Can food calm down us?

Feeling stressed, anxious? Everyone has heard the phrase, “Take a chill pill”. The magical chill pill-but, is it really that easy? With the ups and downs of life, it is normal to get stressed out. Bills, holidays, work, relationships, money and other causes fray our nerves. What do most people do? Run to the freezer, grab the ice cream! Where’s the candy? Not so fast. Sweets are often used a stress reliever food or a comfort food. However, instead of helping us to relax and calm us down, sweets often make the problems worse in the end. Why? 

Sweets give your body an initial rush and when your body’s insulin response kicks in, it causes your blood sugar to drop and releases stress hormones. This can leave you feeling worse than you originally were. Don’t get depressed quite yet, though. Just because the ice cream, cakes and cookies are not going to do you any good, there are comforting foods that DO help you relieve stress and calm down. BERRIES Eating berries one by one can help soothe frayed nerves. Any kind of berries will do the trick. Strawberries, blueberries, raspberries…any berries! Because the carbohydrates found naturally in berries turn to sugar very slowly, you won’t have a blood sugar crash.

Berries are also a good source of vitamin C, which helps fight the stress hormone cortisol. Add berries to your cereal or just eat them one at a time–instead of the candy! GUACAMOLE Vitamin B is essential for nerves and brain cells. Unfortunately, stress quickly rids your body of essential vitamin B. Fortunately, avacado s are filled with B vitamins. Guacamole is a tasty, creamy treat that is actually healthy for you. Use low-fat whole grain chips for dipping or top your taco with the guacamole. MIXED NUTS Nuts are a fast way to fix depleted vitamin B.

An ounce of nuts will not only replace Vitamin B, but it also will give you a healthy amount of zinc. Vitamin E is found in almonds and will help to fight cellular damage that comes from chronic stress. Just think-if you have shell the nuts, each squeeze will allow for tension release!MIXED NUTS ORANGES Vitamin C is important is lowering the level of cortisol that is produced by stress. Vitamin C is also important in lowering blood pressure. Calm down and concentrate on peeling a large orange. Not only will you be getting much needed Vitamin C, the peeling will also help soothe you. Some people also find the scent of oranges and other citrus fruits relaxing. 

ASPARAGUS       DARK CHOCOLATE Well, there is absolutely nothing in chocolate that actually relieves stress. However, sometimes only chocolate will do. Grab dark chocolate and make sure it is atleast 70% cocoa because it is highest in antioxidants. Antioxidants have been found to fight cancer and heart disease. Get the berries and make fondue-that is sure to eliminate some stress in your life! There are many other stress reliever food food that help you to keep calm , but these stress reliever food are some of the best sources of various nutrients that offer multiple benefits to treat and prevent anxiety and stress. What is your favorite healthy food that calms you down when you’re stressed?