Healthy foods that reduce stress levels and gives stress relief

food to stress relief

In addition to bringing the salary, a person also brings something that is not at all wanted in the house. It is stress. With more money comes more work and with more work comes more stress. Pushing harder for that extra hour can turn out to be a backbreaker for you in the long run. As it is there are so many responsibilities that a person takes on once he has a family. On top of that, if he has to combat with stress each and every day, then it might become a big problem. However, every problem has a solution and even stress does.

Before your stress levels reach a point where visiting a doctor becomes compulsory, it is better to start having a diet that would actually relieve your stress completely. There is plenty of food that would help you do so. Sometimes, during a stressful moment, you cannot decide what you are going to eat and what would be the best thing to eat at that time. Everything seems to just buzz around inside your head. One of the main reasons why doctors strictly ask patients not to be under too much stress is because it affects the normal absorption of nutrients. As soon as there is a stress attack, you start to lose Vitamin C which leads you to become tired quite easily. The body’s immune system starts to weaken and reaches a level when you just can’t sit up and work. It has also been noticed that the blood pressure of many people rise quickly when they are under too much stress. This can easily lead to a heart attack or severe stroke if the person is aged. After reading all these things you must be anxious to know the foods that would help fight stress on a daily basis. Here are some of those foods given below:

Avocado– Vitamin B is essential to keep the brain cells and the nerves healthy. Moreover, if you have feelings of anxiety in addition to stress, then it may be a case of Vitamin B deficiency. This deficiency is fulfilled by avocados. They are enriched with Vitamin B and relieve stress to a great extent. In addition to the vitamin, they also have potassium and monounsaturated fat. These help to keep your blood pressure at a check. So, the next time you decide to have ice-cream, try the one that has avocado blended with nonnutritive sweetener, nut milk, vanilla extract and ripe banana. Freeze it and you are guaranteed to have one of the best ice-creams of all times.
Blueberries– don’t go by their sizes because a handful of these have the ability to act as a fabulous stress buster. Blueberries are known to be packed with Vitamin C and useful antioxidants. After a hard day’s work, you can have a bowl of blueberries and they would protect and repair the cells automatically. If you do not feel like eating them raw, you can always add them to the yogurt that is there in the fridge.
Oranges– ever wondered why doctors always ask you to have an orange for breakfast every day. It is the champion of all champions in supplying Vitamin C to the body. This helps in controlling the stress hormone known as cortisol and also balances the blood pressure. If you want a lot of Vitamin C quickly, all you need to do is drink a glass full of orange juice, but without adding any sugar.
Salmon– putting fatty fishes in your diet will actually help reduce a lot of stress. Salmon is rich in omega-3 fatty acids. Just like Vitamin C, this also controls the cortisols when they are about to reach at their peak. When you have panic attack or stress attack, both the adrenaline and cortisol acts together. Consuming at least 4 ounces of salmon thrice a week would not only control the stress, but would also protect your heart.
Turkey– after a good Thanksgiving dinner, you must have felt damn sleepy? You must have thought it was the champagne doing the trick, but in reality it was not. It was the turkey all the way long. This meat has amino acid tryptophan which basically releases a chemical named serotonin. It may sound weird, but this chemical gives you a feel-good feeling that promotes calmness and slowly pulls you to bed. The next time you go to any Thanksgiving dinner, try to avoid the champagne and see what happens after you eat the turkey. After a few minutes you would feel very tired and would want to go back home and have a good night’s sleep. This actually works in favor of the person who is suffering from stress attacks. The best medicine during this time is sleep and eating turkey will provide lots of it.
Oatmeal– if you are considering another alternative that would produce the serotonin hormone, then you should ideally be looking for oatmeal. Best would be if you can get the old fashioned oats that are really thick. These oats require a lot of cooking. Nowadays, you will find a lot of companies selling instant oatmeal. You can buy them only if you do not find the course ones. The course oats have high fiber content and therefore take a long time to digest. In this way, the longer it takes to digest the longer would be the calming effect on the person.
Cashews– nuts are like the healthiest snack you will ever get. They are both salty and crunchy and this combo is craved by many. Yes, they contain a significant amount of fat and protein, but that does not mean you shouldn’t have them in small quantities. In fact, you can have cashews almost every two hours of you want. They are rich in zinc and have the ability to balance the RDA of the body. Low zinc levels have been known to cause depression and anxiety. The human body does not have any way to store zinc and that is why it is essential to include cashews in your diet on a daily basis.
