Foods can help combat stress in various ways. Comfort foods such as a bowl of warm porridge can help boost levels of serotonin. At the same time, some foods can decrease adrenaline and cortisol levels, both hormones that take a toll on your body’s physical and mental help.
Luckily, a healthy diet can help you counter the effects of stress by enhancing your immune system and lowering blood pressure. Here we discuss some of the best foods that help you eliminate stress and ways you can achieve tranquility with nutritious diets:
Tips to Eating Healthy Foods to Eliminate Stress
Here are a few helpful tips to remember when trying to eliminate stress:
Avoiding Caffeine
Coffee, tea, chocolate, as well as some sodas, contain caffeine. Caffeine makes you feel “wound up,” which ultimately results in feeling highly stressed during challenging situations.
If your caffeine intake is a lot, try to reduce the amount slowly. Suddenly stopping the use of caffeine can lead to headaches and difficulty concentrating. Thus, it’s always best to start gradually.
Reduce Alcohol
Typically, people use alcohol for getting relief after a stressful day. If you’re someone who drinks alcohol often, try to limit yourself to 1 drink a day.
Enjoying Calm and Relaxed Mealtimes
Never skip or rush your meals. It is because skipping meals can worsen stress-related symptoms.
In fact, you may get headaches or a tight feeling in your stomach by skipping meals. Simultaneously, eating on the run can lead to indigestion. Instead, use your mealtime for enjoying how your food tastes while enjoying your day.
Don’t Eat for Relieving Stress
Some people turn to food to relax and comfort themselves during stressful times. It, more often than not, leads to overeating and guilt.
If you are someone who deals with this, consider replacing eating with actions that help relieve stress. For instance, you can take a walk in the park, play with your pet or enjoy a warm bath.
Top Foods to Help Combat Stress
Fighting stress with food is a tactic readily available to everyone. Listed below are few common foods that help relieve stress:
Herbal Tea
In some cases, rather than the nutrients, the feelings that drinks and food induce alleviates stress. For instance, drinking a warm cup of tea helps you feel calmer and less anxious.
According to in-depth research, holding and sipping on a warm beverage helps increase feelings of warmth and friendliness. Plus, there’s a specific soothing effect that comes with sipping a warm drink, especially herbs like chamomile and lavender.
Dark Chocolate
Dark chocolate is known to reduce stress in two different ways; via its emotional and chemical impact.
Eating chocolate feels like an indulgence; thus, you’d savor every piece of it. Ultimately, it helps you feel less alone and can help reduce stress.
To Sum it Up
Keep in mind that carbs prompt your brain to make more chemicals. Enjoy a steady supply of feel-good chemicals by eating complex carbs. At the same time, vitamin c found in oranges, can reduce stress hormones while strengthening your immune system.
Lastly, make sure you add plenty of fiber-rich foods in your diet to improve gut health, as well as lower stress levels.
Sources
https://www.uofmhealth.org/health-library/ta4631
https://www.webmd.com/diet/ss/slideshow-diet-for-stress-management
https://www.everydayhealth.com/diet-nutrition-pictures/how-to-reduce-stress-with-diet.aspx
https://www.abbott.com/corpnewsroom/nutrition-health-and-wellness/healthy-diet-can-reduce-stress.html
