Foods to help... in time of grief?

[Artiste]

This may seem odd, but I know that I had nearly no sleep, became more nervous, etc., since we are in grief, and that continues when we are sad.

I tend to eat more, but did not know that in such dire times, certain food increases my anxiety, like ice cream!

Just found this, if it can help make a day happier!

[Foods to calm you down fast
 Regardless of the cause, there's an almost Alice in Wonderland counter-intuitiveness to the goodies we turn to for comfort. Instead of soothing our frayed nerves, many of them ultimately make us feel worse.
Take the classic-curling up with a pint of ice cream. It's a total backfire. Why? Sweets are insidious: After the initial rush, the body's insulin response kicks in, causing a sudden blood sugar drop that triggers the release of stress hormones. Soon you're feeling more jangled than you were before you inhaled that whole container of Chunky Monkey. And alcohol, of course, is a wolfish stimulant in calm sheep's clothing.
But true comfort foods do exist.
1. Berries, any berries
Eat them one by one instead of M&Ms when the pressure's on. For those tough times when tension tightens your jaw, try rolling a frozen berry around in your mouth. And then another, and another. Since the carbs in berries turn to sugar very slowly, you won't have a blood sugar crash. The bonus: They're a good source of vitamin C, which helps fight a jump in the stress hormone cortisol
2. Guacamole
If you're craving something creamy, look no further. Avocados are loaded with B vitamins, which stress quickly depletes and which your body needs to maintain nerves and brain cells. Plus their creaminess comes from healthy fat. Scoop up the stuff with whole-grain baked chips-crunching keeps you from gritting your teeth.
3. Mixed nuts
Just an ounce will help replace those stress-depleted Bs (walnuts), give you a whopping amount of zinc (Brazil nuts)-it's also drained by high anxiety-and boost your E (almonds), which helps fight cellular damage linked to chronic stress. Buy nuts in the shell and think of it as multi-tasking: With every squeeze of the nutcracker, you're releasing a little bit of tension.
4. Oranges
People who take a 1,000 mg of C before giving a speech have lower levels of cortisol and lower blood pressure than those who don't. So lean back, take a deep breath, and concentrate on peeling a large orange. The 5-minute mindfulness break will ease your mind and you'll get a bunch of C as well.
5. Asparagus
Each tender stalk is a source of folic acid, a natural mood-lightener. Dip the spears in fat-free yogurt or sour cream for a hit of calcium with each bite.
6. Chai tea
A warm drink is a super soother, and curling up with a cup of aromatic decaf chai tea (Tazo makes ready-to-brew bags) can make the whole evil day go away.
7. Dark chocolate
Okay, there's nothing in it that relieves stress, but when only chocolate will do, reach for the dark, sultry kind that's at least 70% cocoa. You figure if the antioxidant flavonoids in it are potent enough to fight cancer and heart disease, they've got to be able to temper tension's effects.
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Maybe some or one such food can help?
Of course evrything depends on yours taste, your body, your culture, your wants, etc. - so be careful!!

Any other foods?

Take care,

hugs!!

[Artiste]

May I add that wild blueberries has saved my life many times and still do.

So did and do fresh cherries!!

In times of dire stress, we tend not to eat properly and that renders us more stressed, unfortunately.

Certain foods are needed, in times of stress and in good times too!

Hugs!

[Artiste]

I think that we need to vary maybe more our foods in times of grief?? !!

My brother and mother were just talking with me about gout!! That is more common again these days... in our civilisations. My brother seem to think that gout is because of way too much red meat[/b eaten- because that produces too much of a certain kind acid!! Now, we are not saying no hamburdgers like maybe Oprah did!!

Foods do have a lot to do with physical health and that is connected of course with our emotions... and other things.

So be careful what you eat in dire times of stress... may I suggest!

The list above helps?

Hugs!

[Artiste]

I think that in times of grief, too much stress, etc., we eat too much salt!! It seems that we already eat way too much salt and that likely is a danger, and makes us maybe too nervous? Itch? Etc.?

Does salt cause stone or are stones just fat ? Maybe stones are a combination of salt which hardens fat? Sure is hard to live with some stones!! Mother had too big operations to take stones away and still has a hard time!!

