We all have bad days. However, if you’re feeling the pressure of everyday life a bit more often, you may be stressed. There are many different reasons why, which means that there are many things you can do to alleviate your stress.
Let’s take a look at how your diet can help reduce your stress levels.
What is Stress?
Stress is our body reacting to any change in our environment that requires a response of adjustment. Our bodies react to these changes through emotional, mental, and physical symptoms.
Stress is a normal part of our lives. Stress can be experienced through our environment, our thoughts, and our bodies. Even experiencing positive life changes can sometimes result in stress. Our human body is made to experience stress and respond to it, but sometimes it's just a bit much.
How Does Stress Affect Your Skin?
If you’re under a lot of stress, you may experience physical symptoms through your skin. This is because stress can cause a chemical reaction in your body, making your skin more reactive and sensitive to your environment. Stress can also make it more difficult for your body to heal itself.
One of the hormones that are released with stress is called cortisol. This chemical tells your skin to produce more oil, which can lead to breakouts, acne, and other skin issues.
If you have existing skin problems like eczema, rosacea, or psoriasis, stress can exacerbate these. It can also interfere with your daily skincare regime, as you may not have enough time to take good care of your skin. Stress can also create a catch-22 cycle, especially if you're experiencing skin issues as a result. The worse your skin gets, the more stressed you become.
The Best Diet for Stress
You may be surprised to learn that what you choose to include in your diet can often make or break your stress levels. Foods like refined carbohydrates and processed products can make your blood sugar levels skyrocket, before bringing it crashing down again. This cycle can invoke feelings of anxiety and stress.
However, if you choose healthier options, and include healthy fats in your diet like eggs, walnuts, and avocados, you will be able to regulate your blood sugar levels as your body slowly releases this type of energy over time.
If you want to try to tackle your stress levels through diet, try swapping those refined carbohydrates for wholegrain alternatives. When you feel like having a snack, have a handful of cashews or a couple of hard-boiled eggs. The less processed and refined your diet is, the better you’ll be able to regulate your blood sugar levels – and your stress levels, too.
Choosing the Right Skincare
As you begin to think about your diet is affecting your stress levels, it could be worth changing up your daily skincare routine, as well. However, there are a lot of products out there to avoid, filled with nasty chemicals that could only be adding to the problem.
Veletta Skincare offers a range of 100% plant-based, natural, vegan, cruelty-free skin products that are made right here in New Zealand. If you're thinking about trying a new approach to your skincare, we recommend our bestselling Facial Cleansing Oil. This nourishing skincare product hydrates your skin while keeping any excess oil at bay. Similar to the anti-aging Facial Oil, our cleanser is formulated with inflammation in mind. Once all is said and done, we recommend adding to the luxury with our Facial Moisturiser that will naturally keep your skin nice and moist throughout the day with natural minerals and vitamins.
Get more out of your diet and skincare regime, and kick stress to the curb!
