When you feel stressed, you’re most likely to turn to traditional “comfort foods”. This includes take-out, large meals, sweet foods, alcohol, and fatty foods. Let’s be honest here – we’ve all found some comfort in a good meal, a glass of wine or a beer when stressed or upset. However, this is not ideal, and definitely not a permanent solution.
While you may feel better temporarily by eating unhealthy foods, it will make you feel worse over time. If your body doesn’t receive the right nutrition, it can lead to a decrease in energy, a loss of focus, and even a reduction in motivation. All of this can make you feel even more stressed.
Stress-Reducing Foods
It’s important to understand which foods can help you deal with stress and anxiety, especially if lately you’ve been feeling more stressed than usual. A healthy balanced diet that includes moderate amounts of all food groups is the best way to combat stress.
It is crucial to eat a variety of foods, including whole grains, leafy greens, and lean protein, as the main staples of your diet. This will ensure that you get the most nutrients possible to combat both mental and physical health issues. Some foods have great properties that help to relieve stress. They will not just provide a temporary fix, but rather they can heal and calm the mind for good.
The best foods to combat stress include:
1. Avocado
Avocados are a versatile and creamy fruit that can be enjoyed raw, in sauces, dressings, dips or in a smoothie. Because of their high levels of glutathione, these nutrient-dense fruits can help stress-proof your body. This is because they block the intestinal absorption of certain fats that cause oxidative damage. Avocados are also rich in vitamin E, folate and beta-carotene, even more so than any other fruit, which increases their stress-busting abilities. Avocados are high in fat, however, so be mindful of portion sizes.
2. Blueberries
If you feel stressed and find yourself often reaching for a snack, swapping chips or cookies for one of the top superfoods can help you reduce stress and bring you the calm you need. Blueberries contain some of the highest amounts of antioxidants, particularly antho-cyanin. This means that blueberries are linked to a variety of health benefits, such as sharper cognition, better focus and a clearer head – all which can help you cope better with stress.
3. 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 a lot of sugary and caffeine-rich liquids, like coffee, energy drinks, or sodas, can really increase your stress levels if consumed regularly. Chamomile tea has been used for the longest time as a natural bedtime soother, and clinical trials have also shown that it is effective in treating generalized anxiety disorder symptoms.
4. Chocolate
Although it’s often seen as an unhealthy treat, there’s a clear link between chocolate and our mood. Studies have shown that eating chocolate can actually make you happier. But that doesn’t mean you should start eating a lot of chocolate every day. Chocolate is best used as a stress reliever when it’s eaten in moderation and as part of a balanced and healthy diet. Dark chocolate in particular is the best option, as it contains more flavonols and polyphenols, two hugely important antioxidants which can help combat stress, more than many fruit juices.
5. Beef
Grass-fed beef is not only kinder to the planet and to animals, but it’s healthier for us, as well. Grass-fed beef contains a wide range of antioxidants including beta-carotene and Vitamins C and, E which can help you fight anxiety and stress. Another reason to spend a little more money on organic, grass-fed beef, is that it’s also lower in fat than grain-fed beef and higher in omega-3.
6. Oatmeal
Oatmeal is great in that it can be a filling comfort food, but it also has a huge amount of healthy properties that make you feel better from the inside out. It’s a complex carbohydrate that causes the brain to produce more of the feel-good chemical serotonin, which helps you feel calmer and less stressed. Studies have shown that kids who have oatmeal for breakfast tend to be much sharper throughout the morning in school compared to kids who have alternative morning meals.
7. Walnuts
If you’re looking for a healthy snack that will help you stay in better control of your stress levels, then walnuts are a great choice. You just can’t deny the sweet, pleasant flavor 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, you can add them to a sweet treat such as coffee, and you could even make a walnut cake for everyone to enjoy.
8. Pistachios
Another food which is great for snacking on and can also help to combat stress and anxiety in the long term. Simply eating one or two small, snack-size portions of pistachios per day can lower vascular constriction when you are stressed, further dilating your arteries and therefore putting less pressure on your heart. Besides, the rhythmic, repetitive act of shelling pistachios can be quite therapeutic as well.
9. Green Leafy Vegetables
These type of vegetables should be a key ingredient of anyone’s diet. Leafy greens not only help with combating stress, but also provide nutrients and antioxidants that fight off disease and make you feel healthier and more energized. Because they are high in folate, dark leafy greens (like spinach, for example) are particularly good for you. This helps your body produce more mood-regulating neurotransmitters like serotonin, which is a ‘feel-good’ chemical. You will feel happier overall and less stressed if you include leafy greens in your diet.
10. Fermented foods
Last but not least, eating fermented foods can help you maintain a healthy gut, which will in turn help improve your mental health, and decrease stress levels. The beneficial bacteria found in fermented foods such as yogurt can have a direct impact to your brain chemistry. They transmit positive mood-regulating signals to the brain via the vagus nerve.
Putting Your Diet Plan Together
It is important to plan your meals carefully to ensure that you are not only physically healthy, but also mentally strong and able to manage your levels of stress as best possible. You should absolutely know which foods to avoid and which foods to eat when you feel anxious or worried, to help you keep control over your emotions.
You may feel tempted to reach out for “comfort foods” when you are feeling stressed, which are usually high in sugar, greasy, and very starchy. However, although these foods can temporarily improve your mood, they will definitely make you feel worse over time.
By now, you should know that stress-reducing snacks such as fresh berries, yogurt, dark chocolate, walnuts or pistachios, or even a fruit smoothie with avocado and leafy greens in it can help you feel much better in both the short and long term when it comes to stress and anxiety.
It would be a great idea to create a meal plan for the week. This will help you stay on track and ensure that you have enough of these stress-fighting foods to prepare meals and snacks from when you’re feeling like stress-eating.
Making sure that most of your meals include foods such as lean proteins and leafy green vegetables will not only make you feel healthier overall, but will also improve your stress levels and mental health.
Here’s a good example of a healthy, stress-reducing menu:
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
Of course, you don’t need to stick to this menu, but it sure gives you a good idea! Just remember to be mindful of portion control when eating foods such as nuts, chocolate, yogurt or avocado. As they say, you are what you eat, so make sure that first and foremost, you’re consuming foods which are good for your mental health.
