Best Foods You Can Eat for Stress
When you feel stressed, people will recommend using a meditation or breath work, getting more sleep, or simply exercising. All these are legitimate and proven ways a person can deal with stress. However, a not-so-popular method is just eating foods known to help fight stress!
Even though stress and eating aren’t actually healthy when put together, you can actually eat your way out of stress. It may sound weird, but some fruits, vegetables, and even beverages can help you cope with stress. If you’re curious to what some of these foods are, read on.
1. Matcha Powder
Tea has always been a remarkably healthy beverage. It can help with weight management, sleep, and of course, stress. Green tea is the most popular variant, but among the green teas, Matcha stands out.
Matcha powder is exceptionally rich in the very compound that makes tea so calming and relaxing: L-Theanine. L-Theanine is an amino acid with powerful anti-stress properties.
What makes Matcha special is how its leaves are made from those that are kept away from the sun, concentrating the L-Theanine content compared to traditional green teas.
2. Kimchi
If you’re a fan of Korean foods, you’re definitely aware of Kimchi. Kimchi is a fermented vegetable dish made from cabbage and radish. Fermented foods are known to be really gut-friendly thanks to their healthy bacteria content.
Studies show fermented foods may help lower stress and anxiety levels, and this is thought to be due to their healthy interactions with our gut bacteria that directly affect our mood.
3. Sweet Potatoes
Eating sweet potatoes can help lower stress levels by directly reducing cortisol, the stress hormone. More than their amazing benefits for stress, sweet potatoes are also good sources of vitamin C and potassium, two nutrients you want more of if you want to combat stress.
4. Artichokes
Artichokes are one of the healthiest foods around. They’re good for our gut bacteria, digestion, and nutrients like magnesium, potassium, and vitamins C and K. Due to its natural healthy properties, experts have linked artichoke consumption with lower stress levels.
5. Organ meats
When we talk about organ meats, we mean hearts, livers, and kidneys of cows and chickens. They are excellent sources of B vitamins which are crucial for stress control. B vitamins are actually important for mood regulation, so if your body’s B vitamin supply is always healthy, you will likely be always in a good mood.
That also explains why B vitamin supplementation has been correlated with mood benefits and lower stress levels.
6. Fatty Fish
There’s one nutrient that stands out among fatty fish and it’s Omega 3. Omega 3 has been cited to help people cope with stress while also significantly improving mood. In fact, low levels of Omega 3 are linked to highly stressed individuals.
More than Omega 3, fatty fish also contain Vitamin D, a vitamin that’s linked to immunity and better mood.
7. Broccoli
Can broccoli be any healthier? Apparently, yes. As it turns out, broccoli consumption may help you cope with stress better thanks to its sulforaphane content, a sulfur-based compound that has brain-protective properties. This exact compound is linked to better mood and a relaxing sensation.
Of course, the many nutrients found in broccoli are also associated with lower stress levels. These are vitamin C, folate, B6, and magnesium.
Takeaway...
There is no definite “cure” for stress, but there are many ways to respond to it positively and naturally. You can lower your stress levels by simply exercising more, sleeping better, and just by eliminating sources of stress. Your diet also plays a huge role in how stressed you feel. If you ever want to see how food can help with stress, check out the 7 foods we listed here and tell us all about it.
