health to deteriorate. Over time, stress also leads to the development of what is referred to as a “burnout” – a mental state in which one loses motivation to continue one’s work or study, feels quite exhausted, and possibly has a nervous breakdown. Such a burnout is characterized by symptoms such as lack of identification with the study program or friends which can manifest in the form of being too harsh to the ones a student speaks with, procrastination in terms of getting homework done or studying for an exam, lack of creativity and concentration, head or stomachaches, lack of energy and others. The initial “fight or flight” response also has its signs which one should be aware of. These include increased heart and breathing rate, high blood pressure, muscle tension, lack of appetite, loss of focus, feeling constantly irritated or easy to frighten, and others.

Effects of healthy eating when it comes to study stress

Healthy eating can assist in reducing or preventing high levels of study stress. This is due to the nutrients in the foods assisting in alleviating symptoms such as elevated blood pressure and heart rate. For instance, B vitamins aid in building the metabolism and controlling the nervous system while proteins found in lean meat and fish aid with tissue repair and growth. Similarly, A vitamins help in preventing eyesight deterioration and C vitamins aid in reducing the amount of cortisol, one of the hormones released during a “fight or flight” response. Magnesium, on the other hand, aids in nervous system control as well as regulating the heartbeat and growing new cells in the body. Apart from alleviating the symptoms of stress through the nutrients gained, healthy eating also helps to provide means of distracting the mind and to relax. This is due to the processes of preparing and eating healthy food allowing the brain to focus on something other than the cause of stress, allowing it to calm down and not resort to triggering the “fight or flight” response. Additionally, recent studies made by different universities and scientists have shown that beneficial bacteria found in the body’s microbiome and obtainable through the consumption of healthy products such as yogurt or fibre-rich vegetables and fruit may also influence the organism’s ability to prevent or reduce the effects of study stress, by balancing stress response.

6 easy steps to incorporating healthy eating

As has been previously mentioned, healthy eating can help in reducing study stress and preventing long-term illnesses. However, in order for such a measure to be effective, it has to be properly incorporated into one’s daily routine. This can be accomplished by taking several steps and implementing each of them gradually and without rush, lest such haste cause frustration and forsaking further attempts. Such steps include:

Breakfast like a king, lunch like a prince and dine like a peasant

One of the foremost steps which should be taken in regards to incorporating healthy eating is to adhere to an old principle summarized in the proverb “Breakfast like a king, lunch like a prince and dine like a peasant.” The meaning of the saying is that one should eat three meals a day, with the highest content of calories and nutrients being at breakfast, followed by the second richest meal being at lunch, and dinner should be light yet satisfactory. This is due to several important reasons. To begin with, by eating three healthy meals per day, one can avoid a feeling of being famished or needing to urgently snack on items such as sweets. This is due to the three meals providing the organism with the energy and nutrients it needs, particularly when it has to study for hours or listen to a lecture. In addition, it also helps to prevent the loss of vital elements needed for the regeneration of the body when under the influence of stress. The order in which the meals should be distributed in terms of calories and nutrients is also important and has its explanation. The body needs high amounts of energy during the morning hours of the day as it needs to “awaken” the brain and all organs from a period of resting at night to operating at optimal levels during the day. By providing one’s organism with a high level of nutrients and calories during breakfast, they are enabling one’s mind and body to work at optimal levels.

Lunch should be relatively light yet nutritious as it can help the organism recover any resources that have been depleted during the morning hours of the day or during events such as stress tests or intense lectures. However, it should not be as heavy or as rich in terms of calories or amounts as breakfast as usually lunch marks the middle of the day, a designation point after which meals should be light. Dinner should be the least in terms of calories to avoid a feeling of heaviness which can disrupt sleep yet should be satisfying enough to prevent midnight snacking. An example of a balanced three-meal menu would be: a bowl of oatmeal with berries and milk for breakfast, a light sandwich with salmon and lettuce for lunch and lean meat or a seasonal salad for dinner. Should one opt for including a dessert during one of the meals, one should consider light variants such as a fruit salad. When creating the meals, the balance between the different food groups should be half a plate of vegetables or fruit, one quarter for the meats such as lean pork or chicken and one quarter for whole grain bread, pasta or other dough products. This will provide the correct balance between the nutrients and avoid depriving the body of one or more necessary elements.

