Paper Example on Nutrition & Stress: Understanding Healthy Lifestyle Habits

Terms associated with concept

Healthy lifestyle, indigestion, bloating, caffeine dependency, hangovers, and cravings.

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Concept definition

Nutrition is the whole continuum of food intake of food, digestion, absorption, assimilation, and excretion. Nutrition is the process of taking food into the body and using it for growth, repair of body parts and metabolism (Alm et al. 106). On the other hand, stress can be experienced from the environment, our bodies and our thoughts. The human body reacts differently to the physical, emotional and mental changes. Therefore, stress is the way the human body reacts to the alteration in the environment that demands response or acclimatization (Choi1625).

Daily human life is faced by many changes that require abrupt body response either mentally, physically, or emotionally. The changes are possibly the causes of stress, and they are inevitable. This warrants human beings to be always ready and able to manage stress or control its impact on their daily lives. Proper nutrition is an essential element in preparing the body to manage stress (Choi1626). In times of intense stress, adrenaline is produced to help the body to adjust to that particular situation. Foods like spinach, oranges, salmons, and avocados boost the production of adrenaline in the body; hence, their consumption is vital. However, some foods increase physical stress by making digestion difficult and deny essential brain nutrients. Stress itself can also cause indigestion to the human body.

A healthful lifestyle which includes eating well, exercising, taking enough sleep and enjoying free time is vital for stress management (Alm et al. 108). The foods we take in determine the ability we have to manage stress. A proper nutrition to the body helps combat stress on our daily activities. During stressful moments, the adrenaline hormone is produced, and it gives a large amount of energy to be used by the body. The action, however, leads to an immense loss of blood sugar. A sensible diet can be used as a remedy for the effects of stress.

Boss et al. (2016) suggest that common problems related to nutrition and stress is Indigestion, bloating, caffeine dependency, hangovers, cravings, sugar highs, and lows. Indigestion is the discomfort in the stomach caused by the inability to digest food. Eating too quickly, eating fatty, greasy or spicy foods, too much caffeine, and alcohol cause indigestion. Bloating is also another cause of stress. Bloating results from consumption of high levels of wheat and dairy products. Consuming these products with moderation will be of help to manage stress. Caffeine dependency-Addiction to caffeine is terrible as it increases stress hormones and leads to lack of sleep and dehydration hence making the body to lose the ability to handle stress. Hangovers are as a result of heavy consumption of alcohol. A person cannot work well with a hangover; hence it becomes a cause of stress on the following day due to a lot of pressure on a person to handle his daily activities. Cravings are the strong desires for a particular type of food or flavor (Choi1634). Craving is caused either by thoughts of a specific food, hunger or pregnancy. Cravings increase during stressful moments or hormonal times. Cravings can be controlled by distracting oneself through involvement in something different and let the craving pass or through including some small portions of the craved food in your diet. Merrill et al. (2017), says that sugar highs and lows are situations when the sugar level in the blood are imbalanced, either too high or too low from the required standards. The human brain requires enough glucose to function normally. Glucose in the body is synthesized from the foods with sugar that we consume. An imbalance in the blood sugar levels causes a strain on the brain cells hence leading to stress.

Application 1

I vividly remember my father's struggles to manage stress. In his tight schedules throughout the week, he must have been undergoing immense pressure. He spent most of his time working in the factory, either during the day or in the night shift. Despite all this pressure and commitments, he managed to work effectively and deliver excellent performance in his workplace. Many people, including neighbors, family, and friends wondered how he managed to lead a stress -free life. We came to realize later that the secret to his achievement was a Healthy Lifestyle. In his tight schedules he always spared time for exercising, every morning he used to jog for about two kilometers in the street before he could shower and head to his workplace. He also ensured he had a balanced diet and his meals involved a lot of fruits. My father also made sure that in his daily routine he created some thirty minutes after lunch to take a nap and relax his mind. Moreover, he altogether avoided alcohol hence there is no day he was ever affected by Hangovers. His daily practices were a perfect recipe for a healthful lifestyle and most efficient way for stress management.

Application 2

Three years ago, my aunt, who was 35 years old and pregnant, experienced a lot of health problems. She spent a better part of the year in hospital seeking medication and check-ups. She often complained of Indigestion and Bloating. She was lucky enough to get a dietitian in her sixth month of pregnancy who gave her proper guidance about the type of foods she had to take. She also had Cravings for eggs and seafood. Her consumption for eggs became alarming until when the dietitian instructed her to moderate taking eggs. The pregnancy caused hormonal alterations in her body that compelled her to crave for eggs and seafood. During the pregnancy, my aunt experienced mood swings which were completely uncommon with her. She has always been a cheerful woman in all days, but in her pregnancy period, she seemed dull and stressed most of the time. Stress levels were rising in her body and were negatively impacting the growth of the baby in her womb. Doctors advised her to reduce fatty foods and to ensure that she did physical exercises on daily basis. The advice worked well since there was an enormous improvement in her health and her cheerful nature was gradually restored.

Application 3

During my studies in high school, I came to realize that I was so dull in some days while on other days, I was extremely active. My fellow students started avoiding me since no one could understand me. After several stressful days, I was almost sinking into depression. My class teacher was so concerned about my daily change of moods, and my character was worrying her a lot. She suspected I was under the influence of drugs and became keen to know the truth. I remember when she summoned me to her office, and we had a conversation about my routine life. She, later on, discovered that I had Caffeine Dependency. She informed that my dull days were the days I had not taken coffee in the morning. My body had been addicted to coffee and hence could not do without it. I gradually started limiting my consumption of coffee until when I could be normal without using it.

Works cited

Author of concept: Alm, Siril, and Svein O. Olsen. "Coping with Time Pressure and Stress: Consequences for Families' Food Consumption: Journal of Consumer Policy." Journal of Consumer Policy, vol. 40, no. 1, 2017, pp. 105-123. doi:http://dx.doi.org/10.1007/s10603-016-9329-5.

Boss, P., Bryant, C. M., Mancini, J. (2016). Family Stress Management: A Contextual Approach. (3rd Ed.) Newbury Park, CA: Sage Publications. ISBN: 9781452270005

Choi, Jinkyung. "Who Cares for Nutrition Information at a Restaurant? Food-Related Lifestyles and their Association to Nutrition Information Conscious Behaviors." British Food Journal, vol. 118, no. 7, 2016, pp. 1625-1640. doi:http://dx.doi.org/10.1108/BFJ-09-2015-0303.

Dr. Merrill 14th Greenberg, Jerrold S. (2017). Comprehensive Stress Management Ed.). New York, NY: McGraw Hill Companies. ISBN: 9780078028663