How to Use Healthy Foods to Reduce Stress
Is the burden of stress weighing you down? The solution may be in your diet. Believe it or not, some foods can help ease stress and relax, while others cause them! You’re terribly mistaken if you think it’s time to binge-eat your unhealthy snacks. Comfort foods only end up harming your body and making you gain unhealthy weight. On the other hand, foods that ease stress are healthy and positively impact your wellbeing. So, have you been searching for alternative ways to reduce your stress levels? Being intentional about your food choices can be a great starting point. Foods to reduce stress, the following tips can help you.
1. Use herbal tea to promote a feeling of calm and warmth
Are you used to sipping coffee and energy drinks to get you through the day? You might want to avoid them for now. While these drinks can boost energy, their caffeine content can make it difficult to relax and sleep. Instead, use herbal tea to promote a feeling of warmth and calmness, especially when it’s time to wind down and sleep. While herbal tea may not necessarily contain stress-relieving nutrients, it can create a feeling of calm, comfort, and warmth. You can choose to add a few drops of CBD oil to your herbal tea to increase the relaxation factor and help you de-stress even more effectively.
2. Munch on magnesium-rich snacks
Magnesium-rich foods are a great choice if you’re looking to ease stress as quickly as possible and need natural assistance. Magnesium is known for its ability to help relax the body, easing stress as a result. Beyond reducing stress, magnesium can also help keep your blood pressure at a normal rate while playing a role in heart rhythm. After a busy and tiring day at work, you can snack on a bar of dark chocolate (but make sure it’s at least 90% cacao) or chew on some pumpkin seeds.
3. Add more vitamin B sources to your diet
Regardless of the meals you prepare, you can find creative ways to add more sources of vitamin B to them. Some animal food sources and fortified whole grains are rich in essential B vitamins, especially vitamin B12, which can help the body use the cortisol it needs. Cortisol is the stress hormone that enables the body to respond to a short-term stressful scenario. It also helps to regulate sleep cycles, control blood pressure, reduce inflammation, and increase blood sugar. Some vitamin B sources worth adding to your diet include organ meats, nutritional yeast, fortified cereal, eggs, chicken, and beef.
4. Add citrus fruits and green vegetables to your meals
Now you have more reason to eat more fruits and vegetables. Citrus fruits like oranges are rich in vitamin C. And some studies suggest that vitamin C can curb stress hormones while improving the immune system. Green vegetables that are rich in magnesium are also great stress reduction agents, so keep this in mind. Spinach is a perfect example of green veggies worth adding to your meals, so feel free to consider this.
We hope we have identified some foods to reduce stress. Best food for your health, by reducing your daily stress!
