Today’s world is full of stress. No matter your age, you probably experience some form of stress in your daily life. It is a part of life. It makes us feel pressured and anxious at times. Chronic stress, however, is a serious health concern. It can cause a snowball effect on our health. High blood pressure, low energy, weight gain, acne, poor sleeping patterns, and chronic depression.

Stress is caused by many things but what some people may not realize is that diet and nutrition play a key role on how stress affects the body. Back in our “caveman” days, stress was caused by two main factors, hunger and danger. Our bodies still react the same way to stress as they did then. This is referred to as “fight or flight mode”. When stressed, our body produces a stress hormone called cortisol, along with adrenaline and insulin. This would have been beneficial to our ancestors as it would give a burst of energy for fighting or running for their lives.  

In small doses cortisol is beneficial, as it gives us a bit of energy. In high doses it causes strain on the body. A diet that is high in processed foods, caffeine, alcohol, soft drinks (even diet ones), refined foods like white bread and pasta and high sugar foods also release cortisol into our bodies. Diet and proper doses of vitamins and minerals can help our bodies deal with stress responses more effectively.

Eating an abundance of whole fresh foods is wonderful and taking supplements is an option. However, juicing is the best way to get a tremendous amount of readily available vitamins and minerals, into our bodies, quickly and naturally. By filling our bodies with nutrient rich foods (and juices from those foods) our bodies are able to heal more quickly and fight the affects of stress more easily. There is a whole food available to meet our every need. For stress, there are certain vitamins and nutrients you want to target.

Magnesium

• Vital to muscle and nerve function; acts as a barrier preventing cortisol into the brain. When we are stressed our body will use this up first.
• Deficiency causes block of serotonin release, causing depression, bad temperament, panic attacks, nervousness and confusion to name a few.
• Found in – Leafy greens, citrus, carrot, tomato and onion

B Vitamins

• B1 & B6 - Manage cortisol levels.
• B5 & B12 - Regulate energy and blood cell development.
• Deficiency causes additional strain on the body when stressed, resulting in over production of cortisol.
• Found in - Leafy greens, most fruits, pumpkin, squash and cauliflower        

Vitamin C

• Vitamin C has been proven to help our bodies deal with high stress both physically and mentally.
• *The benefits of this vitamin in the body are destroyed by cooking, therefore consuming raw or juicing is the best option. It is also important to consume high levels of Vitamin C in the morning when our bodies are stressed from overnight fasting (hunger).
• Found in - Cantaloupe, citrus, watermelon, berries, cabbage, sweet peppers

There is some back and forth on juicing benefits vs smoothies. In my opinion, both are beneficial. Juicing has the fibre of the foods removed, therefore it does not go through the same processes of assimilation that whole foods do. When you drink pure juice from fruits and vegetables, the vitamins and minerals are absorbed right away into the body with very little effort. It also allows a far greater amount of the vitamins and minerals in these foods to be consumed daily. We can drink more of these vitamins and minerals then we could ever eat in a day.

In short, avoiding processed foods, eating more whole fresh foods and juice will help to create a foundation of health so that your body is protected from stress related illnesses, both mentally and physically.

Here is a great juice recipe that targets the vitamins and minerals listed above.

6 - 7 leaves of kale
1 lemon (skin on, if organic only)
Small piece of ginger (size of thumb tip)
2 green apples
1 small cucumber
2 medium carrots
1 sweet pepper

ENJOY!

About the author
Patricia Bush
Long time juicer and lover of tasty and healthy food, Holistic Nutrition Student and after turning passion into reality current owner and operator of The Bar Café, a small organic café and juice bar in Uxbridge Ontario.