Foods to Help You Deal with Stress
By Sara Butler
Food has a lot of power, which is why it’s important to maintain a healthy diet and pay attention to the things you’re putting in your body. Sure, everyone reaches for chocolate once in a while, but it helps to look at food as fuel. And if you happen to pick the right fuel, it can do more than energize your body -- it can help improve your mood. Here are a few foods you may want to consider adding to your day the next time you need a pick-me-up.
Walnuts
When you’re feeling crabby, you can be a tough nut to crack. So, reach for an actual tough nut to crack! Nuts like walnuts are great for your heart, but it’s now known that they’re also great for your mood. The magnesium, omega-3 fatty acids, and healthy fats in walnuts can boost the levels of dopamine and serotonin in your brain. These hormones impact your mood and keeping them balance can help to promote feelings of well-being.
Oatmeal
There’s evidence to suggest that your morning oatmeal has a big impact on your brain chemistry. It can help to kick serotonin levels in to help decrease appetite, produce calm, and even combat pain. If oats aren’t currently a part of your morning, consider trying out some great overnight oats recipes!
Bananas
Bananas are an amazing food. They’re portable, easy to eat, and have an incredible nutritional profile that is difficult for other foods to compete with. The complex carbohydrates in bananas help your brain to produce serotonin -- that feel-good chemical that can help rescue you from a funk. The nutrients in bananas also work to balance dopamine levels in our brain and have Vitamin B6 that -- again -- helps to boost serotonin production.
Potatoes
If you want to boost your mood and fight anxiety, then consider a potato. The Vitamin C contained in potatoes helps your body to produce more serotonin. Plus, that Vitamin C can sure come in handy once flu and cold season comes around to help support a healthy immune system. There’s no mood killer quite like the cold or flu!
Milk
Vitamin D has been shown to help people who suffer from depression and anxiety -- and milk happens to be full of Vitamin D as well as healthy fats that help your body to better absorb this vitamin. Add it to a smoothie, put it in your oatmeal, or just have a tall glass in the morning to set you up for the day.
Stress can be battled in many ways, so fight back with food!
To learn more about your health, wellness, and fitness, see your local chiropractor at The Joint Chiropractic in Katy, Tex.
