It seems like everything we do causes stress: work, blogging, family, pets, travel, etc. Did you know that another source of stress may be the food that you eat? Certain types of food and beverages add stress to our bodies, while others make it easier for our bodies to manage the harmful physical and mental results of stress.

By introducing good foods and decreasing or eliminating foods that cause or add to stress in the body, you can change the way you feel, look, and perform at work.

Foods Bloggers Should Avoid

Too much coffee. Coffee, tea, soda and chocolate are all common caffeine consumptions by bloggers. Caffeine helps us feel more awake for a little while by stimulating our central nervous systems, which also increases stress on our bodies. Caffeine-rich foods can also be addictive and therefore harder to remove from our diet.

To start, try cutting your caffeine consumption by a third, then in a few weeks, cut it by a third again. Your body may accept this gradual weaning off of caffeine and make it easier to cut the caffeine habit.

Too much Alcohol. Drinking alcohol too frequently can disrupt your sleep, which in turn creates stress. Alcohol also dehydrates us, leaving our bodies more vulnerable and depleted. When one drink becomes two, then three, then too many, it can also affect your relationships and cause further stresses.

Sugar: Like caffeine, sugar gives us a short-term energy boost that feels great. To process this new energy source, our bodies release insulin to combat the increased sugar levels. When the insulin has taken care of the sugar levels and balanced them out, you get a “sugar crash,” where you lose the energy you gained from the sugar plus some more, leaving you sleepy and unproductive. Sugar and caffeine can also cause a magnesium deficit in the body, making it more difficult for our muscles to relax and therefore causing stress to the body.

Too much salt: Salt can contribute to high blood pressure, which is a major stressor on the body. Many fast food restaurants rely heavily on salt for their products. When you can, avoid salty foods (and fast food) and steer instead to fresh, natural foods.

Fast food. Most fast food restaurants that sell fries, burgers and pizza include many preservatives, salt, sugar and additives in their food. Bloggers tend to consume such foods because they are ready-made and cheap. While fast food is usually cheaper than other restaurants, the calories in fast food could be more productively used in healthy foods that your body can digest easier. However, it may be a good idea to use ready-made nutritious meals prepared by companies like Medifast and Nutrisystem or other home meal delivery companies you can find online. This is a form of healthy fast food where the food is delivered to your door weekly and includes 5 to 6 portion-controlled meals that are designed to be low in calories, low in fat and sodium so that you lose weight and at the same time give your body all the necessary nutrients.

Avoid saturated fats. These “bad” fats increase the cholesterol in our bodies, which can contribute to heart disease and high blood pressure.

Food Bloggers Should Eat

There are some key nutrients that our bodies need to combat stress and help perform better in the mentally difficult work of blogging. While these nutrients can be found in pill form as supplements, it’s less stressful on the body to absorb the nutrients through natural food products rather than a supplement.

Protein-rich foods—like chicken, fish, eggs, soy and beans—are what help to build and maintain muscles in the body.

Carbohydrates sometimes get a bad rep. However, eating the right kind of carbohydrates in moderation can greatly benefit your body, help manage stress, and boost your energy. Try incorporating good carbs like 100% whole grain pasta and bread, brown rice, fruit and veggies.

With stress, many people develop high blood pressure. Eating foods rich in potassium can help lower blood pressure and decrease stress. Food like bananas, potatoes, avocados, and corn are all good sources of potassium.

Eating foods high in iron can strengthen the body’s response to stress and increase your brainpower. Iron-rich foods include eggs, dried fruit, peas, and potatoes.

An increase of zinc in your diet can strengthen your immune system and promote insulin production to keep sugar levels regulated. Food such as bananas, pears, beans, soy and chicken have a natural source of zinc.

More Tips for Stress-Relievers

1. Drink lots of water throughout the day. While you’re putting new, good foods into your body, drinking lots of water will help flush out the old, bad toxins from your body. This is particularly good because sitting all day in front of the computer accumulates toxins in parts of your body that need to be removed. Besides, your skin will look great when you drink at least the recommended 2 liters of water a day. Not only does drinking water help with removing toxins it also helps with losing weight.
2. Eat smaller, more frequent meals. Instead of having a couple of huge meals, eat small meals throughout the day. For example, you might have a slice of toast and a piece of fruit when you get up, then Greek yogurt and berries when you get to work, etc., eating every few hours. Eating smaller meals like this throughout the day will encourage you to only eat when you are hungry and to stop eating when you’re full.

Food does matter. Some bloggers believe they can reduce stress or lose weight just by exercising or working less, but the food we put into our bodies is very important. By changing your diet to include meaningful calories and by cutting out food stressors, you can begin your journey to a healthier, happier, de-stressed life.

While Jane blogs a lot about internet marketing, she is equally concerned about blogger health. coupon codes for medifast and nutrisystem.com coupon codes are cool deals for bloggers who take care of their health. Similar deals and much more can be found at www.weightlossdiets4women.com.