10 Super Foods That Help Fight Stress

woman-work-stressed

Chronic stress affects your appetite.

For some, stress reduces appetite and for others stress causes ravaging hunger. Either way, you need healthy, organic food that soothes stress so that your body can cope. This is the best form of medication.

Of course, many us of have a tendency to eat inflammatory junk food when stressed. Eating food laced with chemicals, sugar, hydrogenated oils and empty calories fuels the fire of chronic stress and only makes you feel worse in the end.

It’s amazing that even though we know this, some of us still fill our faces with junky “comfort” food that sends us further down the road to misery and an early death. This can only be called self-sabotage.

If it’s time for you to end self-sabotage by junk food, say hello to the new comfort foods.

1. Dark Chocolate?

Dark chocolate contains magnesium, which helps ease emotional tension. Dark chocolate also contains theo bromine, which is a natural mood elevator. Find a good source of organic, raw chocolate for even better results. Don’t overdo it!

2. Almonds

Almonds are rich in vitamins B2 and E. Both of these nutrients boost the immune system during episodes of stress. Just a few almonds a day do the job.

3. Spinach

Spinach is high in magnesium, the mineral that helps regulate cortisol levels and promote emotional well-being. A cup of spinach per day provides 40 percent of your daily need.

4. Turkey

The high levels of tryptophan in turkey signal the brain to release serotonin, which promotes calmness, peace of mind and even sleepiness when you need it.

5. Oatmeal

Oatmeal also promotes serotonin in the brain. Use old-fashioned, coarser oats as they take longer to break down, which is easier on your pancreas.

6. Sweet Potatoes

Sweet potatoes are full of fiber, beta-carotene, and other immunity-boosting anti-oxidants that fight inflammation and give you a smooth, peaceful feeling.

7. Yogurt

Yogurt is a wonderful, calcium-rich, probiotic and acid neutralizer. Go with organic yogurt rather than the stuff made with contaminated, commercial dairy products.

8. Asparagus

Stress and depression have been linked to low levels of folic acid, which can be found in abundance in asparagus. A single cup provides two-thirds of your daily value.

9. Avocado

Full of B vitamins, avocados are a great stress buster. They’re also high in potassium and monounsaturated fat, which lower blood pressure.

10. Blueberries

Blueberries are the low-sugar super fruit packed with antioxidants and vitamin C, making them great stress-busters. The body needs vitamin C and antioxidants to help repair and protect cells.

Imagine spending the next three weeks incorporating these super nutritious, calming super foods into your diet and eliminating inflammatory foods that promote stress. You’ll feel the difference.

Read more: Natural News

Democracy needs journalism it can trust.

This election season, the stakes are higher than usual — and so is the pressure on newsrooms to soften their coverage, stay quiet, or just disappear. Independent reporting, the kind that answers to readers instead of advertisers or political pressure, matters more in a moment like this, not less.

For over 14 years, Atlanta Black Star has stayed independent and reader-funded. We have no corporate owner and no shareholders telling us what to cover or how to cover it. That independence is also our biggest vulnerability: nothing protects it except readers choosing to fund it directly.

Newspaper ad revenue has fallen more than 80% since 2005, and local newsrooms are closing at a rate of roughly two a week nationwide. When outlets go under in a moment like this, it's rarely the independent, reader-funded ones that get to stick around.

We know a request for support isn't why you came here. But without readers choosing to fund this work directly, the depth of reporting we can do at home and abroad shrinks along with everyone else's. If you're not in a position to give, that doesn't change how much we value you as a reader.

If you are able to, a recurring contribution does more for us than a single one-time gift, because it lets us plan the next investigation instead of just the next invoice. It takes about 30 seconds, no long form, no account. Thank you for continuing to support independent journalism and freedom of the press.

Back to top