There are some foods that have been linked to fighting stress. Were not talking about the typical comfort food, like Moms amazing mashed potatoes made with cream cheese and bacon or Grandmas stuffed calamari (even if those foods bring back wonderful memories). Were talking about tapping into a foods inherently calming properties. For instance: 1. As mentioned, Dark Chocolate. Its high in flavanoids and phenethylamine. That means that it will naturally enhance your mood. The best Dark Chocolate to get will be labeled 70% cacao or higher percent, as it will have less sugar and more of the healthy stuff that makes you feel good. 2. Warm (skim) milk really can be soothing. Tryptophan is found in milk, and is notorious for making people feel drowsy after eating turkey in large amounts on Thanksgiving. That may not be enough to get you to feel relaxed... but it warms the body and it also coats the stomach and helps relieve peptic symptoms. And of course, a glass of warm milk before bed means that your stomach is full and generally people sleep better with a full stomach. Of course if youre lactose intolerant or have a dairy allergy, this is one you should avoid. 3. Oatmeal helps produce seratonin, but its also high in fiber which means the body takes longer to digest it and youll feel full longer. It will prolong the seratonin production and help keep blood sugar levels in check. 4. Salmon is a food to add into your rotation if you havent already. It increases serotonin levels, and being omega-3–rich it can also help suppress the production of the anxiety hormones cortisol and adrenaline. 5. Walnuts and cashews have been shown to help reduce blood pressure. The FDA even recommends 1.5 oz per day. Cashews are an especially good source of zinc—a 1-ounce serving has 11 percent of your RDA. Low levels of zinc have been linked to both anxiety and depression. 5B. Oysters are also high in zinc. 6. Sunflower seeds have folate. Folate helps your body produce dopamine, which is a pleasure-inducing chemical released in the brain. 7. Asparagus is also high in folate. 8. Avocados are excellent stress fighters because theyre rich in lutein, beta-carotene, vitamin E, and more folate than any other fruit. 9. All berries are rich in Vitamin C; people who include berries in their diets may have more clarity in thinking, lower blood pressure and lower stress levels. For that matter, consider adding oranges, clementines, tangelos, and mineolas to your diet. 10. Chamomile tea is a natural relaxant. It helps soothe your muscles and your mood. Its perfect in place of warm milk with all of the same soothing benefits. 11. Spinach is high in magnesium, which helps your body tolerate and respond to stress better. 12. Garlic is a superfood that has so many benefits that include: fending off heart disease, cancer, and the common cold. Its packed with antioxidants and allicin that can neutralize free radicals that make us sick. 13. Grass fed beef. We know... its greener for the planet but do you know that there really are health benefits? Grass fed beef is high in antioxidants including vitamins C and E and beta-carotene than you would find in grain-fed beef. Grass fed beef is also lower in fat overall than grain-fed beef, and its about two to four times higher in omega-3s. What this means is: reduced risks of cancer, cardiovascular disease, depression, and inflammatory disease. 14. Green tea is another stress buster. It has so many health benefits there are too many to list here. :-) If the caffeine is too much for you, you can find it decaffeinated. You can also decaffeinate it yourself very simply. Heres how: get your water to boiling. Put your tea leaves into the tea ball or the tea bag into the mug and ready to pour the just-boiled water over it. Pour about 3 tablespoons of water over the tea leaves and then let it steep for about 30 seconds. Pour off that water and then pour more water into the mug over the tea leaves/tea bag and steep as usual. Please remember that if youre taking medications or are on a restricted diet to check with your physician and/or dietitian and/or nutritionist to make sure that these foods are safe and wont interact badly.
Posted on: Wed, 06 Nov 2013 17:52:09 +0000
Trending Topics
Recently Viewed Topics
© 2015