Today's lifestyle is full of stress. Competitive work
stress, family and home stress, and even stress from
leisure activities such as softball leagues, can add up to
make life unhealthy for the most health-minded of us all.
There are some foods that will help take some of the stress
off your body so that your mind can do its thing.
Milk is one of the most underrated antioxidants around
today. Whole milk is nearly completely absent from the
American household and skim has been relegated to cooking
and breakfast cereals only. Yes just a glass of milk a day
helps reduce stress and stave off depression. Milk is an
excellent source of vitamin D. Lack of vitamin D has been
linked to depression. Vitamin D is also produced by the
body when exposed to sunlight. During long winter
months—when there is not a lot of sun—a nice
glass of milk helps to boost your vitamin D levels.
Bringing your own snacks to work is a big help, too. Carrot
sticks and broccoli florets are two favorites. Vegetables
contain vitamins that our bodies need when we have a lot of
stress. They also contain potassium for endurance and to
help calm our nerves. Also remember that having veggies as
a snack is much less fattening than say, that snack
cake—which will give you a sugar rush then leave you
depleted and tired. Vegetables will give you the long term
energy you need to get through the day.
Fruits, particularly citrus fruits, are good stress
fighters as well. Vitamin C helps to fortify our bodies and
reinforce our immune system against colds and infections.
Let's face it, as if life wasn't stressful enough, who
needs to do a presentation with a head cold?
Try replacing that second or third cup of coffee with a cup
of chicken soup. Chicken soup is not only a comfort food,
but it is a very valuable stress relieving tool and easy to
take with you to work in a thermos. Chicken soup is low in
fat and is chock-full with iron. Some of the components in
chicken soup have been found to have an anti-inflammatory
effect on the body, thus relieving stress. You also have
the added benefit of the sense of hominess that comes with
the aroma of the chicken broth wafting up from the mug.
Talk about a bonus!
Spicy foods—more accurately peppers and spicy
herbs—release endorphins into the brain causing a
sense of well being. Even if you don't really have anything
to feel good about, wouldn't it be nice to feel that way
regardless?
Proteins are the backbone of muscle-building, but they are
also directly responsible for fueling our everyday lives
and keeping us going. Replacing the candy jar with a bowl
of mixed nuts is highly recommended. Up your fish intake as
well, as fish contain Omega 3—which has been shown to
be a stress reliever. Fish is also a great source of
protein. Just do the gang at the office a favor and leave
the cans of sardines at home.
Just these few changes in dietary habit can have a good
affect on your health in the long term. In fact, if you
think about it, most of these changes have the added
benefit of tasting better than their snack food
counter-parts. Plus, it just feels nicer.
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