Enjoy the meal and savor each bite

Apart from proper portion control and balance between the different food groups, one should also make sure to enjoy one’s meal. To do so, each bite should be carefully and slowly chewed before being swallowed. Each bite should be chewed about 32 times or until it has lost all texture. When taking a bite, one should be mindful not to take a too large one lest they choke, inhale air or have difficulties chewing. When chewing, one should focus on the taste of each bite and savor it. This will help with both preventing stress by allowing the brain to focus on something different from the cause of stress as well as to monitor the process of digestion so that when the organism has had enough food, it will signal that one is full and should stop eating, thus preventing over or undereating. It will also ensure that one has gained the optimal amount of nutrients from each bite and avoid depriving the organism of valuable elements. In addition, during times of stress slow chewing can help to relax the jaw muscles, preventing the common habit of gritting and grinding one’s teeth. This also results in the prevention of issues such as breaking a tooth or causing discomfort such as sensitive teeth or pain in the jawline. Lastly, slow chewing also prevents the development or further complication of digestive problems such as bloating, constipation, heartburn, nausea, overloaded stomach resulting into sleepiness and others. To ensure optimal results in terms of enjoying the meal, one should avoid eating while studying or watching television or playing games. In addition, care should be taken to avoid conversations which can become arguments or whose topic is one with high demands in terms of mental capacity and intellect. Additionally, one should not eat one’s meal when walking, both to avoid choking and distraction as well as instances of clothing damage.

Home-cooked meals offer the finest taste

Among the primary healthy eating steps to implement is to prepare the meals at home. Such a measure is highly recommended both as a means to eat healthily as well as to prevent or reduce stress due to several factors. To begin with, preparing the meal at home allows the mind to calm down. Additionally, participating in the preparation of the meal and observing as it cooks helps to promote a later sense of fullness by preparing the brain for the process of digestion through sight and smell. It also ensures that one’s meals contain all the necessary nutrients. In addition, cooking can serve as a means to bond with friends and family, thus further reducing the effects of study stress. Although at first cooking can appear to be challenging, there are ways to make the task less daunting while providing high-quality results. To begin with, one should implement the step gradually, starting with making simple meals such as oatmeal, boiled eggs or sandwiches once per week such as during their break day. Once one feels more confident in one’s skills, one should proceed with meals such as soups. Meals such as casseroles should be reserved for when one has gained some experience and is confident in one’s skills or has reliable aid in the form of a partner, relative or friend. Additionally, one can opt for purchasing and perusing a cookbook as a means to gradually learn how to cook by trying the recipes included. When preparing the meals, one should be mindful how many portions the recipe is going to produce, and to use when possible fresh ingredients and ones such as whole-grain flour. For instance, a recipe for soup may produce about three or more bowls and require ingredients such as carrots. However, one should not worry if the recipe produces more portions than can be consumed during one meal as many home-cooked meals can be preserved in the refrigerator or freezer and consumed later. Additionally, one should consider taking the remnants of one’s meal and consuming during the next meal such as when having lunch at university. This can aid in eating healthily as well as reduce the costs of having to eat at a fast-food restaurant. When searching for fresh ingredients, one should consider exploring local shops such as the butcher, the cheese monger or a local farmer’s market. This will avoid ingredients having artificial chemicals which can affect the amount of nutrients provided by the meal such as artificial preservatives, growth stimulants, and others. Supermarkets should generally be avoided as much as possible. In instances where one cannot avoid visiting the supermarket, one should opt for products which are as fresh and organically grown as possible. To that end, one should read the labels carefully.

Light snacks are not forbidden

Initially, snacking would appear to be counterproductive in terms of incorporating healthy eating as a means to reduce and prevent study stress since high levels of nervous tension tend to result into the need to eat more. However, when practiced in moderation light snacking can aid in eating healthily by tempering hunger or providing a momentary increase in vital nutrients. Additionally, snacking on vegetables such as carrots can help in reducing stress by providing the brain with a means of distraction and relaxation of the jaw muscles. When incorporating light snacking, one should opt for performing the step twice per day between meals at most to avoid overeating or countering the initial intent. When snacking, one should opt for cut-up vegetables, slices of fruit or a handful of raw nuts. Should the craving for sweets appear, a piece or two of dark chocolate like a praline is also permissible. To avoid a sense of tediousness when snacking, opt for diversifying the taste or flavor each time. For instance, when eating dark chocolate, consider experimenting with different tastes such as a mixture of chocolate and mint or a blend of lemon and chocolate. Snacks should also be chewed as slowly as the meals to ensure the satisfaction of the craving. Care should be taken to avoid fried, salted or packaged variants of the snacks as these tend to contain artificial chemicals which can have a negative effect upon the body.

