How to cope with stress naturally - 5 foods that perfectly relieve stress
The majority of people when they are stressed often gravitate towards unhealthy snacks like chocolate and baked goods. Not the best choice! The body needs essential nutrients to function properly, especially during stressful times. So to cope with stress effectively and maintain your overall health, rely on these 5 anti-stress foods:
1. Oatmeal.
Oatmeal are rich with vitamins B1 and B3, which support the normal functioning of energy metabolism and the nervous system. The amino acid tryptophan, found in oatmeal, triggers the production of serotonin, also known as the hormone of happiness. Before going to bed, you can pour natural yogurt in oatmeal, add berries or other fruits, nuts, and seeds, and have a ready, tasty and healthy breakfast in the morning.
2. Nuts.
Everyone should have nuts in their pockets or drawers because they are the perfect brain food! Whether it's peanuts or walnuts, macadamia or almonds, all varieties contain B vitamins, as well as potassium and iron, which support memory.
Nuts are high in magnesium, which protects your nervous system from stress. It suppresses the conduction of excitation along stress-causing nerves and calms the nervous system.
3. Bananas.
Snack on a banana often when you're stressed? Then you are doing everything right! The paradise fruit can not only help to suppress hunger but also relieve stress. B vitamins, magnesium and potassium explain this feature. Potassium, for example, is important for the transmission of muscle and nerve stimuli and also regulates blood pressure.
4. Dark chocolate.
Does chocolate help with stress? Yes, but only the dark version, that is, chocolate with a high cocoa content. The tryptophan in cocoa stimulates the production of serotonin, which improves our mood. Dark chocolate contains certain antioxidants that help break down stress hormones.
5. Salmon.
Fatty fish is rich in valuable protein and omega-3 fatty acids. The latter have a calming effect by lowering the level of the hormone adrenaline released in the body during stress. A similar effect has also been attributed to the vitamin B2 found in salmon.
What to do if healthy eating and other natural remedies do not help?
You can find other healthy natural tips from our articles dedicated to coping with stress, healthy eating, preventing depression, and so on. But if you still feel stressed or even depressed while following healthy tips, maybe it’s time to seek professional help of a psychotherapist. Psychotherapy and antidepressants can do wonders for your life. Leave the thoughts that mental stress and disorders are not real diseases and you can cope with them on your own. They are manageable with professional help and carefully chosen drugs, for instance, such as modern serotonin reuptake inhibitors as Paxil which you can buy from our online drugstore (you can get it without a prescription but we highly recommend you to get it only when your doctor prescribes the drug to you to be sure that you won’t harm yourself).
(Updated at Apr 13 / 2024)