Stress is the most common problem today in many individuals irrespective of age, ranging from school students to experienced individuals. Everyone is suffering from this problem at some point of time. However, one might practice meditation and breathing techniques to get rid of stress and retain their mental peace. In addition to this technique, there are some healthy foods that help you to control stress and support your mental health.
If you are wondering how food can help you to relieve stress then understand the logic behind this, stress leads to excess need of vitamin C, vitamin B, selenium, and magnesium so your body needs to balance these nutrients. It has been said that the quality of nutrients taken over time have an impact on the neural circuits that control emotion, motivation, anxiety, and other moods.
Foods that help to relieve stress are an extra benefit from nature that is easily accessible to everyone. So make use of them to the fullest.
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Milk:
During childhood, most of us had a habit to drink a glass full of milk before going to bed which you might not be practicing now saying “we are no more kids” but if you know about its psychological impact then you would make it a habit again. It relaxes the muscles and helps you to get better sleep. Calcium in milk acts as a stress reducer, additionally it might help in reducing depression. If you are not comfortable with milk then use other dairy products rich in calcium and vitamin D.
Dark chocolate:
This is one of our favorite foods since our childhood days. There are many observational studies that show dark chocolate reduces stress by its chemical impact as well as emotional impact.
Dark chocolate is rich in antioxidants and magnesium that might help in reducing stress by regulating the stress hormones.
But one must ensure that the chocolate bar should not contain unnecessary and excess levels of sugar in it and one should take it in low quantities.
Fruits and nuts:
Fruits that are rich in vitamin C help to reduce stress levels. Fruits like oranges, lemon, and amla contribute to the purpose.
In addition to this, potassium-rich foods like banana and pumpkin also help in reducing stress levels.
Nuts are rich sources of nutrients and vitamins. Vitamin B present in them helps to reduce stress. Nuts like almonds and pistachios help in regulating blood pressure levels and in turn relieve from stress.
Whole grains:
Serotonin is a hormone that boosts up mood and reduces stress. Intake of whole grain increases the levels of serotonin as they are rich sources of carbohydrates. This helps in reducing stress levels. In addition to the whole grain, sweet potatoes and simple carbs also serve the purpose.
Fish and eggs:
Fish that are rich in fatty acids like omega-3 improves mental health as they release nutrients that enhance the functioning of mood-related hormones in the brain. Fish also reduce the chance of heart diseases. If you are not ready to take fish, then you can try flaxseed, walnut, and nut milk as substituents.
Vitamin D helps to reduce the mood disorders like depression and anxiety. As eggs are rich sources of vitamin D, they would easily serve the purpose. Eggs also contain amino-acids called tryptophan that help to create serotonin and regulate stress.
Herbal tea:
A sip of your favorite herbal tea like green tea or lemon tea helps to get a feel of warmth that in turn releases stress to some extent. In addition to this, they release amino-acid called theanine, it has anti-anxiety and calming effects. It might release serotonin and dopamine in small quantities.
These are the easily available and regular foods that help you remain stress free and improve your mental health. In addition to this, all these are health-friendly foods so make sure to include them in your diet.