How are you? If you’re anything like us, the answer will often include ‘anxious’ or ‘stressed’ (alongside a happy handful of ‘joyfuls’, too). So how do we manage stress and anxiety? Sometimes it can be hard to identify the root cause; or (more likely) even when you do, it’s not so easy to magically fix. Life is hard. We’re under all kinds of pressure, from families and relationships to work and money. So we need to look at the bigger picture. Which is why we spoke to Kat Chan, a nutritional therapist who focuses on ‘Whole-Body Health’ as part of her practice. Kat is a woman after our own heart, prioritising pleasure and substance and championing them as the hallmarks of feeling good. Kat takes us through what happens in our bodies when we feel anxiety or stress, how to manage it through movement and nutrition, and easy-to-make recipes to support our minds and bodies.
You focus on ‘whole-body health’ which really resonates with us (we're all about wholebeing, not just wellbeing). Can you tell us more about what that term specifically means to you and why it’s so important for your practice?
The term ‘whole body health’ is rooted in the understanding that nothing happens in isolation. We’re often led to think of our bodies as an amalgamation of completely separate parts—if we have a premenstrual headache or if we’re experiencing acne we might not immediately think of how our gut microbiome, liver, or our sleep routine is playing a role… but it is! All our body’s systems influence one another.
In my practice, clients tend to come to me with a mix of chronic symptoms like anxiety, low energy, gut issues and skin flare ups. By taking a whole-body approach to health, we can get below surface-level symptoms and strategically address these issues in a cohesive and holistic way. I often see someone come in with one symptom like acne or anxiety and when they’ve completed my programme their digestion, energy, and focus have all improved too.
What is happening in the body when we feel anxious or stressed?
The phrase ‘fight or flight’ has become a part of common vernacular lately and it’s a useful way to visualise what’s happening when we’re feeling anxious or stressed. When we perceive a threat, our natural reaction is to escape (flee) or attack (fight). This threat could be something genuinely dangerous like running from a natural disaster or it could be receiving a curt email from your boss. If you haven’t heard of ‘email apnea,’ look it up - fascinating stuff. Anyway, the body reacts in a similar manner, by releasing neurotransmitters and hormones that activate our sympathetic nervous system. In the immediate, this feels like your heart is racing and you have shortness of breath. Unseen physiological reactions are things like achy muscles because you’re tensing them all the time from stress or poor sleep because hormones like cortisol and adrenaline are keeping you from getting a good night’s rest. Also, your digestion might slow down because when your body thinks it’s in danger – it’s just not a priority to digest the sandwich you had for lunch when there’s a tornado about to hit! The opposite of ‘fight or flight’ is ‘rest and digest,’ so that tells us something.
How can we help manage our anxiety levels through nutrition?
The relationship between food and anxiety is getting a lot more air time these days because we now know that certain ways of eating can drive higher stress levels and make you feel agitated, while others calm you down and even improve mood.
No surprise here but integrating whole foods is always a good idea if you experience anxiety. Vegetables and fruits are great sources of fibre, which is what feeds the bacteria in our gut, and our gut microbiome plays a huge role in mood regulation.
Low magnesium levels can exacerbate anxiety, so eating foods like dark leafy greens, brown rice, and good quality cocoa in the form of dark chocolate can be helpful. Other nutrients that are worth keeping in mind are zinc (e.g. oysters, cashews, liver, beef, eggs), probiotics (e.g. yoghurt, kefir, sauerkraut, kimchi), B vitamins (e.g. avocados, meat) and having omega-3 rich foods (e.g. oily fish, extra virgin olive oil, chia seeds and flax seeds) can be helpful.
Also if you’re feeling stressed, don’t skip meals! Instead, opt for three main meals to establish a sense of safety in the body.
How can we strengthen the mind-body connection to reduce our stress levels?
My top tip is to prioritise movement. Move everyday. When you’re feeling overwhelmed, it’s not always conducive to try and think your way out of a stress - moving intentionally, even if it’s only for 5 minutes, is a great way to get out of your head and has downstream effects throughout the rest of the day.
There’s a concept called Exercise Snacks that shows the benefit of doing short bursts of movement – whether that’s squats, lunges, or my favourite ‘jumping jacks’ - a few times a day. Doing this helps balance blood sugar levels, which affects anxiety and doesn’t require an hour long gym session.
I often work with clients that have irregular schedules or travel frequently, which means committing to things like a regular strength training or pilates class can be tricky (as much as they’d like to). Finding ways to work in movement through the day wherever you are is a clever way to work around this. Taking a walk first thing in the morning wherever you are in the world is also a great way to get some sunlight in your eyes, which supports vitamin D intake (important for anxiety) and feel connected to the community around you.
How does caffeine or alcohol consumption impact anxiety, and what tips would you give for anyone who enjoys coffee and/or alcohol?
Have you heard of ‘hangxiety’? That feeling you get after a night out drinking when everything feels absolutely terrible? One of the reasons why alcohol can make us feel this way is because of its effect on our nervous system. Alcohol affects how our central nervous system functions, in particular two types of neurotransmitters (GABA and glutamate) – just think about the slurring and clumsiness that can happen when we have a few too many. When the initial feeling of relaxation from drinking alcohol, which is a sedative, wears off our brain tries to get back to normal by rebalancing GABA and glutamate and in the process this can lead to mood swings, dehydration, nausea, and shakiness.
Caffeine on the other hand affects the nervous system in a different way, it’s a stimulant that causes the body to produce and release adrenaline. The feeling of having more adrenaline can be the same as anxiety – racing heartbeat, sweating, feeling out of control.
If I were to recommend one thing for those that enjoy coffee and alcohol, it would be to avoid having them on an empty stomach. By eating something first, we blunt the speed of both reaching our blood stream as quickly. Supporting the gut microbiome is also key for both things - everything mentioned above, basically!
Can you share with us your favourite meal or recipe for when your stress levels are high and you want to bring them right down?
When my stress levels are high I turn to leftovers in the freezer. Taking one thing off my plate - the need to cook something fresh - makes life a little easier! So, from a practical perspective I would recommend always cooking enough leftovers for the ‘future you’ that might not have the time or energy for it.
In terms of recipes, I love a stew that includes great quality minced beef (high protein, rich in zinc and B12), lots of dark leafy greens (magnesium), chopped up broccoli (vitamin C and liver support), ginger (gingerol for gut support), carrots (vitamin A), chopped red onion (quercetin) and to be honest any veg that is about to go off in the fridge. Sauté everything in some extra virgin olive oil with sea salt and black pepper then simmer with a tin of organic tinned tomatoes until it turns thick like a ragu. I like to have this on lentil pasta or dolloped on top of sweet potatoes. Sometimes I’ll defrost it then fry a couple of eggs and have the dish for breakfast. Also good in blue corn tortillas! Versatile and nutritious and lasts ages in the freezer.