And That’s One More Reason I’ll be Having Some Dark Chocolate Tonight! (It Will Help You!)
I’ve been really stressed over the past few days.
You know the kind of stress I’m talking about. Not everyday stress, but the kind of stress where you feel your heart beating faster than normal, and it’s not because you were just exercising.
Well, I was trying to come up with something that would help with the stress, and thought about food, since I love food so much. Plus I’m not in the mood to try to meditate or breathe…I’m too stressed for that. (Yes, to those that it works for, that’s great. But I need something easy right now.)
So I started looking up foods and drinks that could help.
I was really surprised at all of the foods that you can eat that will help make you less stressed!
I hope this helps you. Here’s what I found:
- Tea – This one isn’t surprising. You hear about people drinking tea before going to sleep. It turns out that green tea has theanine in it, which can help reduce anxiety. Even the steam from tea can help relax you.
- Dark Chocolate – I’m not surprised by this either. Chocolate can do anything! Seriously though, regular dark chocolate eaters have lower levels of stress.
- Omega 3’s – Whether you want to take supplements or eat fish, those who do have more Omega 3s in their diet have less anxiety. I don’t eat much fish, so I take Omega 3’s every day.
- Carbs – Carbs start serotonin production, which relaxes the brain. This one makes sense to me. I always feel so much better after a nice plate of pasta! Of course having complex carbohydrates like whole-grains are even better for you, but sometimes you just need that pasta!
- Milk – Milk contains tryptophan (like chocolate and carbs) that get converted to serotonin, which will relax the brain. If you’re having problems going to sleep, you might want to try drinking a glass of milk before bed.
- Honey – Honey also has a lot of tryptophan, and will help relax you. On top of that, it’s high in potassium, which will help calm your brain and body.
- Avocados – Avocados are high in potassium. They also have other vitamins and minerals that your body needs to work well, and can help fight stress hormones. They are also very high in folate, which will help you as well.
- Asparagus – Asparagus is high in folate, which will help you relax when stressed.
- Berries – All berries have a lot of vitamin C, which can also help relax you. On top of it, they’re high in antioxidants and can help you in other ways as well.
- Basil & Spinach – Both of these are high in magnesium, which is proven to relax your muscles and nerves. This can be helpful when you’re stressed.
As you can tell from this list, if you’re stressed, try to look for foods that are high in tryptophan, foods that help raise your serotonin levels, and even foods high in magnesium which will help relax your muscles and nerves.
These are some nice easy ways to de-stress, and to start feeling a lot better after a stressful day.
I can tell you this. I plan on having some nice dark chocolate after dinner, and will be making pasta for lunch tomorrow (I already figured out what I’m making tonight.)
Enjoy,
