Jennifer asks: As stress and my workload pile up, late nights become inevitable. That weakens my immune system and often leaves me tired during the day. What can I do to alleviate this problem?
Wynnie says: Stress is a normal evolutionary reaction - it's a way of helping you protect yourself in tough situations such as facing physical danger, or sitting exams.
When we experience stress, our body reacts by pumping out adrenaline and cortisol, hormones which prepare us to either fight or flee. While it's OK to feel motivated by a little stress when your workload is piling up, long-term stress reduces our resilience and coping mechanisms, leaving you feeling overwhelmed or tired, emotional and more susceptible to common ailments like colds and flu.
Eating the right balance of foods can help to boost our immune system and enable our body to deal with some of the negative effects of stress.
Antioxidant-rich foods: Vitamin C is required to make adrenaline. A lack of this vitamin reduces the activity of cells in the immune system that gobble up harmful bacteria and viruses, leaving us more vulnerable to colds, flu and other diseases.
Stress also depletes vitamin C and other antioxidants such as vitamin A, E and selenium from the body. Boost your immune system by including citrus fruits, mixed berries, nuts and kiwi fruit in your daily diet.