Foods That Fight Stress

Work and life stress tend to amplify quickly. We often take comfort in the solace of food. If you're feeling down, indulging thoughtfully in a food that reminds you of the ones you love really can make you feel better. But by the same token, by arming yourself with nutritional information before you indulge (become a label-reader!), you're less likely to overdo it and feel bad after. Of course, it never hurts to keep healthy snack alternatives handy and consume foods that actually make you feel less stressed.

Drinking more water will boost your energy levels, warding off sluggishness and fatigue. Drinking water will also trim your calorie intake and even help you lose weight. 

In fact, drinking a glass of water 15 to 30 minutes before every meal has been shown in some studies to help people lose weight. 

All these foods contain B vitamins. This class of vitamins — which includes B6, B12, and folate — are essential to the production of calming, anxiety-easing, and pleasure-inducing neurotransmitters such as serotonin, GABA, and dopamine.

Oatmeal, avocados, milk, and asparagus are all great sources for B vitamins. Try incorporating these ingredients into your daily meals! 

Since your body doesn't produce omega-3s, it's important to make them part of your regular diet and walnuts are a fabulous source of these essential nutrients!

A deficiency in omega-3s has been linked to depression and mood swings. These sources of crucial fatty acids are also the go-to foods to reduce inflammation, which can be caused by stress. 

Seafood is also incredibly rich in omega-3s. Try eating more halibut, salmon, trout, or tuna to get healthy servings of these essential foods. 

There are two reasons to consume magnesium. First, it helps produce GABA and dopamine, two calming neurotransmitters. Second, it's a muscle relaxant.

Magnesium is found in sunflower seeds and spinach as well as almonds, tofu, and wild rice. Try adding some tofu into our curried chickpeas and spinach with sweet tomatoes recipe and serving it over wild rice for a relaxing meal!   

When you're feeling stressed, your body produces the hormone cortisol. Too much cortisol could result in brain cell damage. Vitamin C helps prevent this kind of cellular damage while at the same time keeping your immune system strong.

High vitamin C foods include peppers; guavas; kiwis; dark leafy greens, like kale; and citrus fruits, like oranges. Try getting your daily dose of vitamin C with a fantastic smoothie combining your favorite leafy greens and fruits. 

In addition to keeping your body regular, fiber also helps promote weight loss and makes you feel satisfied after eating. 

You can find fiber in many foods including corn, avocados, edamame, broccoli, and berries. You can also find fiber in many bean varieties, including kidney, white, and black beans. 

"Low levels of zinc have been linked to both anxiety and depression. Since our bodies have no way of storing zinc, it's important to get some every day," according to Prevention.com.

Zinc is found in a lot of seafood, like crab, oysters, and lobster. It can also be found in cashews and chickpeas. Make some homemade hummus or snack on a bowl of cashews to get your daily does of this mineral. 

Catecholamines are hormones found in stressed individuals. You'll never guess what reduces this stress-induced hormone. 

A little dark chocolate a day never hurt anyone, right? Studies have shown that a small amount of dark chocolate can reduce the levels of the stress hormone cortisol and decrease catecholamines found in highly stressed people, according to WebMD.