Last week, I wrote about stress-eating behaviour and how you can correct it to build a healthier relationship with food. Let’s now delve deeper into how stress negatively impacts many of our body functions, including the digestive, nervous system and lymphatic system. The lymphatic system is responsible for immunity-building, hence it is of even greater relevance in these times. It is useful to remember that the issues of weight gain, abdominal fat and lowered immunity, could be a result of chronic stress.
The body’s natural stress response in itself is not undesirable or harmful. In fact, it is a crucial aspect of the survival instinct. Unfortunately, the modern-day lifestyles are such that we are consistently stressed and the body remains in the fire-fighting mode for the most part. It is this excessive and constant stress response that is harmful. There’s hardly anyone today who can claim to be stress-free, which is why learning to manage stress should become a part of our daily routine.
Meditative techniques are known to relieve stress, but it isn’t always easy to get started and stay the course. The good news is that even something as short as a minute-long meditative practice can offer respite.Along with meditative techniques, I’d like to focus on the foods that can assuage the body’s overwhelming stress response. Two foods – turmeric and tulsi – stand out in this regard.
Turmeric has time and again proved its mettle against many illnesses. In addition to the noble curcumin that is commonly discussed, turmeric contains more than 300 active ingredients. Some of these ingredients help to lower cortisol (stress-induced hormone) levels in the body and boost the lymphatic system that fights infections.
Traditional knowledge about turmeric has been backed by science to prove that its extracts can increase antibody production, and therefore fight the onslaught of infections in the body. Turmeric also works by impeding the flow of toxins through the lymphatic channels. Turmeric powder is an indispensable part of traditional Indian cooking, but an increased dose can help abate stress. For this, you can consume a paste prepared with turmeric powder, ghee and black pepper. Turmeric latte, which has been greatly popularised by the West, is another way to boost its intake.
Tulsi (holy basil) is another herb familiar to us. The many roles that this plant plays in our body are worth recounting. For one, it is a scavenger of free radicals, which are the most damaging molecules that the body deals releases when stressed. Like turmeric, tulsi also mitigates the effect of cortisol on the body. Sleep is another vital function that is greatly affected by stress. A regular intake of tulsi – fresh leaves added to beverages or used to prepare a kadha (decoction) – can help restore restful sleep and immunity.