You Can Lower Your Stress by Eating Well
The right food choices can genuinely help ease stress — and yes, even a little chocolate, enjoyed now and then, can play a helpful part in managing it.
When you're feeling tense, there are actually many ways to bring your stress under control. Your diet and food choices play a role in whether your stress rises or falls. Certain foods offer comfort, and the most natural way to manage stress is to help balance the body's hormone levels. Some foods and drinks can lower stress through their calming effects on those hormones. Sometimes a food or drink helps simply through the experience itself, regardless of its nutritional content — a warm cup of tea, for instance, can soothe many people. Even sipping a warm drink, whatever its flavour, can have a calming effect. Herbs like lavender and chamomile are also known for their relaxing qualities and make lovely teas.
The Dark Chocolate Miracle
Dark chocolate offers two ways to ease stress — through both its chemistry and its emotional comfort. Even a small piece feels good. In a Swiss study, people were given 28.3 grams of chocolate each day for 2 weeks, and antioxidant-rich dark chocolate was shown to help lower the body's stress hormones and reduce stress.
Carbohydrates
Carbohydrates are known to raise levels of serotonin, which supports mood and helps ease stress. When serotonin rises, the cognitive function of people under stress has been shown to improve — meaning better concentration and better performance. Carbohydrates in the diet lower stress levels; a bowl of macaroni and cheese, for example, can help you relax. You just need to be sure of your carbohydrate choice. Trimming heavy, calorie-dense fat and choosing the right carbohydrate sources — such as potatoes and whole grains — is the better option.
Enjoy Avocado
Avocado isn't just an ingredient for salads and dips — it's a valuable food and an important source of omega-3. This essential fatty acid helps support a positive mood, improve concentration, and reduce stress and anxiety. Getting the right amount of omega-3 matters for both stress and health.
Eat Oily Fish
Oily fish are an important source of omega-3 and a wonderful ally in preventing cardiovascular disease — which helps explain why they're a leading food for reducing stress. Many studies have found omega-3 and oily fish effective in easing depression, because omega-3 fatty acids help nerve cells communicate. For oily fish, choose tuna, salmon, herring, mackerel, sardines and lake trout.
Fill Your Glass with Warm Milk
For centuries, warm milk has been seen as a way to sleep better at night, because milk has a calming effect on the body. Calcium-rich foods are among the most important sources for bone health, and these foods also have stress-reducing effects. Dairy products rich in calcium and vitamin D help relax the muscles and support a balanced mood. One study also found that these products can help reduce symptoms during the premenstrual (pre-period) phase.
Nuts
Nuts are very rich in B vitamins and also contain healthy fatty acids. B vitamins are an important part of a healthy diet and play a role in reducing stress. Pistachios, walnuts and almonds also help guard against high blood pressure. One study found pistachios in particular helpful in lowering stress levels. To avoid taking in too many calories, limiting these foods to a handful a day is enough.
Get More Vitamin C
Some studies have found that a high intake of vitamin C is effective in calming stress. In a double-blind study, participants were given 3,000 mg of vitamin C using a slow-release formula, and this was observed to lower stress and the stress-related hormone cortisol. Another study looked at the stress-reducing effect of a 1,000 mg vitamin C supplement alongside B vitamins, calcium and magnesium. It concluded that eating citrus fruits, grapefruit and strawberries can be a good starting point, but that reaching higher levels may require extra supplementation.