Stress is our body’s response to pressure which is a totally normal reaction that happens to anyone. This is because our body is made to experience stress and react to it. In short bursts, it can be positive like when it helps you avoid danger or meet deadlines. However, stress that lasts a long time can be harmful to your health. There are many ways to help reduce stress and one of them is to eat Food to Lower Stress and Anxiety.
One of my clients has a pretty stressful job that involves gambling. Even though he is not a professional gambler, since gambling is all about luck and unknown factors it can be very stressful. He actually works in the Bookie pay Per head industry and his job is to make sure that gambling operators are happy. Since it involves millions of dollars riding on just sporting events of turn of a wheel, he is unable to sleep and has acute ulcers.
Since it is difficult for him to avoid stressful situations, I put him on a healthier diet to lower his stress levels. This involved cutting fatty junk food and processed foods that are detrimental to the human body. In addition, I had him do simple things like taking walks outside and within weeks, he was able to sleep properly and his ulcers was gone.
Here are some of the Healthy foods I recommend to him to lower his anxiety and stress levels.
The Top Healthy food to Lower Stress and Anxiety
Foods that are promoted on the Mediterranean diet are the same foods that are good to eat when you’re stressed: fish, poultry, fruits, vegetables, fruits, whole grains, and healthy fats. In fact, I encourages people to adopt a Mediterranean diet for overall health and wellness, including stress relief.
The goal is to eat foods that reduce inflammation in your body, thus reducing cortisol levels. Here are some foods that help combat stress by lowering your cortisol.
Foods high in vitamin B
“Fortified whole grains and some animal sources have lots of B vitamins in them — particularly vitamin B12, which can help with metabolism of cortisol to fix your health. Try:
- Beef.
- Chicken.
- Eggs.
- Fortified cereal.
- Nutritional yeast.
- Organ meats.
Foods high in omega-3 fatty acid
These foods reduce inflammation. “The best activated form is through fatty fish, but you can also get it from some plant sources,” Barth says. Such foods include:
- Anchovies.
- Avocados.
- Chia seeds.
- Flax seeds.
- Herring.
- Mackerel.
- Olive oil.
- Oysters.
- Salmon
- Sardines.
- Tuna.
- Walnuts.
Magnesium-rich foods
Magnesium is hugely beneficial when it comes to reducing inflammation, metabolizing cortisol and relaxing the body and mind.
- Avocados.
- Bananas.
- Broccoli.
- Dark chocolate.
- Pumpkin seeds.
- Spinach.
Protein-rich foods
Foods such as meat, fish, poultry, beans, and legumes promote balanced blood sugar levels which include:
- Almonds.
- Chicken breast.
- Eggs.
- Lean beef.
- Lentils.
- Peanuts.
- Quinoa.
- Turkey breast.
- Tuna.
- Salmon.
- Shrimp.
Gut-healthy foods
70% to 80% of our immune system is reliant on our gut, so if we correct our gut, we correct a lot of our immunity. These probiotic-rich and fermented foods can help balance blood sugar and reduce cholesterol:
- Greek yogurt.
- Kefir.
- Kimchi.
- Kombucha.
- Sauerkraut.
