Better Remedies to Overcome Stress through Ayurveda

Introduction

Ayurveda has historical roots and is considered one of the world's oldest holistic healing systems. It is believed that it was developed more than 3000 years ago. The premium advantage of Ayurveda is this medicinal system has no proven side effects on our body.

The Ayurveda practice is considered pseudoscientific. The term Ayurveda is a Sanskrit name and the meaning is 'Knowledge of life'.

Different Body Types in Ayurveda

In Ayurveda, human body types are classified into three:
Vata, Pitta, Kapha

Vata: People with Vata body has the following characteristics:

• Very Active.
• Lean Body Frame.
• Poor appetite.
• Lack of sleep.
• Digestion Issues.
• Fickle by nature.
• Unsteady in making decisions.
• Intolerant to cold.
• Easily agitated.

Pitta: People has Pitta characteristics has the following characteristics

• Very cheerful.
• Very social.
• Short-tempered.
• Quick-digestion.
• Intolerant to hunger.
• Intolerant to heat.

Kapha: People with Kapha body has the following features:

• Complacent Nature.
• Slow paced.
• Sleeps deeply.
• Calm and composed.
• Firm judgments.
• Slow digestion.
• Large body frame

Three kinds of Body types in Ayurveda. Vata, Pitta, Kapha.

Different Types of Stress

This is a feeling of emotional or physical stress. It is our built-in response to danger, a surge in hormones as we choose between fighting, fleeing, or freezing.
According to the American Psychological Association, the three types of stress — Acute stress, Episodic acute stress, and Chronic stress.

Acute Stress:

• The important symptoms of acute stress are irritability, anxiety, sadness, headaches, back pain, and gut problems.
• During this time your heart might race and your blood pressure might rise.
• Your sense of emergency might trigger a migraine or even chest pain. These may appear for a short time and subside when the stress eases.
  Eg: You are worry regarding a deadline at work.

Acute Stress, Symptoms.

Episodic Acute Stress:

• This is a situation in which a person frequently suffered from acute stress.
• In this state of mind, you will be always tense and feel that things are going wrong.
• The symptoms are similar to acute stress but occur more often and accumulate.
• You might need to spend more time getting physical exercise while rethinking your finances in case you need to quit.
• You might need the help of a therapist to change your circumstances or your responses to them. If poorly managed, episodic acute stress can contribute to serious illnesses like heart disease or clinical depression.

Episodic acute stress, Symptoms, Effects.

Chronic Stress:

• This is the response to emotional pressure suffered for a prolonged period in which an individual perceives they have little or no control.
• This stress may arise due to various problems that may be beyond our control eg: poverty, illness, etc.
• This stress involves an endocrine system response in which corticosteroids are released.
• Your nervous system isn't very good at distinguishing between emotional and physical threats.

Chronic Stress, Symptoms, Effects.

Common causes of Stress

Before finding remedies to reduce stress, we need to find out what are all the major causes of stress.

• Simply worrying about something.
• Long working hours.
• Unhappy in your work.
• Facing big challenges.
• Times of uncertainty.
• Working under dangerous conditions.
• Chronic Illness or injury.
• Changes in life situations like moving to a new home, new job, getting married, etc..
• Emotional problems like anger, anxiety, depression, low self-esteem, guilt, etc..
• Natural disasters like theft, rape, or violence against you or a loved one, etc..
• Having responsibilities that you're finding overwhelming.
• Not having much or any control over the outcome of a situation.
• Unrealistic expectations.
• Attitudes and perceptions.

There are many reasons that can cause stress.

Food and Stress

• It is proven that food and stress have close relations. Food has the power to make your stress level up and down.
• Sometimes our busy life, poor diet, pressurized working conditions, etc may lead to chronic stress. Imagine if you are in a stressful situation and eating high-fat foods at that time, leads to an increase in your stress level automatically.
• On the other hand, if you are eating natural, stress-relieving foods that help you to be far from stress levels.

