Eat Your Stress Goodbye – 9 Foods

When you’re stressed out, the foods that you’re turning to are most likely going to be traditional comfort foods. Think big meals, take-out, fatty foods, sweet foods, and alcohol. I want to show you how to eat your stress goodbye.

Let’s face it, we’ve all found some comfort in a tasty meal and a bottle of beer or glass of wine. However, this isn’t a good permanent solution.

When you’re turning to unhealthy foods you can feel better temporarily, but in the long run, you will feel worse.

When your body isn’t getting the right nutrition, you can begin to feel less energetic, more lethargic. In some cases less able to concentrate and focus. All of this can lead to even more stress.

Foods that Fight Stress – eat your stress goodbye

If you’ve been feeling more stressed out lately, it’s important to know which foods are best to choose and which to avoid. When it comes to combating stress and helping you to deal with feelings of stress and anxiety.

The best way to fight stress is to have a healthy balanced diet, which includes a moderate amount of each of the different food groups.

Fill up on foods such as whole grains, leafy vegetables, and lean proteins as the basic staples of the diet. This is the best way to ensure that your body gets the optimum amounts of nutrients to fight both physical and mental health problems.

When it comes to choosing the foods to eat, some have a range of great properties which help the body to combat stress. Choosing these stress-busting foods will help to heal and calm your mind permanently, rather than providing a temporary fix.

Avocado – Avocados are a creamy and versatile fruit which can be eaten in a range of different ways. Whether you enjoy it raw, made into sauces, dressings and dips, or in a smoothie.

These nutrient-dense fruits have the properties to stress-proof your body, thanks to their high glutathione content which specifically blocks the intestinal absorption of certain fats which cause oxidative damage.

Avocados also contain higher levels of vitamin E, folate, and beta-carotene than any other fruit, which boosts their stress-busting properties. However, be careful with portion control when eating avocado, as it is high in fat.

Eat your stress goodbye with these foods

Blueberries – If you’re feeling stressed out and reaching for snacks. Swapping chocolate or chips for superfoods is a great way to help you deal with your stress levels.

Blueberries have some of the highest levels of antioxidants, especially anthocyanin. This means that this berry has been linked to a wide range of health benefits. Such as a sharper cognition, better focus, and a clearer mind. All of which can help you to better deal with stress, also amazing when wanting to lose weight.

Chamomile Tea – Of course, it’s not all about what you’re eating when it comes to managing stress; what you’re drinking can also alleviate or worsen the stress you’re feeling.

Drinking liquids which are high in sugars and caffeine, such as coffee, energy drinks or soda, can increase your stress levels if consumed regularly. Chamomile tea has long been used as a natural bedtime soother, and it has also been used in clinical trials.

Chamomile tea is effective in reducing the symptoms of generalized anxiety disorder.

Chocolate – Although it’s usually seen as an unhealthy treat, there is an undeniable link between chocolate and our mood. Studies have shown that eating chocolate can make you happier.

However, that doesn’t mean that you can start munching on chocolate bars every time you’re stressed out. Chocolate works best as a de-stressor when eaten in moderation and as part of a healthy and balanced diet. Dark chocolate, in particular, is best for you, as it contains more flavonols and polyphenols. These are two hugely important antioxidants that can help combat stress, more than many fruit juices.

Some of the best stress-fighting foods also include:

Why complex carbohydrates

A complex carbohydrate causes your brain to produce higher levels of the feel-good chemical serotonin, helping you to feel calmer and less stressed. Kids who choose oatmeal for breakfast tend to be much sharper throughout the morning at school.

Walnuts – If you’re looking for a healthy snacking option which will help you to stay better in control of your stress levels, walnuts are a great choice. There is no denying the sweet, pleasant flavour of walnuts and they can be a tasty snack for in-between meals or as part of a desert.

A versatile nut, walnuts are great for salads or add them to a sweet treat such as coffee and walnut cake.

Pistachios are for snacks

Pistachio nuts – another food which is great for snacking on. these nuts can also help to combat stress and anxiety in the long term are pistachios. Studies have found that simply eating two small, snack-size portions of pistachios per day can lower vascular constriction when you are stressed.

This puts less pressure on your heart by further dilating your arteries. Along with this, the rhythmic, repetitive act of shelling pistachios can be quite therapeutic!

Green Leafy Vegetables – leafy, green vegetables should be a pivotal part of anyone’s diet. Along with helping to combat stress, leafy greens are full of nutrients and antioxidants. This will help to fight off disease and leave your body feeling healthier and more energized.

Dark leafy greens, for example, spinach, are especially good for you since they are rich in folate. This will help your body to produce more mood-regulating neurotransmitters such as serotonin, which is a ‘feel-good’ chemical.

Making leafy greens a part of your diet will help you to feel happier and less stressed out overall.

Fermented foods – last but not least, eating fermented foods such as yoghurt can help to keep your gut healthy, which actually, in turn, will help to improve your mental health and reduce stress levels.

The beneficial bacteria found in fermented foods such as yoghurt have a direct effect on your brain chemistry and transmit positive mood and behaviour regulating signals to your brain via the vagus nerve.

Putting Together Your Diet Plan to eat your stress goodbye

Planning your meals wisely is key to not only staying physically fit and healthy. Also to stay mentally strong and be able to best manage your levels of stress. Usually, foods which are laden with sugar are very starchy, or greasy. However, although these foods can make you feel momentarily better, they will make you feel worse in the long run.

Have stress-busting snacks such as fresh berries, dark chocolate, yoghurt, walnuts or pistachios. Or even a fruit smoothie with avocado and leafy greens in it. This can help you to feel better in both the short and long term when it comes to stress.

In order to stay on track, it’s a good idea to make a meal plan for your week and plan ahead to make sure that you have a good selection of these stress-busting foods in your kitchen to make meals and snacks from when you’re feeling like stress-eating.

Making sure that the majority of your meals include foods such as lean proteins and leafy green vegetables will not only make you feel healthier overall but can improve your mental health and stress levels, too.

A good example of a healthy, stress-busting menu would be:

Breakfast: Oatmeal with berries or a fruit smoothie with avocado and berries

Mid-morning snack: Natural yogurt with fruit or a handful of pistachio nuts

Lunch: A whole-grain pasta salad filled with plenty of leafy greens

Afternoon snack: Dark chocolate

Dinner: Grass-fed beef with vegetables

Before bed: Chamomile tea

Conclusion

Of course, you don’t need to stick to this menu – but it gives you a good idea! Remember to exercise good portion control when eating foods such as nuts, chocolate, yoghurt or avocado! As the saying goes, you are what you eat.

So make sure that first and foremost, you’re filling yourself up with foods which are good for your mental health. Now you can help eat your stress goodbye.