Foods that Help Manage Stress: Holiday Edition!
Did you know that your food choice can have an effect on your stress levels? Well it’s true! During the holiday season your body is already experiencing more stress than usual. Combine that with the typical comfort foods and desserts that come with holiday celebrations and you can create a giant holiday stress snowball!
We know that indulging in comfort foods is an important part of celebrating holidays - but with your stress level in-mind try to minimize indulging and add anti- stress foods into your holiday celebration menu.
Since your health and happiness is our main concern at QOL we created a guide of foods that help manage stress during the holiday season. We also found some great holiday recipes that feature ingredients that are known to help combat stress!
Here are some foods you should load up on this holiday season:
Load up on dark leafy greens – these are high in folate, which helps your body produce mood-regulating neurotransmitters, including serotonin and dopamine.
Organic turkey breast – turkey is a great source of tryptophan which is an amino acid that your body converts into serotonin. Research shows that people who consumed tryptophan become more pleasant. Don’t worry – if turkey isn’t your thing you can get tryptophan from other sources such as, pumpkin seeds, nuts, and free-range organic eggs.
Fermented foods – mental health starts in the gut. The health of your gut flora has great impact on the health of your brain. Unhealthy gut flora can lead to issues such as anxiety and depression.
Asparagus – these are high in folate, which is essential for keeping your cool.
Avocado – these fruits are rich in glutathione, this substance blocks intestinal absorption of certain fats that cause oxidative damage. Avocados also contain lutein, beta-carotene, vitamin E and folate!
Here are some holiday recipes that feature ingredients known to help mitigate stress:
- Try this spiced turkey with Swiss chard – which combines both dark leafy greens and organic turkey breast!
- Whip up a few of these deep-dish turkey pot pies for your holiday celebration.
- Avocado adds a creamy flair to this avocado sage cornbread
- Avocado cookies? This may sound strange – but give it a try!
- These asparagus are crunchy, flavorful and festive.
- Typical gingerbread cookies are high in sugar and fat. Try these fermented gingerbread cookies instead!
We hope you can keep stress at bay this holiday season by making good food choices! Share this blog with your family and friends so they can get in on these stress reducing food too.
