When life feels overwhelming and stress threatens to descend, maybe that means it's time to change your diet.
According to Medical Xpress, a new study shows that eating according to the Mediterranean diet is associated with lower levels of stress and mental distress.
"Stress is recognized to be a precursor to mental distress, and research, including our own, has demonstrated that the Mediterranean diet lowers mental distress," said Lina Begdache, associate professor of health and wellness studies at Binghamton University, State University of New York.
She added, "The Mediterranean diet may be associated with a decrease in the negative components of perceived stress and an improvement in its positive attributes."
In fact, people don't have to feel distressed when they experience stress. Some stress, according to the American Psychological Association, stimulates us and helps us grow. It's when there's too much stress or the stress feels overwhelming that it feels negative to us.
This kind of stress can also have negative effects on our health. The Mayo Clinic says that it can cause everything from headaches to chest pain and from significant fatigue to changes in our sex drive.
If changing the way you eat could keep away the bad feelings about stress, which would allow you to perceive it as helpful rather than overwhelming, that might be worth making the shift. That's especially true in a world that feels politically divided and where the headlines about the changing climate can feel like they are getting worse and worse.
The Mediterranean diet is pretty straightforward. It focuses on eating plants, healthy fats, fruits, and vegetables from all colors of the rainbow, whole grains, and a moderate amount of wine with your food, according to the Cleveland Clinic. You'll avoid most red meat, as well as sweet foods and drinks. Substitute olive oil when you would usually use butter, and you've arrived.
Combine this with other healthy changes, like eating more fiber, and you might be surprised at how good you feel, no matter what tomorrow's headlines say.
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