Stress is an all too common problem for people of all ages, but it can be especially challenging for those over 60. With age comes a variety of health concerns, and high levels of stress can exacerbate these issues and negatively impact overall well-being.
According to Nutritionist and Recipe Developer for The Fast 800, Gabrielle Newman, “various factors can cause stress to increase as you age, including managing chronic illness, injuries, losing loved ones, being a caregiver, helping with grandchildren, adjusting to financial changes, retirement, or separation from friends and family.”
“Along with this there are physiological changes happening in the brain which may result in hormone dysregulation – meaning you may feel more stressed as you age,” Newman explains.
Naturopath, Nutritionist and Registered Nurse Madeline Calfas says that “some of the most common causes of stress in people 60 years and over involve money and health.”
“As we approach retirement age, it is not uncommon for people to really start worrying about their financial situation,” Calfas explains.
“Will they be able to afford the same lifestyle once they are no longer working? Have they ensured they put enough into their superannuation so they will be looked after should their health start to fail? Have they looked after their health enough in their younger years to keep themselves as fit and healthy as possible?
“Other common stressors are facing their mortality (I can’t believe I’m 60! how did that happen?), the loss (or potential loss) of a loved one and friends, stressors relating to children and grandchildren, particularly for those people with children who have been financially dependent on them.”
Unfortunately, when it comes to dealing with stress, many of us find ourselves reaching for the junk food cupboard in order to attain some much needed relief from such negative feelings. According to CSIRO Total Wellbeing Dietitian Pennie McCoy this is known as “emotional eating” which is “when a person uses food as a resource to control their emotions”.
Although eating that piece of chocolate provides some help in the short term, in the long term it can have detrimental impacts on a person’s health and wellbeing.
“Foods that we tend to go for when we emotionally eat are often foods that are high in fat and salt, or high in sugar – they’re really highly processed,” McCoy said.
“And while this gives us immediate satisfaction when we eat the food, the consequences of long-term exposure to this type of behaviour is not necessarily satisfaction.”
Opting for a more nutritious and healthier alternative instead can not only reduce stress but also promote better health outcomes. In fact, there are certain foods in particular that have been shown to have a calming effect.
In an effort to help get on top of the stress that can accompany modern day life, Starts at 60 explored the optimal foods that can help reduce stress levels and spoke further with Newman and Calfas who offered tips on incorporating these foods into your diet.
What foods help with stress?
Maintaining a healthy diet is crucial in managing stress levels as it provides the body with the necessary nutrients to cope with the pressure that can accompany life.
By making healthy food choices a priority, individuals can better support their body’s natural ability to handle stress.
Given stress “can contribute to many health problems, such as high blood pressure, heart disease, weight gain and diabetes” and “can also decrease the overall effectiveness of the immune system” leaving you “more vulnerable to becoming unwell”, according to Newman, it becomes crucial to adopt a healthy diet to offer the best chance of overcoming stress levels and maintaining good health.
“While prescribed medication and counselling can be helpful for diagnosed anxiety, research now shows that our diet can also play a key role in managing stress and sleeplessness,” Newman explains.
“The link lies in our gut; two to three kilograms of microbes live in the digestive system, which produces neurotransmitters. These chemicals convey messages from the gut, through the nervous system to the brain – impacting our mood and anxiety levels. Eighty per cent of our serotonin (the happy hormone) is produced in the gut.”
Calfas explains that “not only does making good food choices help with your body on a health level (and weight level, especially for women who are concerned about post-menopausal weight gain), but incorporating certain foods that are known to have adaptogenic effects (adaptogens are herbs/plant compounds that help you to do exactly what it sounds like – adapt!) can help your body deal with stress as well.”
“We also know that the adrenal function is directly affected by blood-sugar levels, so keeping our blood sugar levels stable is another way that food can help to manage stress. Choosing foods that are low GI are a great way to help maintain a steady blood sugar level,” Calfas says.
Knowing the benefits of healthy food and the benefits it can offer for managing stress levels is one thing but knowing what to eat to achieve such results is another.
Newman suggests incorporating prebiotic and probiotic foods into your diet to manage stress levels.
“Prebiotic foods are rich in fibre and act like fertiliser for the gut and help encourage the growth of good gut bacteria,” Newman advises.
“There are a diverse range of fruit and vegetables considered to be prebiotics, and you may not even realise they’re part of your diet; garlic, onions, asparagus, leeks and flaxseed are good sources of prebiotics.”
Newman also highlights that “many people don’t eat enough probiotic foods to provide good gut bacteria.”
“People often spend big on probiotics supplements and overlook cheaper, more readily available and affordable food sources like yoghurt, kefir, sauerkraut, kimchi and miso which are all great sources of probiotics,” Newman says.
“You could try a warming miso soup or mix some berries through yoghurt for dessert.”
