Question:
My oldest daughter and I were in a car accident yesterday. No one was
physically injured, but to say it was stressful is an understatement. My
daughter (almost 14) was totally unnerved. We had to climb out of her door as
mine was crushed. She cried, complained that she felt nauseated and nearly
fainted when she stood up. I'm usually the family wimp, the one who goes into
flares after clipping a hangnail. But, surprisingly, other than getting a
headache from standing in the cold wind for an hour while waiting for help, I
was fine. Stress usually sends me into fits of pain of one variety or another.
I spent the whole day waiting for something to "happen". I went to bed just
knowing that I'd wake up with a terrible TMJ flare, back pain, etc. But I'm
OK. This would never have happened (or NOT happened) to me before. So I've
been thinking...what's different? Why am I not in a million little pieces
today? The only thing that's different is that I made some dietary changes a
couple of months ago. I've eliminated refined foods. I haven't had anything
even remotely resembling junk food for about 6-8 weeks. I'm really sensitive
to dairy products and have been diligent about keeping them out of my diet,
too. I'm following a modified Zone diet and am trying to work my way gradually
into following the reactive hypoglycemia diet. I've lost 22 pounds, but hadn't
noticed any major changes in symptoms. I don't have any way to prove it and it
will probably sound crazy to some of you, but I can't help wondering if there's
a connection between my diet and my body's response to a stressful event.
Now I'm just wondering if the statements made over the last few days are really
true. Will anyone notice this post? I'm curious as to whether the folks who
say that they lurk in between flame wars are actually reading anything other
than flames. Anyone care to respond?
Answer:
Well I'm sort of prejudiced (since I make my living off of nutrition)
but I do believe a healthy diet can work wonders at handling stress. The
biochemistry of it is rather straightforward. So yes, there may well be
a connection. However. My ability to handle stress varies greatly.
Lately I seem to come apart rather quickly but by Christmas a house
could fall on me and I'd be ok. I can feel something different in me but
I don't know what it is (which in my experience usually means hormones).
And at the moment my diet is pristine. I've lost my appetite so I only
put good foods in my mouth (it doesn't care lately). But I'm still
coming apart. (a migraine is starting now) I just found out I've
progressed from peri menopause to menopause, so that might be the reason
behind this flare (my first in two years).
I do think your dietary change has affected your response
to stress. I've been posting on my own dietary changes since August.
I'm following recommendation for FMS in Foods That Fight Pain by Neal
Barnard, MD. In adddition to eating whole foods and avoiding the
refined, I've isolated specific pain triggers - for me eggs, dairy and
apples so far - with his elimination diet. Most importantly I'm in
remission, off pain meds and my rheumy can no longer find any tender
points.
I didn't post this before, but several weeks ago, I took a
terrible fall. I fell onto concrete and piles of slate, landing on my
knees, twisting my ankle, and slamming my hands to the ground. My right
forearm blunted the fall somewhat but I actually thought I had broken
it. What amazed me over the next few days - no broken bones by the way
- was how quickly I improved and how little I bruised. All my life I
have been a very bad bruiser and have actually been worked up medically
for the problem with no apparent reason found. Not only were my bruises
incredibly minor, I was walking normally within two days. It's
difficult to express what I felt, but it was like I had someone elses
arms and legs on me.
Keep up that diet and if you get a chance check out Neal
Barnard's book on Amazon.com for a summary, reviews and readers
comments. Whatever best reduces your pain is the diet for you, but you
might want to try to isolate specific pain trigger foods as well for
even more improvement.
I think that the reason you didn't panic or go into "wimp" mode is probably
because of your daughter's distress, I know that I would have been more
concerned about her than myself and I think that is why you didn't get the
effects that you expected. I am always on the edge of panic :-) but when my
youngest son was rushed to hospital with appendicitis (sp?), I not only
didn't panic, I stopped biting my nails for the first time in my life !, I
was so busy thinking about his welfare that I forgot all about mine (I
haven't bitten my nails since either !)
I've been on a diet for 20 weeks now and I have lost over 2 stone, I'm not
eating any junk food either. I don't feel "marvellous" but I DO feel
better, I think it is down to eating a lot more vegetables and also eating a
lot more "organic" meats (the ones with no antibiotics or steroids in them
!) My migraines have abated a lot and the IBS has been pratically non
existent (which is REALLY good for me as I tend to get a bad spasm about
once a month at least). I've also started eating a LOT more fruit and cut
out biscuits (cookies) altogether. I never ate a lot of "processed food"
because of the Mono whateveritis! that is a know cause of migraine and I
have tended to make a "roast" most meal times as it is easier when feeding 4
(or 5 or 6), I've cut right down on red meat too. The biggest thing I've
noticed is that my breathing is SO much better, it is amazing how much
further I can walk now without gettting breathless or tired but I put this
down to not carrying all that weight anymore. I can't say in all honesty
that I have had less aches and pains but I do feel better in myself - AND
what is more ABOUT myself and I think that makes a LOT of difference too.
