Food To Relieve Stress
Health & Fitness
Food To Relieve Stress

Can Food Alleviate Your Mood: 5 Delicious Food To Relieve Stress

With the advancement of time, there is an increasing spike in the number of responsibilities that are encumbered on humans. If you compare yourself with who you were ten years ago, you will certainly find yourself happier and carefree, because your mind was not constantly thinking about paying bills or meeting your family’s demands.

This has led to an increase in stress on individuals’ faces these days. If the stress is not managed efficiently, it can manifest itself in dangerous ways like anxiety disorder, which can make it difficult for you to cope. Therefore, apart from exercising and journaling, you also need to eat foods to relieve stress.

Can Your Diet Impact Your Mood?

Exercising and journaling are some of the best ways to combat stress. But it is practically impossible to exercise or journal every time you are suffering from intensive stress. The reasons could be many. Therefore, as the saying goes, ‘you are what you eat, it is essential to inculcate some foods in your schedule which can help you fight off stress.

According to research published in the journal called ‘Stress’, it was revealed that the quality of nutrients you consume can affect your emotional balance, motivation, and mood. Fighting stress with food is one of the smartest and easiest ways, which is affordable for everyone.  

It is extremely essential to know what you are eating because unhealthy eating practices can create a spike in your stress levels, which is not healthy for your mental health.

5 Best Foods to Relieve Stress

Therefore, to fight the army of stress effectively, here are some delicious weapons laid down in front of you, each possessing a strong armor that will never put you down.

1. Herbal Tea

Food To Relieve Stress
Herbal Tea

Herbal tea helps in inducing the feeling of warmth, calmness, and tranquillity while you drink it. You are not only drinking for consuming its nutrients, but you also relieve stress and anxiety which you may have gathered throughout the day.

According to research, it was revealed that by just holding a cup of warm tea, you establish an interpersonal relationship and friendliness. This quite explains why people miss drinking ‘chai’ at their favorite ‘chai tapri’ with their friends.

The soothing and calming effect you feel while drinking that herbal tea, mixed with some flavors of lavender and chamomile, causes a relaxing effect on you. Herbal tea also induces neurotoxins which suppress neuroinflammation, ameliorates your memory, learning, and cognitive abilities.

2. Dark Chocolate

Food To Relieve Stress
Dark Chocolate

Dark chocolate has been one of the most famous and effective foods for stress relief due to its high antioxidant content. It is believed to reduce stress in two particular ways: one, through its chemical impact, and second, through its emotional impact.

The taste and palatability of dark chocolate are strong enough to reduce stress. It is rich in antioxidants, which reduce the level of stress hormones in the body. However, while consuming any dark chocolate, you should be cautious because it can often lead to some digestive problems.

Therefore, it is best to consume it in moderation, that is, eat only one-fourth of the entire dark chocolate bar. Avoid any chocolate bars which contain an unnecessary amount of sugar. In addition to this, always buy those dark chocolate bars which are pure and devoid of any extra preservatives.

This is often called the ‘farm-to-table approach, which packages the bar with only pure components and there are no added preservatives or chemicals. Ingredients like cacao beans, cane sugar and cocoa butter are still fine, but complex sugar or any other additive is harmful to your body.

3. Avocados

Food To Relieve Stress
Avocados

Omega-3 fatty acids are extremely essential for the reduction of stress and anxiety. And guess who has them? Surprise, surprise, it’s your weapon number 3 people; the most popular but slightly off in taste, yours only, avocados.

Avocados omega-3 fatty acid content helps in stimulating concentration and ameliorating your mood levels if they are consumed in proper proportion. Avocados also contain some essential nutrients, fibers, and phytochemicals which ensure healthy living, by improving your metabolic process, blood pressure, and obesity.

4. Warm Milk  

Food To Relieve Stress
Warm Milk

For centuries, people have been sipping warm milk before sleeping at night for managing stress and anxiety. The reason lies behind its relaxing and soothing effect on your body and mind. Not only this but sipping warm milk every day gets inculcated into your routine and that just gives you a relaxing and innately calm feeling.

As milk is a rich source of calcium, it also ensures your bone health. According to a study published in December 2012 in the journal named ‘Nutrition Research and Practice’, warm milk can also help you fight off depression.

Not only vitamin C, but milk is also a storehouse of vitamin D which helps in the relaxation of muscles and for the stabilization of mood. Be that as it may, you can opt for other dairy products if you do not like milk. You can opt for cheese and yogurt.

However, if you are lactose intolerant, there are vitamin C-rich foods that can help you combat stress, such as broccoli, kale, almonds, sunflower seeds, and turnip greens.

5. Nuts

Food To Relieve Stress
Nuts

Adding to the high nutrient and healthy fat content that nuts possess, they are a highly stress-busting snack due to their high vitamin B content. Nuts like almonds, pistachios, and walnuts help in treating lower blood pressure levels.

According to the study conducted by some health experts, it was revealed that pistachios can play a major role in reducing levels of stress significantly. However, it is better to eat only some amount of pistachios to avoid excess accumulation of calories.

Nuts along with other seeds are a high source of magnesium because they are strongly linked with the management of anxiety. According to the research conducted by people, it was revealed that magnesium can help you treat mild to moderate levels of anxiety. However, sufficient research is required in this area.

There are various other foods to relieve stress and help you manage anxiety. Therefore, the next time you experience any stressful situation, just take a deep breath and eat any of these foods easily available to you and see the results within a few minutes. While eating, tell yourself that no problem is as important as your mental health. Don’t take life too seriously! Jiggle a little bit and learn to laugh at yourself, sometimes. It helps!

