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Food is the fuel to our bodies and therefore adding healthy fuel will make our bodies run more smoothly. Once your body is functioning efficiently, you will start to feel good mentally as well. Eating a healthy diet is one of the major factors to reducing stress, but there are also foods with certain compounds that will specifically help reduce stress as well.
Green Vegetables, like spinach and asparagus, are particularly good for stress relief as they contain high levels of folic acid, which produces dopamine, a stress-easing and pleasure-inducing chemical released in the brain. Food containing folic acid will therefore also lower the risk of depression and make you feel happier, more positive and more energetic.
Avocado is also high in folic acid as well as healthy fats and potassium that will give you a “fuller” feeling.
The omega-3 fatty acid from fish helps reducing stress hormones, cortisol and adrenaline. These oily fishes, which include salmon, tuna and mackerel, maintain stress hormone levels at normal healthy ranges. This will prevent spikes in stress hormones and hence reduce stress. Plus, these types of fish also have other benefits such as lowering the risk of heart disease and help fighting against aging.
Complex carbohydrates, such as those in oatmeal, appear more beneficial than simple sugars that you can find in biscuits, pasta and bread. They do not only maintain your blood glucose levels but also maintain serotonin levels, which is a calm-inducing hormone. A bonus is that oatmeal is high in fiber and gives you “fuller” feeling, as it takes longer to digest.
Pistachios, almonds, walnuts and cashews are all nutty goodness for you, packed full of vitamins and minerals that will help boost your immune system and reduce stress levels by maintaining vitamin and mineral levels. The rich content of fiber, antioxidants, vitamins, minerals and good fats in these nuts are important to fight stress. The good fats lower blood pressure, cholesterol level and therefore also the risk of heart disease. The vitamin E will help improve the immune system, whereas the vitamin B will help promote proper functioning in the body. However pistachios, which literally means “happy nut” in Chinese, has the highest content of these components and therefore appear to be the major stress relieving nut.
Blueberries, raspberries, blackberries and strawberries are the powerhouses of antioxidants and phytonutrients that will help you fight stress and improve your immune system at the same time. These summer berries are also high in folic acid, which produce stress-relieving chemicals to reduce stress. Oranges are an alternative if the current season is not summer, as the vitamin C in them can reduce stress while improving your immune system.
If you’re a chocoholic, you’re lucky! According to some researches, the antioxidants found in cocoa help in reducing stress by lowering blood pressure and circulation and hence reduce stress hormones. This means that the higher percentage of cocoa chocolate the less stress and happier you become. So next time when you need chocolate go for dark chocolate that contains at least 70% cocoa.
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Sources:
Supermarketguru.com. Should you be eating the happy nut? Retrieved from: http://www.supermarketguru.com/articles/should-you-be-eating-the-happy-nut.html
Boots. Diet for stress. Retrieved from: http://www.webmd.boots.com/diet/ss/slideshow-diet-for-stress-management
Science Daily. Pistachio may reduce stress. Retrieved from: http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2014/08/140805163347.htm
Health.com. 12 superfoods for stress relief. Retrieved from: http://www.health.com/health/gallery/0,,20909426_6,00.html