Anyway, here is an article to-day about salt we use too much and which can cause danger:
Taking a pass on sodium
1. Posted Fri, Feb 01, 2008
Sodium is everywhere in today's food chain. If your day consists of grabbing a breakfast bagel, packing a deli sandwich for lunch, heating a frozen entrée for dinner, and then munching on pretzels while you watch TV, then you're well on your way to becoming a human salt lick.
According to Statistics Canada, the average Canadian consumes in excess of 3,100 mg of sodium a day with a large percentage of the population consuming over 4,000 mg per day. Health Canada has determined that an adequate daily intake for a healthy adult is 1,200 mg to 1,500 mg of sodium. There seems to be huge room for improvement here.
The results from the 2004 Canadian Community Health Survey look fairly bleak, as well; more than 85 per cent of men and 60 per cent of women are consuming way over the recommended limits. Research shows that lowering sodium consumption to optimal levels could reduce the incidence of stroke and heart disease by as much as 30 per cent. Considering that one teaspoon (5 mL) of table salt has 2,325 mg of sodium and one tablespoon (15 mL) of soy sauce has 1,005 mg of sodium, becoming proactive is no easy task.
Sodium isn't all bad. It helps maintain the right balance of fluids in our body, helps transmit nerve impulses and influences the contraction and relaxation of muscles. Your kidneys play an important role in this equation. If your kidneys can't eliminate excess sodium, then the sodium starts to accumulate in the blood, increasing blood volume and causing your heart to work harder, which in turn can cause excess pressure in your arteries. Extra sodium in fast food, restaurant food, convenience food and packaged food ups the amounts of sodium you ingest, which in turn ups the ante in developing heart disease.
Not all people react the same way to sodium. Some are much more sensitive to the effects of sodium than others. If you're over 50, African American or have a health condition, such as high blood pressure, chronic kidney disease or diabetes, you may be more sensitive to the blood pressure-raising effects of sodium.
Okay, fine and dandy, but how do you lower your intake of sodium anyway?
Help is on the way:
Become an avid label reader. Check the sodium per serving on packaged foods and be prepared to be shocked. Compare brands and equal serving sizes to choose the product with the least sodium.
Choose the brand labelled Low Sodium or Reduced Sodium in packaged foods, where possible.
Check out the President's Choice Blue Menu line. Their products are generally lower in sodium, but it isn't in bold on the front of the package. Check the side panel to be sure that they are as low if not lower than a low or reduced sodium comparable brand.
Avoid deli meats. Most are chock full of sodium. Try to avoid bologna, ham, sausage, hot dogs and bacon. Instead, cook extra chicken, turkey or beef for dinner and use in sandwiches in place of deli meats.
Reduce your intake of smoked, cured or pickled foods.
Give your salt shaker the old heave ho.
Don't add salt while cooking. You can eliminate added salt to most recipes, such as soups, stews, salad dressings, casseroles, and in most baking with the exception of bread-making. Try adding herbs and spices or salt substitutes, like Mrs. Dash, to foods instead.
Beware of hidden sodium-laden condiments. Relish, commercial salad dressings, curry pastes, sauces, bouillon cubes, salsas and dips all are potentially high in sodium. Choose the lower sodium version where possible
Choose lower sodium tomato or vegetable juice, salsa, canned tomatoes, soup or tomato sauce.
Avoid packaged side dishes. Cook rice, grains, and pasta from scratch.
Drain and rinse canned beans with water until the water runs clear. You can rinse off up to 40 per cent of the sodium listed on the label.
It's difficult to find lower sodium frozen entrées. Buy brands that contain less than 500 to 600 mg of sodium per serving. This is still quite high, but it might be all that is currently available.
Limit or avoid fast food consumption and restaurant eating.
If your diet is a sea of salt, it may take 8 to 12 weeks to adjust your palate to less salty food.
Eating less processed foods and consuming more fruits and vegetables, whole grains, and non-fat dairy products will help you choose foods that are naturally low in sodium.
If you never "eat out" and make all of your meals from scratch every single day, you may be within Health Canada's higher limits of 2,300 mg of sodium a day depending on your diet. Aiming for 1,200 to 1,500 mg per day will only be possible with the help of food manufacturers, restaurants, and fast food chains reducing the sodium in their products.
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Any news??

