Top Foods To Help You Reduce Stress

https://stressedoutmag.com/top-foods-to-help-you-reduce-stress/

Some food choices can help you reduce stress and anxiety. These foods can strengthen the immune system, stabilize your mood, reduce blood pressure and more. They contain nutrients that help combat the physiological impact of stress on your body. Like all things, ensure that you don’t overindulge and maintain a regular healthy and nutritious diet!

Nutrients to look out for:

• Vitamin C: Consuming foods high in vitamin C, like oranges, can reduce stress and boost the immune system. Intake of this vitamin can help lower the levels of cortisol, a stress hormone, and blood pressure.
• Antioxidants: Anxiety is correlated with a lowered antioxidant state. Taking in additional antioxidants can place your body back in balance. Antioxidants may also reduce inflammation and the likelihood of cancer.
• Complex Carbohydrates: Complex carbohydrates, like whole grains, fruits, and vegetables, can cause the brain to increase serotonin production, which contributes to wellbeing and happiness.
• Magnesium: Obtaining an adequate amount of magnesium is essential for avoiding headaches and fatigue. Additionally, increased magnesium intake has been found to improve sleep quality in older adults. Magnesium can also successfully relieve premenstrual mood changes.
• Omega-3 Fatty Acids: Fatty fish and nuts and seeds, like flaxseeds, pistachios, and almonds, are rich in omega-3 fatty acids, which have been shown to reduce surges of stress hormones. They may also confer protection against heart disease, depression, and premenstrual syndrome.

Chocolate

Everyone’s favorite treat has some pretty serious science that supports its stress-reducing qualities. High amounts of antioxidants contained in the cocoa seeds, in particular flavonoids and other kinds of polyphenols, help reduce inflammation associated with stress and other health issues. Note, The milk in milk chocolate interferes with polyphenols, so we recommend dark chocolate.

Chocolate may have beneficial effects beyond lowering your anxiety. A large-scale, 25-year study, published in 1995 in the journal Archives of Internal Medicine, looked at men across seven countries and found that flavonoid consumption was significantly associated with longevity. The researchers suggested flavonoid consumption could account for 25 percent of the observed difference in mortality rates from coronary heart disease and cancer.

You don’t need much chocolate to receive these benefits. About 8 ounces, about 2 or 3 squares, is the ideal intake 2 to 3 times per week. We recommend a high cacao percentage or 70% or more to get the most antioxidants. Also, organic chocolate that’s sustainability produced will help ensure the purity of the product.

Teas With Vitamin C

Teas are commonly used for a calming effect and reduce stress-related insomnia, anxiety or anger. Teas can be high in both antioxidants and vitamin C. People who have high levels of vitamin C do not show the expected mental and physical signs of stress when subjected to acute psychological challenges. Even better, they bounce back from stressful situations faster than people with low levels of vitamin C in their blood.

In one study German researchers subjected 120 people to a sure-fire stressor—a public speaking task combined with math problems. Half of those studied were given 1,000 mg of vitamin C. Such signs of stress as elevated levels of the stress hormone cortisol and high blood pressure were significantly greater in those who did not get the vitamin supplement. Those who got vitamin C reported that they felt less stressed when they got the vitamin.

Pistachios

Much like teas, pistachios combine several key stress and anxiety fighting components into one tasty food. Pistachios are high in complex carbohydrates that can induce the brain to increase serotonin production. They also have omega-3 fatty acids, which have been shown to reduce surges of stress hormones. Finally, pistachios are high in fiber that is good for your digestive bacteria. Eating pistachios may increase the number of bacteria that produce beneficial short-chain fatty acids.

Pistachios have been used in Central Asian foods for over 8,000 years! They are often eaten whole, either fresh or roasted and salted, and are also used in pistachio ice cream, kulfi, spumoni, pistachio butter, pistachio paste and confections such as baklava, pistachio chocolate, pistachio halva, pistachio biscotti and cold cuts such as mortadella.

Multivitamin with Targeted Stress Support

Many vitamin producers have combined anti-stress and anxiety components into their multivitamins. They typically contain a proprietary blend of vitamin C, magnesium and antioxidants with other herbs that have shown to reduce stress. Magnesium, in particular, is difficult to include in a regular diet and is best consumed as part of an oral vitamin. Oral magnesium helps to avoid headaches and fatigue and can also successfully relieve premenstrual mood changes. Additionally, increased magnesium intake has been found to improve sleep quality in older adults.

Yogurt

Yogurt contains healthful bacteria, Lactobacillus and Bifidobacteria, which may have positive effects on brain health. Yogurt and other dairy products may also produce an anti-inflammatory effect in the body that may be partially responsible for anxiety, stress, and depression.

Researchers from UCLA’s School of Medicine recruited 36 women in a study that found a twice-daily yogurt habit was linked with lower levels of activity in areas of the brain responsible for emotion and pain. Also, the yogurt eaters had increased activity in areas associated with decision making. Stress and other emotions can contribute to gastrointestinal symptoms, which can be reduced by yogurt.