Do you find yourself often reaching for that stress toy or those antidepressants? If you do you might want to start consuming more of these foods and drinks. While none of them will cure your depression overnight they can help your body manage your stress levels a little better…
Spinach
The darker the greens, the better they are for you. In fact, just about any green leafy vegetable contains folate which helps your body produce dopamine which of course is a pleasure-inducing brain chemical that helps fight off depression and stress.
Turkey
If you think turkey is just for Christmas it is no wonder you are stressed out, so make sure you add some of that high protein turkey to your diet as it can help your body produce serotonin with in turn helps to make you feel happier.
Porridge
While an oatmeal muffin for breakfast is good for the body it is a delicious bowl porridge that is the best thing to have. Porridge is filled with carbohydrates that help the brain make serotonin which is all the little things that make for a happier, stress-free day.
Greek Yogurt
Have you seen all those little bottles of greek yoghurt with its “healthy bacteria” inside? These little friendly things can also help reduced brain activity in areas that handle emotion thus making your stress levels a little lower.
Salmon
Most fish that has high amounts of omega-3 fatty acids are good for you, but Salmon has the highest amounts of them all and those omega-3 fatty acids also counteract the negative effects of stress hormones which help your body manage your stress levels a lot better.
Blueberries
You might already know that blueberries contain antioxidants and phytonutrients, but what you might not know is they help your body respond to stress by helping it fight stress-related free radicals.
Pistachios
This is not a nut that is often mentioned, but it is good for improving your mood and not just via consumption as the cracking of the shell has been proven to be as stress relieving as popping bubble wrap!
Dark Chocolate
Good news for all the chocoholics reading this because dark chocolate has been proven to help reduce stress levels thanks to the antioxidants in the cocoa that trigger the walls of your blood vessels to relax. But obviously everything in moderation as it can still be quite fattening.
Cows Milk
This is obviously one to avoid if you are lactose intolerant, but cows milk is a good source of vitamin D which has been shown to help people reduce their stress levels naturally. So its no wonder cows look so happy and out of it!
Avocado
And we finish this post off with a tasty avocado. This simple fruit provides close to 20 essential health-boosting nutrients which help the body regulate its own blood-sugar levels better and this, in turn, improves and stabilises peoples moods.
There you go, I have named ten of the bests foods and drinks to help reduce stress, but I would love to hear from you if you know of any more.