First, we need to learn about the best and worst foods for reducing our stress

Various foods are related to Stress.

Worst Foods

Here is a list of some items that you need to avoid while under stress.

• Coffee

  It is popularly said that drinking coffee makes you fresher often. It makes you more energetic by stimulating dopamine activity also it reduces the chance of absorption of Vitamin B and D, the key mood-balancing vitamins. Also, when you add sugar to a cup of coffee, it will lead to a post-sugar crash that makes you feel more hungry, and automatically you will search for sugar with more cortisol.

• Diet Soda

  Sometimes having a soda makes you more energetic, but don't make it a habit. Because many diet soda contains an artificial sweetener, which blocks the production of the neurotransmitter serotonin. As a result, you may suffer from insomnia, mood changes, stress, headaches, etc.

• Wheat Bran

  We all may be aware that Wheatbrans are rich with fiber and are good for health. Another side of this contains a high concentration of phytic acid. This anti-nutrient block the absorption of mood-minerals like magnesium, zinc, etc.

• Pressed Juices

  We may all have the habit of drinking pressed juice for refreshing. The important content of sugar is fiber, glucose, and fructose. The result is a blood sugar spike from the glucose that triggers a rush of the stress hormone adrenaline, and the fructose can alter how the brain responds to stress on a genetic level. So try to avoid pressed juices especially filled with sugar.

• Red Wine

  When you drink a glass of wine makes you feel relaxed. A few drinks before bed leads to reduce sleep problems, blood sugar swings, and dehydration but as a result, it will increase your stress-hormones more.

• Tofu

  When you eat more soy-based products will be treated with glyphosate, a herbicide shown to cause nutrient deficiencies, especially in mood-stabilizing minerals. Soy is rich with copper-a mineral associated with anxious behavior. Tempeh and miso are some variety of Soy items, which are easy to digest and you can choose that.

• Pretzels

  The main features of this baked-food are they are rich with high-sodium, which increases your blood- pressure, and they are easy to digest which leads to anxiety as well. without the digestion-slowing fiber typically found in whole-grain, complex carbs, pretzels made from simple carbs will spike glucose levels—which then raises the stress hormone cortisol.

• Chinese Take-out

  Chinese food is one of the worst offenders of sodium-laden fare. If you're constantly shoveling high-sodium foods into your diet, you may exacerbate your body's stress response as well as worsen your body's regulation of blood pressure, resulting in general high blood pressure or hypertension.

• Canned

  Soup Most of the canned soups include Bisphenol A (BPA) is an endocrine-disrupting, hormone-mimicking chemical, which will altering genes in the stress-mediating portion of the brain, according to research. Studies have shown that children eating more BPA content foods lead to anxiety problems.

• Ice-Cream

  Of course, a cup of ice-cream makes you cool when you are on a sunny day. Ice-creams are rich with refined-sugar that will increase stress hormones, including cortisol.

The worst food for Stress, Coffee, Diet Soda, Wheat Bran, Pressed Juice, Red wine, Tofu, Pretzels, Chinese Take-out, Canned Soup, Ice-Cream

Good Foods

• Nuts

  Nuts are rich with protein and it will control your munchies and relieve stress. Also, it contains Vitamin B and fatty acids. Most of the nuts are rich with mineral-like Magnesium which will avoid magnesium deficiency deceased like high blood pressure, insomnia, fatigue, or loss of appetite. Another advantage of nuts is it is rich in mood-boosting selenium; the amino-acid, serotonin-precursor tryptophan; and depression-relieving omega 3 fatty acids.

• Dark Chocolate

  Dark chocolates are rich with antioxidants and it is proven that it can stimulate the euphoria-inducing chemicals that real chocolate does, especially serotonin, working to buffer the effects of stress. Also, try to have high-quality chocolates.

• Strawberries

  Strawberries are rich in Vitamin C and fiber. It contains antioxidants which will help to reduce your stress levels. When we eat, vitamin C supplements, levels of cholesterol decrease, and blood pressure will be in normal condition.

