“Feed your head” is a concept Dr. James Rouse often uses to help his patients relieve stress and anxiety using strategic nutrition and other natural solutions.



CAN STRESS BE GOOD FOR YOU? It can according to naturopathic physician James Rouse. Stress isn’t the bad guy, says this expert in integrated medicine — and all of us can learn to think of stress as a positive element in our lives.

“Stress is essential to life,” explains Dr. James, noting that the body’s “fight or flight” response gives us the extra energy we need to flee or defend against danger — but also feeds our vitality for playing with our kids and tearing up the basketball court with our buddies.

Stress becomes a problem, says Dr. James, because fight-or-flight can be triggered by situations you face every day — from financial worries to an ill-tempered boss to a troubled relationship. And if stress comes on too often, the effects can include a weakened immune system, bone loss or other serious health conditions.

In fact, studies suggest that 80 to 90 percent of illnesses are linked to stress — so keeping it in check is critical.

The key, says Dr. James, is managing when your stress response system kicks in — and channeling its energy when it does. Rather than trying to eliminate or reduce stress, as so many remedies try to do, “It’s about being proactive, by fortifying your body’s natural ability to take stress in stride,” says Dr. James.

“Start by asking yourself, ‘What do I love most in life? What gets me excited?’” Dr. James suggests. “What you give your body to work with can be the foundation of that experience.”

Dr. James notes that people under stress often skip meals during the day — only to arrive home feeling depleted and searching for feel-good foods, usually loaded with refined sugar and processed ingredients. While these foods may fill you up, he says, their lasting effect can be that you actually feel more stressed and less able to handle stressful situations.

An anxiety-ridden day drains the body of its natural feel-good hormones and stress-balancing body chemistry. Poor nutrition further depletes the nutrients needed to build that chemistry — spelling double trouble for your energy level and state of mind.

Dr. James says realigning stress-management body chemistry starts with smart nutrition including regular meals and snacks based on these essentials:

HIGH-PROTEIN FOODS for sustained blood sugar balance and key building blocks for beneficial neurotransmitters.

COMPLEX CARBOHYDRATES to produce energy and support optimal levels of the calming neurotransmitter serotonin.

ESSENTIAL FATTY ACIDS to help maintain physiological and psychological well-being and vitality.

KEY VITAMINS AND MINERALS including vitamin C, magnesium, zinc, potassium and B vitamins to support adrenal health and the manufacture of key hormones.


Physical activity can help reduce the risk of heart disease and counter negative effects of stress, partly by increasing production of endorphins, brain chemicals that help counter stress hormones.


Dr. James shows his patients everyday foods and recipes that are rich in these stress-balancing nutrients, offering insight into how some of these foods help support the adrenal system and other factors that foster greater resilience to stress. He also recommends quick stress-relief techniques — including breathing techniques, snacks such as chamomile tea, string cheese or whole-grain crackers that can adjust stress-balancing chemistry, and aromatherapy oils that can calm senses when feelings of stress are running high.

With nutrition as the cornerstone of more healthful stress management, Dr. James says other strategies including exercise and relaxation techniques can further strengthen the body’s defenses. Numerous clinical studies have shown that exercise, meditation and other natural approaches can help reduce the risk of heart disease and counter the negative effects of stress, partly by increasing production of endorphins, brain chemicals that help keep stress hormones in check.

Dr. James emphasizes that you don’t necessarily have to make a dramatic lifestyle change to benefit from these approaches. “Using even one of these ideas can help — particularly if you start by adding something into your routine, versus taking something away.”

For example, if you hate the thought of giving up your favorite foods, begin by adding foods rich in stress-balancing nutrients into your meals. “This has a way of giving you a feeling of control,” says Dr. James, “and that’s key because one characteristic of stress is a feeling that you have no control over what’s happening in your day.

“Stress is a dance,” Dr. James concludes. “You have to partner with it. What you eat is one way to choreograph the dance your way… So eat to live.”