It's that time of the year for those of us in schools who must face the
dreadful process of
finals!
Or for those of you not in schools, you might be suddenly faced with a heavier load of work along with seasonal illness or allergies
In either case, I feel for you
You might be spending nights awake and at your desk, or you might be having a less harsher time, but either way, here are foods that you can munch on while working away to help you relive all this stress you're getting!
Let's hang in there folks!
1. Blueberries
Not only are blueberries high in antioxidants and fibers, but they are also rich in
vitamin C's which help you fight off stress.
Plus, these are great junk food substitutes--so stop reaching for that ice cream and why don't you try some blueberries instead?
2. Almonds
Almonds are high in Magnesium, Zinc, and unsaturated fats. But they are also high in
vitamin C's and E's, which help fight the free radicals that are associated with stress.
I like to buy a pack of thinly-sliced almonds sometimes and just munch on them little by little!
3. Tuna
Tuna is a great source of protein, but it is also rich in vitamin B6 and B12, which fight against stress
I suggest that you make some tuna salad using some mayonnaise and chopped celeries, and prepare crackers to eat with the salad, or to simply make yourself some sandwich to keep your stomach nice and filled while working!
4. Bananas
In one of my previous posts, I wrote about how studies have shown that bananas help you fight seasonal depression.
The hormonal substance of
seratonin calms down our body and speeds up the production of endorphin, relieving us from stress
You can read more about how eating bananas help you fight depression
hereBananas are a true super food!
5. Beef
Whenever I am feeling down and stressed, I tend to crave bulgogi, which is a type of Korean barbeque. It might be because I consider it to be my comfort food, but I realize that every time I eat a bowl of bulgogi, I become more energized and relaxed.
This might be partially due to the high levels of zinc, iron and B-vitamins that you get when you eat beef; all compounds help stabilize your mood.
6. Tea
Drinking hot water calms your stomach, the part of you body that is most responsive to stress. This was apparently one of Dalai Lama's most routine practice.
Drinking herb-infused drinks is shown to be helpful in calming down the body and is also known to have certain remedial qualities; it also has the effect of aroma therapy.
Although ginger tea is most suggested to calm down the stomach from stress, there are other teas that are known for its calming aromas and flavors, such as chamomile or chrysanthemum tea (one of my childhood favorites).
7. Porridge
Porridge in the morning fills your stomach with needed protein, warms you up, and helps stabilize the energy release of your stomach
8. Milk
Milk is rich in antioxidants, protein, calcium, vitamin B2 and B12 which help relieve stress.
My suggestion is to heat the milk just a little bit (not to the point of boiling, since that will cause a significant loss of nutrients found in milk) before drinking it.
If you could not stop thinking about your work or test tomorrow, and was having a hard time falling asleep, a cup of warm milk will relieve you of this insomnia right away
9. Asparagus
Asparagus is rich in folic acid, also known as B9, which stabilizes your mood. This is because folic acid is needed to make seratonin, the same substance you would find in a banana
Thanks for reading, and hang in there!
What healthy food do you eat to relieve your stress? What food do you think will work best for youself?
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Comments (19)
There have been many a day where a large glass of chocolate milk has made it alllll sooooo much better...
Its rather unscientific, but "anything you can do, just-the-way-mom-used-to-make-it" works for a rather large number of people. Stress relief can be exacerbated by mental stimulations from the fragrances of youth, comfort, and home just as well as it can by certain vitamins and minerals.
i fucking love asparagus
I should eat more of these.........i like bulgogi--I wish I could find it in my area!
I can't express how useful this list is haha. Thanks!
I want some bulgogi right now. Mmmmm.
Interesting.
i love that these are healthy foods that do a body gooood - instead of the usuals that people reach for when they feel stressed like bready items (pizza, bread, etc) and sugary snacks (cake, cookies, chocolate, ice cream) .. because the foods i mentioned people usually reach for because of emotional cravings that dont actually satisfy you, but only leave you wanting MORE MORE MORE and are detrimental to (emotional, mental, and physical) health ... and the foods YOU mentioned actually are so good for you :) good job!
@Endrath@xanga - you are SO right. it's too bad that most of us where fed sugary, processed snacks as 'comfort' food as children. nothing we can do about that now, but try to make healthier choices for our own future children (if we choose to of course) ..
for many it's not a problem, but for people like me, who are emotional eaters (hopefully working on fixing the issues behind that ) .. reaching for those foods that comforted us in childhood when feeling stressed or sad or lonely can be really harmful (as any addiction is) and can lead to a lot of mental and emotional confusion (food addiction) and symptoms like obesity and binge-eating and other eating disorders.
i mean, in general, i don't think it's good to teach children to use food for comfort, only from my own experiences that stemmed from my relatives (and this society as a whole) doing that for me when i was young ..
but hey, if you can have a glass of choco milk and it brings you genuine warmth and joy inside .. more power to you! it's really awesome that so many people have a positive relationship with food and they are my role models for sure!! food is great! its supposed to be, its fuel for life!
One snack that helps me relieve stress is carrot sticks because you can crunch them and snap them.
Ooohmygoodness...I love bulgogi. Now I want to go make some. I think I will.
Eating my staple dinner always seems to calm me down: salmon, and salmon skin or unagi with spaghetti squash, spinach and roasted green beans.
scrambled eggs!
@itwaswritteninblood@xanga - GIRRRRRRRRRL, me too.
Where is chocolate on this list?
I think that this is really good! for example in the place where I buy Viagra without prescription I can get some beef, bananas and cereals .
Great list - I particularly go for the high protein ones like fish and beef. Salads also keep me alert and focused.
I also turn to exercise. Several studies have shown specifically how it helps with stress. I go over some of this research and offer some ideas for how to squeeze it into a stressful day right here:
http://www.yourhealthyhomebiz.com/get-stress-relief-with-exercise-2-ways-it-can-help