Living healthy in stressful everyday life: experts give valuable tips!

The Green Party politician Ricarda Lang reported on her health changes in an interview. According to Süddeutsche Zeitung she has adjusted her lifestyle by eating less on the go, cook more often and get more sleep. These changes led to desired weight loss.

Nutrition expert Daniela Krehl from the Bavarian Consumer Center gave several tips on healthy eating that should help in the hectic everyday routine. The first piece of advice concerns snacking behavior: snacks should be avoided while working at the computer. Instead, she advises eating complete and filling meals, with a recommended breakfast consisting of whole grain bread with cream cheese and vegetables. Krehl also recommends consuming nuts in moderation as a nutritious snack alternative.

Practical tips for managing stress through nutrition

Another helpful tip is to start meals with vegetables or salad, as the body sends satiety signals after about 20 minutes. High-calorie foods should not necessarily be banned, but it is recommended to eat healthy snacks beforehand.

Krehl recommends replacing to-go meals with home-prepared meals. Not only do these offer more control over the ingredients, but many canteens now offer healthier alternatives such as salad bars. Regular exercise is also essential for a healthy life. Suggestions for integrating more exercise into everyday life include, for example, getting off a stop earlier or using your lunch break for a walk.

An interesting study from the Wake Forest School of Medicine, published in Medizindoc, addresses the connection between eating habits and stress. The study shows that stress not only affects work performance and personal relationships, but also increases the risk of chronic diseases such as heart disease and Alzheimer's. According to the researchers, a Mediterranean diet could reduce the physiological effects of stress and thus support healthy aging.

The study examines the effects of chronic and acute stress on animals fed either a Western or Mediterranean diet. While the Western diet is rich in animal protein, salt and sugar, the Mediterranean diet relies on plant sources. The results show that animals on a Mediterranean diet have higher stress resistance and faster recovery from stress and that this diet shifts the balance in the nervous system in favor of the parasympathetic nervous system.

In addition, three specific anti-stress foods have been identified: green oatmeal, which is rich in vitamins B1 and B3, nuts, which contain magnesium and B vitamins, and bananas, which provide tryptophan, which is converted into serotonin. These findings suggest that switching to a Mediterranean diet may help reduce the negative effects of psychological stress.