Pro Cheer Wellness: Stress-Relieving Foods If You're Feeling Anxious
Like most dance-related careers, stress is quite common in professional cheerleading. This is because of the increasing number of responsibilities that pro cheerleaders need to fulfill on and off the field. Therefore, it's essential that they know how to deal with their stress healthily to reach their full potential.
When you hear about stress management, what usually comes to mind is proper sleep, along with other things like exercise and seeing a therapist. But do you know that nutrition also can have a significant effect on your emotions? Although still not widely studied, some researchers have proven that various foods or food components can help relieve stress, reduce anxiety, or improve your mental health overall.
Here are foods that can help relieve your stress and reduce anxiety.
1. Dark chocolate
Under stressful conditions, your body releases a hormone called cortisol as part of its fight-or-flight mechanism. This leads to an increased heart rate and elevated levels of breathing, which help us survive threatening situations. However, with constant and elevated production of cortisol, you can experience severe health conditions like anxiety or depression.
One food shown to lower cortisol levels is a food loved by many — dark chocolate. Dark chocolates have high polyphenolic flavonoids, which help protect your cells from oxidative damage and prevent the development of cardiovascular diseases, cancer and dementia. It was also determined that it lowers cortisol levels resulting in mood improvement and stress reduction.
2. Fermented foods
Depression and anxiety are often related to gut problems. The relationship may be explained by inflammation, dysregulation of neurotransmitters, or disturbed gut microbe. So a potential way to improve stress is to take care of your gut microbe composition.
The fermentation process converts food components into more nutritional products, enhancing the proliferation of beneficial microorganisms in your gut. Fermented foods that were shown to improve gut function and reduce anxiety include the following:
- kimchi
- yogurt
- fermented papaya
- fermented cucumber
3. Foods rich in omega-3 fatty acid
Omega-3 fats are not only good for your heart but also for your brain. For example, omega-3 fatty acids are components in some food known to reduce inflammation and promote healthy cognitive function. Also, studies have shown that omega-3 can improve symptoms of anxiety.
You can get adequate omega-3 fatty acids from the following:
- fish and seafood- salmon, tuna, sardines, and mackerel
- dairy - eggs, milk, soy beverages, yogurt
- nuts and grains - cereal, walnuts, pumpkin seeds
- plant oils - canola, soybean, walnut oils, flaxseed oil
4. Vitamin C-rich fruits
Vitamin C is known for fighting immune diseases like coughs and colds, but they're also involved in anxiety, stress, and mood. Vitamin C, or ascorbic acid, is an antioxidant that lowers the effects of oxidative stress. Studies have shown that a diet rich in this vitamin help in the treatment of anxiety and the improvement of cognitive function.
Here are vitamin C-rich foods that were shown to have an impact on reducing stress:
- Berries
- Oranges
- Grapefruit
- Broccoli
Conclusion
A proper diet goes hand in hand with proper sleep and physical activities to improve your overall mental and emotional health. So, in addition to the foods above, don't ignore sleep quality, take breaks, and maintain an active lifestyle.
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