Friday, 12 June 2009
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Foods to Fight Stress
Tons of final exams or midterms? Some people reach for comfort foods to relieve their stress. This is called emotional eating. But most comfort foods (eg. donuts, chocolate, ice cream) may actually not help your stress levels at all because they are refined-carbohydrates or high in sugar. This will cause your energy to spike and then crash. Blood sugar swings can lead to more anxiety, irritability, headaches (aka more stress!) Do yourself a favor and reach for some of these healthier foods to help relieve your stress and decrease the pressure stress puts on your body.
Whole Grains & Oatmeal
Carbohydrates cause your brain to release serotonin, the same feel-good hormone you get from eating dark chocolate. However, due to reasons mentioned above, we want to avoid refined carbohydrates and high sugar foods. The fiber in whole grains will enable your body to digest your food slower and release serotonin more steadily. Try to avoid the sugary packaged oatmeal that you pop in the microwave. But either way, this type of oatmeal is better than Cocoa Puffs or Lucky Charms!
B Vitamins and Vitamin C
Vitamin C is an immune-system booster, which is essential to fight against stress. Stress depletes our body's vitamin C stores, which is why we are more likely to get sick during this time. Grab some oranges, cantaloupe, or berries to keep yourself strong! Stress also depletes our body's B vitamins, making us feel more tired. Restore your body's supply with broccoli, almonds, and other nuts.
Milk products
Milk contains calcium and magnesium. These two minerals help soothe muscle fibers and tension. I find that drinking milk also helps reduce my PMS symptoms like cramps, mood swings, irritability, etc. (and girls on pms are NOT monsters by the way!)
Askmen.com recommended sushi because of the magnesium and pantothenic acid in seaweed. But I disagree because as mentioned in my sushi post, sushi rice is a refined grain with added sugar in it.
I didn't touch much on spinach or fatty fish like salmon. Spinach is also full of magnesium and calcium, while the omega-3 fats from salmon will help lower stress hormones in your body. Judging from feedback from my last nutrition post, I got the idea that a lot of people do not know how to cook. Who has time to cook when they are busy and stressed out anyway. So I touched more on snack foods and no-cooking-necessary foods that one can grab when they need a little pick-me-up. Please see my last post for a great stress-busting recipe that combines salmon and spinach!
Good luck on your exams everyone!!! Fortunately I don't have any right now because I am just working my summer job
What do you normally eat to fight stress? Have any other foods or categories of foods that have worked effectively for you or others you know?
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Comments (7)
Man, another post from lizzie_wizzie?
I eat whatever I can find
well since I'm stessed right now I should definately try these foods.
I love fruit so that should take the place of chips and chocolate! =)
I love eating fruit. Apples and strawberries :)
Being aware about your health is very crucial. Some of
us prefer to eat too much when feeling stress. Why not? Stress can be a cause
of different diseases including mental illnesses like what Michael Roof had. Not
many have heard of Michael Roof, but it's likely they have seen him. A
stand up comedian and film actor, also known as Chicken, he was recently
discovered as having passed away at the age of only 32. He had roles in
films such as the xXx series, the Dukes of Hazzard movie and Black Hawk
Down. He had been reportedly struggling with mental illness, and it is
suggested that he committed suicide. Those who struggle with mental illness
should be given the help they need, even quick loans for treatment, as such
action can save a life – such as that of Michael
Roof.
chips and whatever's near. which is junk food
I use to be a bad emo eater, but now that I'm aware of it I can derail the bad habbit. Example: instead of ice cream I eat all natural yogurt. Instead of french fries I'll eat sweet potatoe oven fries. Instead of candy bars I'll eat a Luna bar. Or sometimes I'll eat cherries b/c you have to use your mouth a lot (b/c of the seed) and that keeps me from bitting my nails or eating crap!
So I get the same sensation but they're better choices. I also remember portions.