3 steps to help beat stress

Stress is bad for multiple sclerosis (MS). Today is Stress Awareness Day, but we all know it’s important to take stock of your mental health not just today, but every day.

Stress affects us all at some point and avoiding it completely can be nearly impossible. But taking steps to reduce it and manage your response to it, can be extremely beneficial. Research has shown that it can even help prevent new disease activity in people with MS.

So if you’re craving a little more relaxation, read on.

Meditation

Research has shown that meditation and yoga can reduce stress and cause changes in the brain that allow more stress resilience. Meditation slows the heartbeat and calms the mind, leaving you in a relaxed state. You can find free guided meditations online. Try www.freemindfulness.org/download

Exercise

The role of exercise in helping reduce stress is well proven. One study found that exercise can not only help you manage it in the present, but it can also act as a buffer to protect you from future effects, too.

Personal trainer Dom Thorpe specialises in exercise for people with MS and offers an ‘MS Warrior’ programme online. Visit www.dt-training.co.uk/ms-warrior-programme/

Diet

Pile your plate high with prebiotics, because there is evidence that these feed the good bacteria in your gut, and improve the physiological impact of stress. Prebiotics are fibres found in foods such as chicory, Jerusalem artichokes, raw garlic, leeks and onions. When this fibre is digested by beneficial gut bacteria, the microbes release by-products which researchers think influence brain function.

Prebiotics were also found to increase the amount of rapid-eye-movement (REM) sleep that happens. REM sleep is believed to be critical for promoting recovery from stress, with research showing that those who get more REM sleep after a traumatic event are less likely to experience post-traumatic stress disorder.

Finally, when you’re in need of a snack, you could do a lot worse than to reach for a handful of walnuts. A study found these tasty nuts and their oil may help prepare the body to deal with stress. Other studies have shown omega 3 fatty acids, such as the ones found in walnuts, can reduce bad cholesterol and inflammation markers in the body.