Stress can be good or bad depending on your reaction to it. Stress in the short term keeps you sharp and alert but in the long term can destroy your health.

Symptoms of excessive stress include chronic sore throats, urgency to go to the loo, palpitations, shallow breathing, short tempered, unable to sleep, energy levels drop, lose concentration, fall asleep after meals, can’t sleep, can’t wake up, sweat too much and get headaches.

If you get any of these symptoms you need to stop and rest because the next stage could be total burn out, a heart attack or a stroke.

Foods to avoid

• Alcohol, caffeine and sugar, artificial sweeteners.
• Cut down on heavy meals, especially red meat which is hard to digest.
• The more refined and processed food you eat, the more stress you place on your liver, digestive system and your adrenal glands.

Friendly foods

• Eat more oats, especially porridge made with milk as oats are a good source of Vitamin B that help you stay calm.
• Make sure you eat breakfast. Liquorice tea & camomile.
• Wholewheat pasta, noodles, bread, couscous, brown rice and barley are all calming.
• Avocados, turkey, cottage cheese, spuds, ginger, yoghurt, lettuce and low fat milk.
• Eat more oily fish, tuna, sardines and salmon.

Alternative therapies

• B-Complex to support nervous system
• Vitamin C
• Meditation
• Yoga Lessons �?learn how to breathe properly
• Learn to say no and NOT feel guilty