Stress & Nutrition: "Sugar, Ahh Honey-Honey:" Stress-Relief Expert Susie Mantell's Thoughts on Sugar & Stress (I sure hope you read this one...)
By award-winning author and stress-relief expert Susie Mantell
We live in a culture plagued by stress-related symptoms. My observations on sugar*s impact on stress levels, mood, physical pain, irritability and self-esteem are based upon both personal experience, and my work with thousands of people who come to me seeking help in preventing, reducing and releasing the physical, emotional symptoms typically associated with stress. (e.g. anxiety, depression, sleeplessness or excessive sleep, muscle tension and pain, control issues, fears, unsatisfying relationships, among many others.) While I am neither a physician nor a scientist, in my experience as a stress-relief facilitator, there are only a few stress-related risk factors about which I feel more strongly than sugar. Even at sub-clinical diagnostic levels, I believe that for some people, subtle sugar-sensitivity is an often misdiagnosed, or completely overlooked problem that can in some cases wreak havoc on physical and emotional well-being, self-esteem, mood shifts, relationships and perhaps even immune function. For many, sugary foods can unquestionably be mood-altering substances, can sap energy, create cognitive fog and forgetfulness, exacerbate inflammatory pain, weight gain and water-retention, then to add insult to injury. . .create cravings for more. As if those were not stressful enough, once the cycle is in motion, self-esteem plummets as one repeatedly swears off sweets but then "falls off the wagon," wondering why. In a culture with so many at risk for diabetes and/or heart disease, we read nutritional labels and find the seemingly ubiquitous High Fructose Corn Syrup--even in non-sweet foods. Due you suffer from recurring yeast infections? Sinus trouble? Digestive difficulties? All of these can be exacerbated by sugar in some cases. If you struggle with any of the symptoms mentioned in this paragraph, try this:
TRY THIS: Are You Sugar Sensitive?
1. For two weeks, eliminate all foods and beverages that contain sugar in any form. (Also including honey, molasses, brown sugar, etc.)
2. If any sugar-y ingredient appears above the 6th, skip it.
3. Words ending in: "ose" are some form of sugar. (e.g. glucose, sucrose, dextrose, fructose, etc.) Reminder: "Natural" does not mean "Healthy." Ask anyone who suffers from Hay Fever!
4. Take a look at the Glycemic Index and "The Glycemic Load" of specific foods. See which fruits are highest in sugar? Are you a big fan of bananas? Grapes? You might also want to eliminate flour and white carbs during this time to get a more accurate sense of how sugars do, or do not, impact your stress levels and overall sense of well-being.
5.Regarding alcohol: If you can take it or leave it--leave it during these 2 weeks. If you can't--that's a different problem, and you may want to look at the role alcohol plays in your life.
6.Your long-term goal may not be 100% elimination by any means. But this simple two week experiment will show you the role and impact, if any, of sugar in it’s many forms, on your personal stress levels and well-being. This could be one of the greatest gifts you'll ever give yourself!
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Award-winning stress-relief expert Susie Mantell ...is the author of the deeply soothing relaxation CD, "Your Present: A Half-Hour of Peace,” clinically approved for symptoms associated with stress and sleeplessness, depression and grief, anxiety, P.T.S.D., Fibromyalgia, caregiver stress, cancer, pain, divorce and addiction recovery. Featured in The Los Angeles Times, NBC, ABC, CBS-TV, Town & Country, The American Pain Society, Hazelden and The Susan G. Komen Breast Cancer Foundation, listeners include The Mayo Clinic, Memorial Sloan-Kettering, The Betty Ford Center, V.A. Hospitals,and Canyon Ranch (#1 Spa.) Customizing stress-reduction for Fortune 500 companies, distinguished hospitals and spas, Mantell has facilitated thousands in relieving health-related, work-related, chronic or traumatic stress. Her multi-sensory, mind-body techniques appear in national media, medical and corporate publications. Susie Mantell's Stress-Relief & Wellness Tips are intended as an adjunct to, not a substitute for, professional health care. Order “Your Present: A Half-Hour of Peace” and find more of Mantell’s stress-relief tips at www.relaxintuit.com