5 Foods That Relieve Stress and Nourish Your Body in 2021

People across the globe go through stressful times, and how we handle them makes the difference. People make various lifestyle changes to overcome stress, and one of them is what you eat. Stress can ruin your physical and emotional health, but eating the right food can tame your stress levels. Interestingly, some foods have stress-relieving qualities if added to your diet. Are you shocked to hear this? In this article, Dr Kausthub Desikachar shares the foods that relieve stress and nourish your body. 

What Causes Stress?

Stress is usually triggered by circumstances happening in your life that could include –

• Existing under loads of pressure
• Exams and deadlines
• Handling new changes in life
• Bothering about something
• Overwhelming responsibilities
• Unemployment
• Financial struggles, debts
• Lack of security
• Unpleasant times with parents, spouse, siblings, colleagues or children
• Times of uncertainty, etc…

Symptoms Of Stress

The fundamental measure of managing stress is to identify the symptoms of stress. Often, we don’t recognize the signs of stress because most of us are so used to being stressed and won’t know that we are stressed unless we reach the breaking point.

Emotional And Cognitive Symptoms Of Stress:

• Becoming frustrated and low-spirited
• Trouble resting and calming your mind
• Inability to focus
• Forgetfulness
• Feeling regretful about yourself, lonely, blocked, and depressed
• Nervousness
• Procrastinating and avoiding responsibilities

Physical Symptoms Of Stress:

• Low energy
• Headaches
• Tensed muscles
• Chest tightness and rapid heartbeat
• Insomnia

5 Foods That Relieve Stress And Nourish Your Body:

Several healthy alternatives have been scientifically proven to modify brain chemistry and hormones that eases your body to deal with stress more efficiently.

1.Citrus Fruits, Strawberries & Blueberries

Studies show that bright coloured fruits like oranges, grapefruits, and strawberries are packed with vitamin C and antioxidants, which has helped people overcome stressful circumstances. 

2. Dark Chocolates

Pure dark chocolates or cocoa are known to tame stress levels and improve your mood. Drak chocolates are a source of antioxidants, polyphenols, and high tryptophan content that will enhance blood flow in the brain that uplifts your mood and reduces stress. When choosing dark chocolate, go for 70 % or more. Studies show that dark chocolate has a natural substance that creates a feeling of happiness, like being in love.

3.Nuts & Seeds

Most nuts and seeds have high ratios of magnesium, potassium and Vitamin B that help handle stress with ease and are mood-lifting. Magnesium is a vital ingredient that helps our body to cope up with the stress mechanism naturally. Potassium helps lower our blood pressure when we feel stressed that reduce the strain on our heart. Vitamin B helps our neurotransmitters in the brain in their happy place and reduces stress. 

Some of the nuts and seeds rich in Magnesium, Potassium and Vitamin B are as below :

• Almonds
• Walnuts
• Pistachios
• Cashews
• Brazil Nuts
• Pumpkin Seeds
• Flax Seeds
• Chia Seeds

4. Folate Rich Food

when you’re highly stressed, your brain starts to produce excess stress hormones like adrenaline and cortisol. This results in producing fewer neurotransmitters linked with relaxation and happiness, like dopamine and serotonin. Researchers say that including folic acid rich food in your daily meals can help restore happy hormone levels that can relieve stress.  

Foods rich in Folate/ Folic Acid are:

• Beans
• Chickpeas
• Asparagus
• Avocado
• Broccoli
• Spinach
• Green leafy vegetables like cabbage, kale, etc.

5.Tea

Drinking a warm cup of herbal tea increases the feeling of warmth, calmness as they have anti-anxiety, calming and relaxant properties. 

Some of the herbal teas you can sip on are :

• Chamomile Tea
• Green tea
• Turmeric Tea
• Peppermint Tea
• Ginger Lemon Tea
• Matcha Tea

It is always better to brew your own cup of tea at home, says Dr Kausthub Desikachar 🙂 These teas help soothe your nervous system in the gut, eventually helping you relieve stress. 

Conclusion

Dr Kausthub Desikachar asks his readers to try including some of these nutritious foods and refreshments into their diet to relieve stress naturally. Alongside adding these food items to your diet, you must also include Yoga and Meditation in your lifestyle with the help of a Yoga instructor.