Today’s world is non-stop. You’re rushing here, dashing there, your phone is by your side 24/7 and there’s always something pressing to sort out. No surprise that lots of us are feeling stressed. So much so that we’re getting used to living with it. But we shouldn’t have to.

At Go-Low, we think that a healthy body and healthy mind go hand in hand. Which is why in this newsletter, I’m taking a look at how eating well can help lower those stress levels, as well as offering some stress-busting techniques you can try. 

There’s been a lot of research about how beneficial a low carb diet is with regards to mental health. In fact, I went on a short course recently about how eating certain foods can really help with ADHD, especially omega 3 rich foods.

Did you know that inflammation in your body, as well as being the main cause of chronic disease, also causes the release of cortisol which is known as the ‘stress hormone’. So, by reducing inflammation through a low carb diet, we can help reduce cortisol.  

The following are some of the ways you can reduce inflammation through your diet:

• Cut out carbs & sugar.
• Eating foods richin magnesium such as: green leafy veg, dark chocolate, nuts and seeds. Our brownie mix is actually packed with magnesium from the organic raw unprocessed cacao powder.
• Enjoy foods rich in B vitamins such as fish, meat, poultry, eggs, nuts and seeds – our Seedy Crackers are perfect as they are made with ground almonds, sesame and linseeds. 
• Try more foods high in omega-3 fatty acids, like anchovies, avocados, chia seeds, linseeds and olive oil.

Buy, how do you know that you’ve got increased inflammation in the first place? Well, there are some common signs that can point to it. These include the following:

• Skin issues/acne
• Weight gain
• Low patience
• Migraines
• Low libido
• Anxiety
• Joint Pain
• Tired during the day
• Wired at night

Ultimately, you can only do so much in isolation to reduce stress! Improving your diet is one way and here are some more tips and tricks that I find really help to bring stress levels down. Some are more obvious than others, but hopefully serve as a helpful reminder to prioritise yourself in this busy world we live in!

🛌SLEEP – going to sleep in a cool room, at a reasonable time, having a relaxing bath and no devices an hour before bed. Reading, journalling or relaxing sleep meditation.

🚶‍♀️EXERCISE – any form – it doesn’t have to be strenuous, try a lovely walk enjoying nature.

✍️JOURNALLING – brain dumping everything on paper unedited, just letting the pen flow and getting everything out. Amazing how effective this is.

TIME ALONE or with FRIENDS – slowing right down, meditating, doing something just for enjoyment. As a part time introvert, I personally refuel being alone. But for extroverts that social interaction is more important to become re-energised and shift state.

🚰WATER – lots of it – 2L a day. Dig out that water bottle and fill it up.

❤️BEING GRATEFUL – it’s commonly known that being grateful can help shift our mood even it’s just the small things like a lovely cup of coffee in the morning! Thinking of 3 things before bed really helps get into a good mindset and helps with sleep too. Doing this regularly even for a couple of weeks can apparently increase happiness levels for months.

I hope you find some of the above useful. Especially, if like me, you’re always on the go. Eating foods that reduce cortisol levels really does help but a whole-life approach is the ultimate stress buster!

And finally, before I go I’d like to leave you with a saying I heard last year which has really helped me keep stress at bay: ‘Slow is smooth and smooth is fast’!!

Please get in touch with any other stress busting ideas, I'd love to hear from you!