What is Nutritional Stress?
Nutritional Stress is defined as stress in the body caused by eating foods with unhealthy properties. It is caused by eating processed foods, eating too many sugary treats, eating refined foods, eating hydrogenated oils and more.
Our health is compromised by eating processed foods on a regular basis. It is common these days for people to have many food sensitivities, as well as allergies. Studies have shown that there is a link between food sensitivies and allergies and the typical North American diet. The food sensitivies and allergies can give way to ‘cravings’ and so the unhealthy foods are difficult to eliminate.
By eating foods deficient in vital nutrients, our endocrine system gets worn down. The endocrine system is responsible for secreting hormones into our bloodstream to help regulate our typical bodily functions. Soon our organs stop working properly and nutritional deficiencies develop. We become weaker, less able to withstand adversity and so our body feels Nutritional Stress.
What does Nutritional Stress Look Like?
Nutritional Stress can look like:
premature aging
general muscle stiffness
lethargy
high blood pressure
blood sugar problems
weak immune system which can lead to recurring infections and more serious conditions such as Chronic Fatigue Syndrome, Fibromyalgia
lack of motivation
How to Decrease Nutritional Stress
If you own a car, you know that using Premium gasoline helps your car run better. You make sure that Premium is all that you use and you certainly wouldn’t dream of putting contaminated gasoline in your car or a gas/oil combination, would you? That would spell disaster, right?
Nutritional stress is caused by not eating the right foods but also by not eating enough of the right foods in their natural, unprocessed state.
Think of your body in terms of the car. The Premium gasoline that your body needs comes in the form of nutrient-dense foods. This Premium fuel looks like:
Fresh fruits
Fresh vegetables
Flaxseeds, chia seeds, hemp seeds
Quinoa
Sea vegetables
Soaked nuts and seeds
Unpasteurized fermented foods such as sauerkraut or komucha
In their natural state, nutrient-dense foods are rich in
Vitamins and minerals
Enzymes
High quality protein
Antioxidants
Essential fatty acids
Our bodies need all of these nutritional components to rebuild and regenerate after a full day of physical and mental activities. Our health and vitality are greatly affected if we do not refuel with high quality foods.
Consistently eating nutrient-dense foods requires less energy for our body to digest and our body becomes highly nourished. This reduces the stress. Our body adapts to this wonderful feeling and is able to reduce the stress even more.
I invite you to look in your cupboards and in your fridge to see what foods you are eating that contribute to Nutritional Stress. Every day, throw away one of these foods and replace it with nutrient-dense foods. Notice how much stronger your body feels. Notice your energy levels increasing. Notice how happy your body is.
Visit my recipe page for some ideas.
Thanks for reading!