5 Healing Foods That Fight Stress
Fight stress & illness with these 5 delicious healing foods…
You might not think of the food you eat as affecting your stress levels, but in fact, diet is very closely related to mood. We often either neglect eating or eat too much when we are stressed. However, your body needs proper nutrition – especially in times of stress or difficulty – to help heal and keep disease at bay.
The good news is, there are many delicious and easily-available foods that can actually help to calm your mind and body and provide nourishment during times of stress.
Here are 5 healing foods that can help your body and mind cope with stress:
#1 Berries (of all kinds)
It’s easy to want to eat lots of sugary foods when you’re stressed. That’s an evolutionary reflex that our ancestors passed down to us. Sugar releases dopamine — which makes us feel good in the moment.
But while it may take the edge off — it doesn’t heal you, and in fact, could even encourage disease in your body.
So instead of reaching for a tub of ice cream, make sure to have berries on hand!
The antioxidant content, including vitamin C, helps rebuild and fortify cells. Antioxidants also reduce inflammation and can calm down acute anxiety as well as your long-term stress response.
#2 Yogurt
I highly recommend adding yogurt to your daily routine. If you’re vegan, there are some awesome plant-based alternatives to traditional dairy yogurt. Yogurt’s probiotic cultures bring new strains of good bacteria to your gut microbiome, making other nutrients available for absorption.
By enabling your body to heal and absorb nutrients more quickly, you allow your body to focus its energy reserves on balancing your neurotransmitters and hormones.
#3 Dark Chocolate
Good news! If you do have a sweet tooth, you’re definitely doing yourself a favor by choosing dark chocolate over a sleeve of Chips Ahoy. Several studies have confirmed that dark chocolate immediately reduces stress. It’s more than just the serotonin release too! Dark chocolate’s antioxidants go deep and heal the adrenal system by reducing the amount of cortisol (the fight-or-flight hormone) in your system.
Also, studies are being done right now on how dark chocolate affects the brain. It’s looking like dark chocolate can bring down inflammation in the brain, which means more blood can flow and you can learn/retain new information more easily!
#4 Oats
Oats (Avena sativa) may seem like a bland breakfast food item, but they’re actually dense with nervous system-healing components.
Most people know that oats are a healthy source of dietary fiber that keep the BMs moving. But did you know that the beta-glucans in oats also have the power to balance both cholesterol and blood sugar levels?
Oats are also packed with the B-vitamins your body needs to make stress-reducing hormones!
Gramine is a chemical compound found in oats that has the ability to calm the central nervous system. Its alkaloid content can balance an exhausted adrenal system and chill you out without putting you down for a nap!
#5 Brazil Nuts
Truth be told, all nuts are good for you (unless you have an allergy!). Not only are they a healthy source of good protein and healthy fat, they are high in some of those micronutrients that may be missing from your regular diet.
When it comes to inflammation, Brazil nuts bring selenium into your diet. Not a lot of people think of selenium when they list necessary vitamins and minerals, but it’s an important antioxidant that stops the chain reaction of inflammation in the body.
Read more & find delicious recipes to enjoy these healing foods at TheSacredScience.com…