Also Read: Sex For Stress Relief

Can Food Alleviate Your Mood: 5 Delicious Food To Relieve Stress

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With the advancement of time, there is an increasing spike in the number of responsibilities that are encumbered on humans. If you compare yourself with who you were ten years ago, you will certainly find yourself happier and carefree, because your mind was not constantly thinking about paying bills or meeting your family’s demands.

This has led to an increase in stress on individuals’ faces these days. If the stress is not managed efficiently, it can manifest itself in dangerous ways like anxiety disorder, which can make it difficult for you to cope. Therefore, apart from exercising and journaling, you also need to eat foods to relieve stress.

Can Your Diet Impact Your Mood?

Exercising and journaling are some of the best ways to combat stress. But it is practically impossible to exercise or journal every time you are suffering from intensive stress. The reasons could be many. Therefore, as the saying goes, ‘you are what you eat, it is essential to inculcate some foods in your schedule which can help you fight off stress.

According to research published in the journal called ‘Stress’, it was revealed that the quality of nutrients you consume can affect your emotional balance, motivation, and mood. Fighting stress with food is one of the smartest and easiest ways, which is affordable for everyone.  

It is extremely essential to know what you are eating because unhealthy eating practices can create a spike in your stress levels, which is not healthy for your mental health.

5 Best Foods to Relieve Stress

Therefore, to fight the army of stress effectively, here are some delicious weapons laid down in front of you, each possessing a strong armor that will never put you down.

1. Herbal Tea

Food To Relieve Stress
Herbal Tea

Herbal tea helps in inducing the feeling of warmth, calmness, and tranquillity while you drink it. You are not only drinking for consuming its nutrients, but you also relieve stress and anxiety which you may have gathered throughout the day.

According to research, it was revealed that by just holding a cup of warm tea, you establish an interpersonal relationship and friendliness. This quite explains why people miss drinking ‘chai’ at their favorite ‘chai tapri’ with their friends.

The soothing and calming effect you feel while drinking that herbal tea, mixed with some flavors of lavender and chamomile, causes a relaxing effect on you. Herbal tea also induces neurotoxins which suppress neuroinflammation, ameliorates your memory, learning, and cognitive abilities.

2. Dark Chocolate

Food To Relieve Stress
Dark Chocolate

Dark chocolate has been one of the most famous and effective foods for stress relief due to its high antioxidant content. It is believed to reduce stress in two particular ways: one, through its chemical impact, and second, through its emotional impact.

The taste and palatability of dark chocolate are strong enough to reduce stress. It is rich in antioxidants, which reduce the level of stress hormones in the body. However, while consuming any dark chocolate, you should be cautious because it can often lead to some digestive problems.

Therefore, it is best to consume it in moderation, that is, eat only one-fourth of the entire dark chocolate bar. Avoid any chocolate bars which contain an unnecessary amount of sugar. In addition to this, always buy those dark chocolate bars which are pure and devoid of any extra preservatives.

This is often called the ‘farm-to-table approach, which packages the bar with only pure components and there are no added preservatives or chemicals. Ingredients like cacao beans, cane sugar and cocoa butter are still fine, but complex sugar or any other additive is harmful to your body.

3. Avocados

Food To Relieve Stress
Avocados

Omega-3 fatty acids are extremely essential for the reduction of stress and anxiety. And guess who has them? Surprise, surprise, it’s your weapon number 3 people; the most popular but slightly off in taste, yours only, avocados.

Avocados omega-3 fatty acid content helps in stimulating concentration and ameliorating your mood levels if they are consumed in proper proportion. Avocados also contain some essential nutrients, fibers, and phytochemicals which ensure healthy living, by improving your metabolic process, blood pressure, and obesity.

4. Warm Milk  

Food To Relieve Stress
Warm Milk

For centuries, people have been sipping warm milk before sleeping at night for managing stress and anxiety. The reason lies behind its relaxing and soothing effect on your body and mind. Not only this but sipping warm milk every day gets inculcated into your routine and that just gives you a relaxing and innately calm feeling.

As milk is a rich source of calcium, it also ensures your bone health. According to a study published in December 2012 in the journal named ‘Nutrition Research and Practice’, warm milk can also help you fight off depression.

Not only vitamin C, but milk is also a storehouse of vitamin D which helps in the relaxation of muscles and for the stabilization of mood. Be that as it may, you can opt for other dairy products if you do not like milk. You can opt for cheese and yogurt.

However, if you are lactose intolerant, there are vitamin C-rich foods that can help you combat stress, such as broccoli, kale, almonds, sunflower seeds, and turnip greens.

5. Nuts

Food To Relieve Stress
Nuts

Adding to the high nutrient and healthy fat content that nuts possess, they are a highly stress-busting snack due to their high vitamin B content. Nuts like almonds, pistachios, and walnuts help in treating lower blood pressure levels.

According to the study conducted by some health experts, it was revealed that pistachios can play a major role in reducing levels of stress significantly. However, it is better to eat only some amount of pistachios to avoid excess accumulation of calories.

Nuts along with other seeds are a high source of magnesium because they are strongly linked with the management of anxiety. According to the research conducted by people, it was revealed that magnesium can help you treat mild to moderate levels of anxiety. However, sufficient research is required in this area.

There are various other foods to relieve stress and help you manage anxiety. Therefore, the next time you experience any stressful situation, just take a deep breath and eat any of these foods easily available to you and see the results within a few minutes. While eating, tell yourself that no problem is as important as your mental health. Don’t take life too seriously! Jiggle a little bit and learn to laugh at yourself, sometimes. It helps!

Also Read: Sex For Stress Relief