Hugs!

[Artiste]

Crack the Colour Code for Healthy Eating
Crack the fruit and veggie colour code
Greens
Go beyond iceberg lettuce! Green fruits and veggies, such as avocados, green peppers, celery, kiwi fruits, cucumbers, asparagus, and even green apples, are tasty, nutritious options. Lutein, found in hearty greens such as kale, chard, and romaine lettuce, may help to fend off macular degeneration, a major cause of vision loss and blindness in Canada. Bell peppers, broccoli, and the underrated Brussels sprout are all powerful sources of vitamin C. Vitamin C is an antioxidant that may lower cancer risk, improve iron absorption, and promote wound healing.

Yellow and orange
Orange is more than oranges, and beta-carotene shows up in more than just carrots. Beta-carotene, a nutrient also found in sweet potatoes, mangos, apricots, and cantaloupe, has antioxidant properties, helps prevent vitamin A deficiency, and may play a role in immune health. Vitamin C abounds in the yellow-orange arcs of the food rainbow, especially in papaya, grapefruit, oranges, pineapple, and cantaloupes. Pucker up to lemons and limes, too. Fully ripened ones will have the highest antioxidant content.

Red
Seek out the blush of red and pinky-coloured vegetables and fruits for a good source of lycopene. A powerful antioxidant that may help prevent many kinds of cancers, lycopene crops up in tomatoes, watermelon, and pink grapefruit. Lycopene may also slow the hardening of arteries and the growth of tumours. The unappreciated beet, with its intense red pigment, has shown promise against colon cancer and is a rich source of folic acid, which is involved in normal tissue growth.

Blue and purple
Head into the darker realms of the produce section and get the blues... and blacks and purples. Think blackberries, figs, plums, prunes, eggplants, and raisins. Low in calories, high in vitamin C and fibre, blueberries have been especially singled out as tiny nutritional powerhouses. Anthocyanin is the pigment responsible for the tint of these fruits and veggies and for their antioxidant qualities. In addition to their cancer-fighting acumen, anthocyanins may also support the vascular system. Find these nutrients in the fresh and frozen varieties of blue and purple fruits and veggies.

White, brown, and tan
While they're not as showy as the others, fruits and veggies with more subdued white, brown, or tan hues deserve a spot in your shopping cart. Spice things up with ginger, which can boost the immune system, and garlic, known to inhibit cancer growth. Though they are yellow on the outside, bananas' true benefits hide in the sweet, white, fleshy fruit inside. Bananas are high in potassium, a key element of a heart-healthy diet, and they can help your bones by preventing calcium loss. And like bananas, the lowly old parsnip has tons of fibre and potassium.

So, slice off strips of mango, feast on a fig, crack off some cauliflower, chomp on a cherry, or pop a pea pod. Explore your market's produce section, and push yourself to try something new: that ruffle-edged bundle of greens, an oddly-shaped tuber, a spiky fruit, or some dirt-smudged root vegetable with a fountain of fronds.

The more fresh produce that you become familiar with, the better your chances will become of meeting the recommendation of 7 to 10 servings of fruits and vegetables per day. And the health benefits increase if you eat them in combination.
The contents of this site are for informational only!
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Enjoy foods and life!!

hugs!

[Artiste]

Drink more water!!

It is recommended to drink at least 6 or 7 glasses of water during a usual day??

And keep care... always!!

Hugs!!

[SFEnnisSF]

This is all very good advice.  Thank you for posting Artiste. 

[ifyoucantfixit]

              indeed

[Artiste]

Bienvenue!! You are welcome!!

Since I am dire pain very often and too much, I know that certain foods saved my life and still does... and fresh water too!!

Of course, you have to consider your own health and body, etc., too!!

Anyone can add if you like...

hugs!!

[Artiste]

Eat... foods that help in times of need!

Rest too, laugh, enjoy life, vary it, and keep care... drink water too!

Hugs!