Stress Relieving Foods
It’s that time in the semester where time disappears and headaches are constant. Yup, it’s midterms season. It’s a never ending cycle of exams, papers, labs, and presentations and it plain sucks. Aside from finals week, midterms week(s) is pretty much the time where your cortisol (stress hormone) levels are probably pretty high.
Cortisol is linked to weight gain, blood sugar imbalances, and immune function. The hormone acts as a regulator for determining what type/amount of substrate (carbs, protein, and fat) is used to meat our body’s daily physiological needs. The less sciency version: constant cortisol secretion causes bad thing to happen to our bodies.
There are plenty of things that can be done to reduce stress mentally and physically, but I’m going to focus on stress-relieving foods. Here are the top five foods that relieve stress:
Green Leafy Vegetables
These are your spinach, collard greens, mustard greens, kale, broccoli, swiss chard, asparagus etc. Green leafy vegetables are high in folate which is known to help in the production of mood-regulating hormones like dopamine, a pleasure-inducing hormone. Generally speaking, many studies have found that eating more veggies and fruits can make you feel calm, happy, and even energetic. Aside form eating salads, try incorporating leafy greens in sandwiches with whole grain bread, omelettes or scrambled eggs, wraps, or smoothies.
Oatmeal
Oatmeal is a food that causes the production of serotonin, another feel-good hormone. As a complex carb, oatmeal digests more slowly (keeping you fuller longer due to the soluble fiber it contains) and doesn’t cause blood sugar spikes as opposed to morning sweets like doughnuts, scones, etc. Oatmeal is also known to keep your brain sharper, so oatmeal for breakfast is always a good idea. Try oatmeal with a either a banana or chopped apples, chia seeds, sliced almonds, honey, and tablespoon of peanut butter.
Fatty fish (e.g. Salmon)
I absolutely LOVE fish! Salmon in particular has high amounts of omega-3 fatty acids EPA and DHA which have anti-inflammatory properties and also help to protect the joints. These omega-3s are also said to reduce anxiety by roughly 20%. For vegetarians or vegans, I would consider taking an omega-3 supplement as they’ll also provide a little help with joint wear in the long run. Flax seeds, walnuts, and soy also contain omega-3s but not the EPA or DHA forms.
Blueberries
These small berries are packed with antioxidants and phytonutrients that help protect your immune system and improve your body’s hormonal response to stress by fighting off free radicals. Blueberries also help stimulate the production of dopamine, which (aside from mood) also happens to be responsible for coordination and memory function. If you can grab some blueberries, their perfect with yogurt and oatmeal or on the go. Craving something cold and sweet? Freeze your fruit! They make the perfect little snacks.
Avocado
Known for their creamy green texture and semi-sweet taste, avocados contain so many nutrients including folate, vitamin B6 and B12, vitamin E, vitamin K, and potassium. Avocados are known to help regulate blood sugar levels as well as regulate your mood (even during stressful times). While avocados are high in fat, they’re full of good fats; these being, your heart-healthy monounsaturated fat to help maintain good cholesterol levels. Try incorporating avocado by making avocado toast in the morning, in salads and/or sandwiches, or by eating guacamole (be careful if you’re eating this with chips though, as chips have a high sodium and high carb content if you're trying to watch your weight).
If you can, try to avoid processed sugars and overly processed foods. During stressful times, sugar can suppress the activity of healthy brain neurons and can promote chronic inflammation. High amounts of processed sugars in the diet can also lead to greater insulin spikes and leptin resistance causing you to overeat. This is also the case with processed foods (fried foods, most baked goods, etc.); there are a lot of mood ruiners in processed foods, and the additional ingredients in processed foods aren’t any more helpful. Most processed foods contain trans fats, artificial colors, artificial sweeteners, and potentially other synthetic ingredients that are not good for your gastrointestinal flora (i.e. all the little microorganisms living inside of your stomach and intestinal tract).
Other things you can do for stress relief? Exercise/physical activity, yoga and meditation, reading, drawing, coloring, and cleaning have all been shown to help decrease stress as well. In the mean time, just watch the foods you eat ;)
Stay healthy!