How can food be a stress buster? For many people, food is extremely relaxing because people feel better when they are eating something they love or are just eating.
Many researchers have referred to food as “emotional anesthesia” as it is something that temporarily give you a high, especially when something like sugar is involved.
Modern life is extremely stressful and that causes ones cortisol levels to go up which in turn results in carving. This is why women tend to eat a bucket of ice cream after a breakup. However, this may seem helpful at first but it makes us even more stressed as the cortisone converts to more cortisol.
What are the foods that help fight stress?
Cashew Nuts
These nuts are my go to food when I am stressed because they are strangle comforting. I like all nuts but these are my favourite because they are the most sinfully delicious of them all. They are sinful because they are really high in calories but because they are a good combination of proteins and fat, if consumed in a moderate quantity these nuts are great for people looking to shed those kilos. These nuts have zinc and because when zinc levels go down, we feel anxious, it is best to use these as mood elevators.
Bananas
When ever I’ve bitten into a ripe banana, half of my sorrows have faded away. Bananas are a rich source of potassium so when your blood pressure seems high, make yourself a sinful Banoffee Pie or simple have a glass of milk with a ripe banana.
Chocolate
Chocolates are rich in antioxidants but dark chocolate is also really good for the heart. Researchers have proved that consuming chocolate is directly linked to happiness as dark chocolate is rich in polyphenols and flavonols. Having dark chocolate once or twice a week will keep you stress free and will not affect your weight loss schedule either.
Turkey
I have been an insomniac for quite sometime and nothing has helped me like a Turkey Sandwich for dinner. Insomniacs are usually seen to have tryptophan deficiency and turkey meat has enough tryptophan to make up for that. This is probably one of the simplest ways to avoid stress related to a sleepless night.
Potatoes
Stress can often cause headaches and if it is indeed stress that is causing your headache then a potato can help you get rid of that. This is because by consuming a potato your serotonin level goes up and this helps you to get rid of a stress related headache.
There are plenty of other foods and drinks you can consume to prevent and combat stress like asparagus, avocados, garlic, berries, ginger tea, camomile tea, orange juice etc. Learn to eat healthy, stay happy and stress will never look you in the eye.