• Whole Grains

  Whole Grains are rich with carbohydrates which can temporarily increase levels of serotonin, a hormone that boosts mood and reduces stress. Always choose healthy, unrefined carbohydrates, like sweet potatoes and whole grains, for better nutrition.

• Wild Salmon

  Wild Salmon is rich with omega-3s, a mood-boosting fatty acid that may make it easier for serotonin—a chemical that makes you feel happier—to pass through cell membranes and multiply. Also, it helps to ease depression.

• Warm Milk

  Warm milk has a relaxing effect on our bodies. Milk and other dairy foods with calcium and added vitamin D can help muscles relax and stabilize mood. So it is better to have a cup of warm milk before going to bed.

• Eggs

  Eggs are rich in Vitamin D which can make your mood happier. It is proven that, by eating vitamin D rich foods, the nutrient increases levels of feel-good hormones, serotonin, and dopamine, in the brain.

• Black Tea

  People who drink black tea regularly have low cholesterol and they can manage stress more than their herbal drinkers. Their bodies were also able to lower stress hormone levels back to normal and relax more quickly after a difficult situation than non-black tea drinkers.

• Oats

  Steel-cut oats are similar to whole-grain status and considered as a source of tryptophan, the amino acid precursor to serotonin. Also, it includes the vitamin B6 found in oats is important to keep your brain focused and energized to keep you from feeling like shirking away to cool off from your rage with a nap. Get the most out of your meal by pairing your overnight oats with the mood-boosting nutrients found in nuts or eggs.

• Olive Oil

  Studies have shown that having two spoons of olive oil reduces systolic blood pressure in as little as three weeks. Also, it helps to boost the happy hormone serotonin than those eating other types of fat.

Stress-relieving Foods, Nuts, Dark Chocolate, Strawberries, Whole Grains, Wild Salmon, Warm Milk, Eggs, Black Tea, Oats, Olive Oil.

Exercise

Exercise is the best way to keep you physically and mentally healthy. Through various exercises, you can relax your stress.

Some of the Popular techniques to reduce your stress level are:

• Mindfulness Meditation

  This technique has great importance in reducing your stress level. Here what you need to do is you need to sit comfortably and focus on your breathing only. And makes your mind while thinking about the present only not in the past or future. It gives relaxation for people from anxiety, depression, and pain.

• Guided Imagery

  By focusing on calming imagery, you can reduce your stress level. For practicing this technique you need to collect soothing scenes, places, or experiences in your mind to help you relax and focus. By focusing on these imageries helps you to reinforce a positive vision of yourself, but it can be difficult for those who have intrusive thoughts or find it hard to conjure up mental images.

• Yoga

  Yoga is an amazing medicine for making our mind and body healthier and has been practising by years. It is practicing through rhythmic breathing with a series of postures or flowing movements. It offers you mental focus to enhance your flexibility and balance. Also, find a Guru before you start practising Yoga.

• Repetitive Prayer

  For practicing this, you need to find a peaceful place and practice a short prayer repeatedly by controlling your breathing. You can choose any prayer that is spiritually or religiously comfortable for you.

• Body Scan

  This technique is applying by focusing your breath with progressive muscle relaxation. How this technique is practiced is like after a few minutes of deep breathing, you need to focus any of your body parts or group of muscles at a time and mentally releasing any physical tension you feel there. This technique helps you to be better aware of the connection between your body and mind.

• Breathe Focus

  Taking a deep breath is always a powerful technique to release your stress and makes you more comfortable. When you breathe, you gently disengage your mind from distracting thoughts and sensations. This technique is not suitable for people who have health issues or breathing problems. Always consult a doctor before you start breathing practice.

Through these successful techniques, we can control our stress levels and makes our mind and body healthier.

Exercises for stress relief, Meditation, Guided Imagery, Yoga, Repetitive Prayer, Body Scan, Breathe Focus.

Conclusion

Although This Blog covers most of the reasons for stress Please consult a medical practitioner before taking medication etc.