Nutrition and Stress
We’re here to say it! Even though we live on this gorgeous and magical island of Bali, we still have a human experience. We still have things that upset, worry and stress us. We’re fortunate to have a plethora of therapeutic modalities when it comes to navigating the waves of life, but time and time again, it’s proven that the most simple tweaks have the most profound impact. Our stress levels are positively affected when we focus on things like therapy, meditation, movement, or getting better sleep.
And while these tools are essential for improving our relationship with stress, there’s another stress-management tool that doesn’t get talked about as often as it should—nutrition.
In the next two weeks, we’re happy to share with you a few ways nutrition impacts our stress levels—and what you can do about it.
We start off with — The truth about calorie restriction and stress
Here’s something the diet ads don’t tell you: Restricting calories can cause stress.
Yes, most people can get away with eating a little less than their bodies need (which can help them lose weight and body fat without sacrificing performance or well-being).
But eating a lot less, especially for extended periods of time, and especially when you may have major recovery needs—like hard athletic training or recovering from surgery—can start to cause problems.
An excessive or chronic caloric deficit can impair performance, decrease lean muscle mass, and lead to a host of other issues ranging from hormonal imbalances to immune deficiencies.
This can happen when people:
- Are often “on a diet” and purposely eat less
- Have very high energy demands and find it hard to eat enough to support their physiological needs (for example, athletes)
- Don’t eat enough due to other stressors (travel, high workload, grief, Canggu dating)
- Take certain types of medications
- Experience changes in their eating habits or nutrition due to aging
We’re going to continue this discussion in Tuesday’s newsletter so please stay tuned, but in the meantime, if you have questions and concerns about your stress levels and nutrition, then please feel free to reach out. We are more than happy to refer you to someone on our team that can guide you. Food is fuel but it is also fun and we want to make sure to keep the joy!
That is why our clients love our Meal Plans – it can be the opposite of restrictive – more creative with a meal plan of your own choosing and design!
