Stress-Reducing Diet
When stressed out, the foods you’re turning to will most likely be traditional ‘comfort’ foods – think big meals, take-out, fatty foods, sweet foods, and alcohol. Let’s face it – we’ve all found comfort in a tasty meal, a bottle of beer, or a glass of wine when we’ve been stressed out or upset about something. However, this isn’t a good permanent solution.
When you’re turning to unhealthy foods, you can feel better temporarily, but in the long run, you will feel worse. When your body isn’t getting the proper nutrition, you can feel less energetic, more passive, and in some cases, less able to concentrate and focus. All of this can lead to even more stress.
Foods that Fight Stress
If you’ve been feeling more stressed out than usual lately, it’s essential to know which foods are best to choose and which to avoid when combating stress and helping you deal with feelings of stress and anxiety. The best way to fight stress is to have a healthy, balanced diet that includes a moderate amount of each of the different food groups.
Filling up on foods such as whole grains, leafy vegetables, and lean proteins as the basic staples of the diet is the best way to ensure that your body gets the optimum amounts of nutrients to fight both physical and mental health problems. When choosing the foods to eat, some have a range of excellent properties that help the body combat stress. Choosing these stress-busting foods will help heal and calm your mind rather than providing a temporary fix.
Some of the best stress-fighting foods include:
• Avocado – Avocados are a creamy and versatile fruit that can be eaten in various ways, whether you enjoy it raw, made into sauces, dressings, and dips, or in a smoothie. These nutrient-dense fruits have the properties to stress-proof your body, thanks to their high glutathione content, which specifically blocks the intestinal absorption of certain fats, which cause oxidative damage. Avocados also contain higher levels of vitamin E, folate, and beta-carotene than any other fruit, which boosts their stress-busting properties. However, be careful with portion control when eating avocado, as it is high in fat.
• Blueberries – If you’re feeling stressed out and reaching for snacks, swapping chocolate or chips for one of the best superfoods is a great way to help you deal with your stress levels and achieve a higher level of calm. Blueberries have some of the highest levels of antioxidants, especially anthocyanin. This berry has been linked to a wide range of health benefits, including sharper cognition, better focus, and a clearer mind – all of which can help you to better deal with stress.
• Chamomile Tea – Of course, it’s not all about what you’re eating when managing stress; what you’re drinking can also alleviate or worsen your anxiety. Drinking liquids high in sugars and caffeine, such as coffee, energy drinks, or soda, can increase your stress levels if consumed regularly. Chamomile tea has long been used as a natural bedtime soother. It has also been used in clinical trials, which determined that chamomile tea effectively reduces generalized anxiety disorder symptoms.
• Chocolate – Although it’s usually seen as an unhealthy treat, there is an undeniable link between chocolate and our mood. Studies have shown that eating chocolate can make you happier. However, that doesn’t mean that you can start munching on chocolate bars every time you’re stressed out – chocolate works best as a de-stressor when eaten in moderation and as part of a healthy and balanced diet. Dark chocolate, in particular, is best for you, as it contains more flavonols and polyphenols, two hugely essential antioxidants which can help combat stress, more than many fruit juices.
• Beef – Grass-fed beef is not only kinder to the planet and animals but also suitable for people. Grass-fed meat has many antioxidants, including beta-carotene and Vitamins C and E, which can help your body fight stress and anxiety. If you’re looking for more reasons to spend a little more money on organic, grass-fed beef, it’s also lower in fat than grain-fed beef and higher in omega-3.
• Oatmeal – Oatmeal is excellent in that it can be a portion of filling comfort food but also has a large number of beneficial properties actually to make you feel better from the inside out. Eating oatmeal complex carbohydrates causes your brain to produce higher levels of the feel-good chemical serotonin, helping you feel calmer and less stressed. Studies have shown that kids who choose oatmeal for breakfast tend to be much sharper throughout the morning in school compared to kids who had alternative morning meals.
• Walnuts – If you’re looking for a healthy snacking option to help you stay better in control of your stress levels, walnuts are a great choice. There is no denying the sweet, pleasant flavor of walnuts, which can be a tasty snack for in-between meals or as part of a desert. A versatile nut, walnuts are great for salads or add them to a sweet treat such as coffee and walnut cake.
• Pistachios – another food that is great for snacking on and can also help combat stress and anxiety in the long term is pistachios. Studies have found that simply eating two small, snack-size portions of pistachios per day can lower vascular constriction when stressed, putting less pressure on your heart by further dilating your arteries. Along with this, the rhythmic, repetitive act of shelling pistachios can be quite therapeutic!
• Green Leafy Vegetables – leafy, green vegetables should be a pivotal part of anyone’s diet. Along with helping combat stress, leafy greens are full of nutrients and antioxidants, which help fight off disease and leave your body feeling healthier and more energized. Dark leafy greens, for example, spinach, are perfect for you since they are rich in folate, which helps your body produce more mood-regulating neurotransmitters such as serotonin, a ‘feel-good’ chemical. Making leafy greens a part of your diet will help you feel happier and less stressed.
• Fermented foods – last but not least, eating fermented foods such as yogurt can help keep your gut healthy, which, in turn, will help improve your mental health and reduce stress levels. The beneficial bacteria found in fermented foods such as yogurt directly affect your brain chemistry and transmit positive mood and behavior regulating signals to your brain via the vagus nerve.
Putting Together Your Diet Plan
Planning your meals wisely is key to not only staying physically fit and healthy but also to staying mentally strong and managing your stress levels. Knowing which foods to avoid and which are the best to reach for to snack on when you’re feeling worried and anxious is essential to helping you get control over your emotions and fears.
When stressed, you may be tempted to reach for classic ‘comfort foods’ – usually foods laden with sugar, starchy, or greasy. However, although these foods can make you feel momentarily better, they will make you feel worse in the long run.
Having stress-busting snacks such as fresh berries, dark chocolate, yogurt, walnuts or pistachios, or even a fruit smoothie with avocado and leafy greens can help you feel better in both the short and long term when it comes to stress. When it comes to combating and dealing with stress in the long run, it’s essential to make sure that, for the most part, you are eating a diet that is healthy and balanced.
To stay on track, it’s a good idea to make a meal plan for your week and ensure that you have a good selection of these stress-busting foods in your kitchen to make meals and snacks when you’re stressed. Making sure that most of your meals include foods such as lean proteins and leafy green vegetables will make you feel healthier overall and can improve your mental health and stress levels, too.
- An excellent example of a healthy, stress-busting menu would be:
- Breakfast: Oatmeal with berries or a fruit smoothie with avocado and berries
- Mid-morning snack: Natural yogurt with fruit or a handful of pistachio nuts
- Lunch: A whole-grain pasta salad filled with plenty of leafy greens
- Afternoon snack: Dark chocolate
- Dinner: Grass-fed beef with vegetables
- Before bed: Chamomile tea
Of course, you don’t need to stick to this menu – but it gives you a good idea! Remember to exercise reasonable portion control when eating nuts, chocolate, yogurt, or avocado! As the saying goes, you are what you eat – so make sure that, first and foremost, you’re filling yourself up with foods that are good for your mental health.
Leave a Reply