Chocolate– this would probably be the favorite in the list for many. Whenever you see chocolates, your mood immediately becomes happy. Apart from the health oxidants chocolates also have this ability to link with the mood. This is vital when you are under a lot of stress. Studies have shown that boys and girls, men and women tend to eat more chocolates when they are depressed. When chocolates are concerned, it is preferable to eat dark chocolates. These can calm you down and control the blood pressure. Flavonols and polyphenols are two important antioxidants that are present in dark chocolate. If you are too health conscious, at least a bar of dark chocolate can easily be consumed in one week. It will not harm you in any way.
Garlic– this is one of the few plants that is filled with powerful antioxidants. The chemicals found in garlic neutralize all the free radicals. Free radicals include the particles that encourage aging, cause diseases and damage our cells. It can be a long time cure for stress and anxiety because of the chemicals present inside. Additionally, a compound named alllicin is present inside garlic. Common cold, heart disease and even cancer can be fended off with the help of this compound. Stress has the ability to weaken a person’s immune system quite easily. That is the time when garlic can come in very handy.
Oysters– many people are of the notion that oysters are best as aphrodisiacs. What they do not know is it is a powerhouse of zinc. Often you will find restaurants serving oysters as an appetizer. It balances the RDA very effectively and allows stress to be relieved from the mind and body. A combination of lemon wedge, ice and oyster is just perfect.
Walnuts– the sweet flavor and cognitive edge make walnuts very popular amongst people. It has plenty of polyphenols and alpha-linolenic acid that can help prevent memory loss. But, the main function of walnuts is as a stress buster. The omega-3 fatty acid present in the form of alpha-linolenic acid is excellent to relieve you from stress. These are also recommended for aging people. The best way to have them is by toasting a handful for like 10 minutes and adding them to salads after fine chopping.
Sweet potatoes– whenever you are under stress, you will crave for carbohydrates and sugar. This is an automatic reaction. Sweet potatoes will always satisfy this kind of craving because it is full of sugar and carbohydrates. In addition to these two, sweet potatoes also have enough fiber which helps the body to process all the carbs slowly and steadily.
Dried apricots– these are rich in magnesium. Since magnesium is great as a natural muscle relaxant, most people eat it once they are back from work. Dried apricots can also reduce your heart palpitations as well. This dry fruit has plenty of fiber and Vitamin C. If you do not feel like eating it in the raw form, you can always cut them into small pieces and add them to an ice-cream. A handful of dried apricots will be enough to keep you relaxed for a long time.
Broccoli– this vegetable has multiple benefits. It can help reduce weight, keep the blood pressure in control and what not. One of the main reasons why broccoli is so highly recommended for everyone is because it has a high percentage of Vitamin B. Another big reason why people are so fond of broccoli is because it can relieve stress. Folic acid is present in plenty and this acid helps reduce depression, panic attacks, anxiety and stress. The next time you visit the grocery store do remember to take a few broccoli.
Beans– kidney beans and black beans are best when you talk about reducing stress levels. These are an excellent source of thiamine which has been long known to overcome problems such as depression and high stress levels. Cooking beans is not difficult at all. There are so many recipes that you cook and they are really tasty when prepared well.
Yogurt– everyone loves yogurt because of its various flavors. If you make it into a habit of having yogurt every day or every alternate day, the symptoms of stress will be gone after a few weeks. Yogurt can easily neutralize the acidity caused by peptic ulcers. For those suffering from nerve impulses can also eat yogurt. Since yogurts are rich in calcium, they can keep nerve impulses in control. Adding blueberries to the yogurt will make the whole thing more effective because berries are also very useful in reducing stress levels. A combo of yogurt with blueberries can act as double stress protection.
Tomatoes– just like broccoli, tomatoes come with a lot of benefits. They are rich with Vitamin A and keep the immune system in proper shape. The whole stress saga is nothing, but an impulsive reaction of the nerve cells. Tomatoes can repair those nerve cells easily.
Cayenne pepper and red bell peppers– these are basically capsicums, but in different colors and functions. Cayenne pepper helps keep the heart at ease and keeps anxiety and stress away. Red bell peppers are enriched with folate and Vitamins A and C. These help in increasing energy and repair the cell damage that is caused because of stress. You can add cayenne pepper in meats, stews and soups before broiling.
Carrots– munchy and crunchy as they are, carrots are great at beating stress. These are rich in essential nutrients and most of the fresh carrots also offer that crispness that makes it so desirable to eat. Carrots can be added to almost any recipe, but it would be best if you don’t fry it much.
Swiss Chard– magnesium present in Swiss Chard keeps cortisol, the stress hormone in control.