The Best Foods To Reduce Your Stress Levels

Everyone has heard the term “stress eater” to describe someone who turns to food when they are feeling anxious or upset. You may even be a stress eater yourself. The association between food and feelings has been well documented. The good news is that an improved diet can actually help to reduce your stress levels and relieve your adrenal fatigue.

Simply put, what is in your food will affect your body and mind. The type of food determines whether that effect will be positive or negative. Poor food choices that people commonly seek out in times of stress include:

• Caffeinated and sugary drinks like coffee, tea, sodas, soft drinks or energy formulations
• High fat foods with little nutritional value
• Starchy foods like white bread, pasta, cakes or cookies
• Alcohol
• Fast or convenience foods which usually have some combination of the above

Your Diet Can Determine How You React To Stress

Caffeine is a stimulant that can make feelings of stress worse. Despite their popularity, caffeinated drinks should be avoided when feeling anxious. Turning to foods high in sugar, fat and starch (or all three) creates additional problems. Sugar and carbohydrates cause blood sugar to spike and then crash rapidly. This can leave you feeling even worse than you did before consuming it. Taking in excess calories with very little nutritional content can create a downward spiral. It can lead to weight gain and a reduction in self-esteem and confidence which adds additional stress. Junk food has also been shown to cause negative chemical responses in the brain.

None of this means that you should simply quit eating when you’re stressed, of course. It just means you should choose better options. Foods that can alleviate or reduce stress include low sugar fruits and vegetables, healthy proteins like wild-caught fish, yogurt and even water.

Fresh fruits and vegetables contain lots of vitamins, minerals and fiber. Specifically, grapefruit and oranges contain Vitamin C which works to reduce blood pressure and strengthen your immune system. Apricots provide magnesium, which reduces stress, and you can also find large amounts of magnesium in spinach. Bananas and avocados are packed with potassium, which helps to lower blood pressure (Note: those with severe adrenal fatigue should avoid high potassium foods, as their potassium/sodium ratio may already be elevated). Avocados also contain large amounts of mono-saturated fats, which again help to lower blood pressure.

Fish like wild salmon contains omega-3 fatty acids, and research has shown that omega-3s prevent cortisol and other stress hormones from spiking. Sweet potatoes are packed with beta-carotene, which studies have shown enhances stress tolerance. This carotenoid also affects oxidative stress-related DNA damage in certain body cells. The fiber in sweet potatoes also keeps blood sugar from spiking by controlling carbohydrate metabolism.

When stress strikes, reach for food that will help, not hurt. Keep quick fixes close to hand, like a bag of baby carrots, a banana or an orange, so you don’t resort to processed or junk food for comfort. Lastly, consider starting or ending your day with one of the smoothies below for an extra dose of stress reduction.

Stress-Busting Superfood Smoothies

Smoothies are fast, fun, and don’t require a great quantity of ingredients. Their cool and creamy texture is a healthy alternative to blended coffee drinks, and they provide natural energy boosts instead of loads of caffeine. They are also a natural way to satisfy your sweet tooth. Just throw all the ingredients in a high speed blender and blend until smooth.

The fact that smoothies can also reduce stress makes them the ultimate comfort food. And the best part? There will be no guilty feelings after! Experiment with different combinations and amounts of ingredients until you find what you like best. To get started, try the recipes below the next time you’re feeling anxious. And for a great start to the day, give my famous breakfast smoothie a try!

Blueberry Blast

• 1 ½ cup citrus Juice (orange or grapefruit, your choice)
• ½ cup blueberries (fresh or frozen)
• ½ ripe avocado
• 1 tsp. honey
• 2 handfuls Spinach (fresh only, frozen will be too watery)
• ¼ cup ice

*Stress busters: Vitamin C, Beta-carotene, Iron, B vitamins

Green Goodness

• 1 banana
• 1 cup kale (chopped)
• ½ ripe avocado
• ½ cup plain yogurt
• ½ cup blueberries (fresh or frozen)
• 1 cup almond milk
• ½ cup ice

*Stress busters: Vitamin C, B vitamins, Iron, Potassium, Calcium