The negative effects which can occur as a result of artificial chemicals found in food include increased craving for food, increased need to drink water due to dehydration caused by excessive amounts of salt and others. Additionally, one should avoid drinking excess amounts of coffee or black tea should one opt for a liquid snack to remain alert. About one or two cups of the beverages per day is recommendable both as a means to avoid stress as well as to prevent overeating as such beverages contain chemicals such as caffeine which can increase the effects of stress. When drinking such beverages, they should be without any sugar, milk or other additions. Should one, however, feel the need to drink liquids and are not feeling like drinking water, a beneficial alternative is non-sweetened tea, particularly tea made from herbs such as mint, St. John’s wort, lemon balm, and others. Such a beverage can also be consumed in the summer in the form of an ice tea.

Avoid emotional overeating or undereating

Often, once the “fight or flight” response ceases to operate following its triggering, the body is left craving food as a means to recover the nutrients depleted during the duration and activation of said response. Quite often, this takes the form of “emotional overeating” – an unconscious action during which one consumes food, often in the form of sweets, resulting into the accumulation of excess sugar and other components which in turn affect overall health including gaining weight, cholesterol accumulation within blood vessels and others. There is also the opposite of emotional overeating known as “emotional undereating” – a response whereby one does not eat for hours after the initial “fight or flight” reaction due to the adrenaline causing the stomach to contract and the digestive system to reduce its operation capacity long after the response deactivates. This in turn can lead to either overeating once the effect disappears or to further depletion of the nutrients in the body. To prevent either of these responses when under stress, consider incorporating one or more of the following steps.

Inhale and exhale several times, making sure to breathe deeply without rushing and with focus placed on the action of breathing. You can also include counting to ten or more when inhaling and exhaling as a means to calm the brain. Alternatives to simple breathing exercises include taking a walk when possible, playing with a pet or talking to a friend or relative. Additionally, one can slowly drink a glass of water to help prevent or reduce the craving caused by study stress, making sure to be as far away from the cause of the nervous tension as possible. Should the craving persist after employing one or more calming techniques, one should opt for chewing gum or snacking on a cut piece of fresh fruit or vegetables. Similarly, should undereating occur one should remind oneself that skipping a meal is not recommendable for one’s health and one should eat at least a few bites. During periods of stress, processed foods such as artificially sweetened snacks should be avoided.

Moderation is key to savoring a temptation

Healthy eating does not exclude eating articles such as cakes or baked goods. Occasionally, it is permissible to indulge in such food, for example when attending a party that celebrates a birthday, wedding or any other important occasion/event. However, in order to avoid instances of overeating, moderation should be practiced. Therefore, one should employ the previously-mentioned recommendations such as chewing slowly and savoring each bite. One should also consider drinking one or two glasses of water prior to consuming any amount of the temptation. This will help to reduce the amount consumed by filling the stomach and providing a sense of fullness more quickly.

Apart from special occasions, one can also indulge in a temptation once every few days or weeks. Yet, moderation should once again be practiced. For instance, if dark chocolate begins to not provide the necessary satisfaction of the craving for sweets, one should opt for snacking on one or two pieces of milk chocolate or on a bonbon. Care should be taken when indulging to not choose processed variants of the temptation. Instead, one should consider a local confectionary which does not use artificial chemicals as ingredients in the recipes. Such include ones that serve vegan or raw confections.

Healthy eating can aid in reducing or preventing study stress when performed properly

Healthy eating can help in preventing or reducing the effects of study stress by helping the body restore lost nutrients and provide the brain with means of distraction and calming. Additionally, recent research has shown that certain nutrients can aid in countering the effects of study stress, with examples including magnesium, vitamins A, D and B, as well as others. However, in order for such a method to be effective, it should be incorporated properly through the implementation of certain steps. Such steps include cooking at home, practicing moderation when snacking or enjoying a temptation, chewing slowly and others.