Best Foods to Help Reduce Stress and Anxiety
Here are the best food options that can reduce your stress!
It is completely natural to look for ways to calm yourself down when you’re overwhelmed with life and seem to have lost control of things for some time.
There are many ways of self-care that can help lower the levels of stress and anxiety – food is one of them!
But, let us tell you, not every type of food can give you comfort, some can give you gas, heartburn and an increased heart rate that will only add to your stress. So, you gotta be careful what you put in your tummy!
Before we have a look at some of the best foods to help fight stress, it is really important to note that food alone cannot help lower the levels of cortisol (the primary hormone responsible for stress) in the human body. To keep yourself sane and relieves stress you have to get a good night’s sleep, pamper your body with a good massage, exercise and breathe in the fresh air as well.
Okay, so now that we’ve touched upon the basic rules for coping with stress, let’s have a look at some of the foods that can help provide comfort during times of emotional distress.
Foods that Reduce Anxiety and Depression
- Eggs Will Beat The Stress
Who doesn’t have eggs at home, right? So, the first on the list is a readily available food item that can be prepared in many ways to bring down those cortisol levels.
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They say eggs have a brilliant nutrient profile and they are often referred to as nature’s multivitamin. If you eat an egg daily (in any form that you like), you won’t have to depend on supplements to keep your vitals in check.
With eggs, you can poach, scramble, fry or boil your stress away.
It is also important to note here that food cannot magically take your stress away. You have to adopt healthy eating, sleeping and waking habits to manage your tension. Everything takes time, so you have to follow a routine to bring peace to your life and body.
- Fish Out The Anxiety
This one’s another protein food that can make your heart healthy and facilitate you to fight your way out of stress.
According to the Harvard Health Blog, fish has Omega-3 which can help mitigate depression anxiety because the nutrients easily interact with the molecules involved in controlling the mood. Salmon, sardines, and tuna are some of the fatty fish available in Pakistan.
If you’re not a fish person, you can always have its substitutes (chia seeds, flax seeds, walnuts and soy milk etc.) that are also rich in Omega-3.
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The health experts recommend eating fish twice a week, but they also suggest it is better to consult with your dietitians before consuming any food.
- Melt-in-Your-Mouth Dark Chocolate
Magnesium-rich foods are hugely beneficial when it comes to bringing down cortisol levels and dark chocolate is one of those foods. If you’re looking for a quick fix for your mood, try melting a piece or two of dark chocolate in your mouth (make sure it has at least 90% cocoa).
Moreover, it is not just the dark chocolate’s magnesium content that helps boost the mood, it is also the feeling of indulging yourself in something so amazing. The feeling of treating yourself to a piece of dark chocolate calms down the body and brings in a sense of calm to you.
It is also said that dark chocolate has a high content of antioxidants that also help reduce stress.
So isn’t that a win-win situation? Eating chocolate while simultaneously lowering your stress hormones sounds like a perfect combo.
- Eat Your Nuts
Trust us when we say that nuts are great stress-busting snacks and they are even rich in healthy fats. That moment when you’re unable to think straight or get your heartbeat back to the normal rate, just grab onto a bag of dried nuts.
Once you start munching on them, you distract your brain from the thing that’s causing you trouble. And then, it eventually starts to calm down.
You get a hold of your senses and have time to think things through.
Moreover, nuts are rich in vitamin B and omega-3 nutrients that help fight stress. Adding nuts to your diet can bring a considerable decline in stress levels. However, make sure you don’t overdo it. Consume moderately.
Almonds, pistachios, and walnuts may even aid in the reduction of blood pressure. A previous study found that pistachios, in particular, can help to reduce stress levels. Nuts and seeds are also high in magnesium, which is beneficial for health because magnesium has been linked to improving anxiety management.
- Bust Your Stress With Garlic
No, you don’t have to eat a raw clove of it, you can always make yourself garlic bread, hehe!
Garlic contains sulphur compounds that help boost glutathione levels in your body. This antioxidant contributes to your body’s first line of defence against stress, and how amazing is that!
Furthermore, animal studies indicate that garlic aids in stress management and the reduction of anxiety and depression symptoms.
Other than garlic bread, you can add it to your eggs or dahi bhallas and give your dishes an oomph that they really need.
- Yogurt Got You
You need to add yogurt to your diet because it is an excellent food to eat if you suffer from anxiety. It has probiotics or healthy bacteria that can benefit your overall health, including your mental health.
Probiotics may help the gut-brain axis, an intricate system that connects the gastrointestinal tract and the brain, according to new research. Healthy gut bacteria, in particular, appears to be associated with better mental health.
Furthermore, probiotic foods like yogurt may improve mental health and brain function by decreasing inflammation and increasing the production of mood-boosting neurotransmitters like serotonin.
There are many ways in which you can add yogurt to your diet. Make smoothies, or add to your greens to make raita. You can even add yogurt to fruits if you don’t like its taste alone.
Final Words
So, that sums up our list of best foods to cope with stress. But, we need to tell you guys that controlling anxiety and stress with food is a long game, so you have to be patient.
Filed under: Tips and Myths
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