We all know how stress can make us feel. We may get tense muscles, a headache, or feel like we’re on edge all the time. Unfortunately, stress can also take a toll on our health if we’re not careful.
Easing stress with food
One way to help relieve stress is by eating healthy foods. Here are some tips for incorporating stress-relieving foods into your diet:
1. Eat plenty of fruits and vegetables. These foods are packed with vitamins and minerals that can help boost your mood and keep your body healthy. Here are some of Dr. Kellyann’s favorite foods for stress relief:
- Raw vegetables. Munching on your favorite raw veggies helps physically alleviate stress, on top of the added nutrients you’re getting. That tension you feel, or maybe don’t notice, in your clenched jaw finds relief through snacking on those raw carrots, cauliflower, and more.
- Bone Broth. The healing powers of bone broth not only include healing an unhealthy gut, alleviating joint and muscle pains, and reducing skin irritations, it contains all the essentials your body and mind need for stress as well. Adding a scoop of bone broth protein is a healthy, delicious, and easy-to-implement stress relief supplement choice.
- Fatty fish. An incredible stress-reducing food. Take salmon, this naturally fatty stress relief food contains omega-3 fatty acids that help curb stress hormone levels. Salmon and tuna are known to help battle depression, poor heart health, and yes, ladies, even PMS! If you don’t fancy fish, add an omega 3 stress relief supplement to your daily routine instead.
- Spinach. If you battle stress and tension headaches or chronic fatigue, this stress relief food can make a world of difference. Just one cup of spinach can boost your magnesium levels to restore balance and prevent headaches and fatigue.
- Oranges. Full of vitamin C, oranges will help to boost your immune system and lower stress hormone levels. Of course, one of my favorite bonuses of vitamin C is the support it provides to collagen, offering healthy, radiant skin and fabulous anti-aging benefits!
- Avocados. Did you know that half an avocado contains a higher source of potassium than a banana? If you’re looking for an easy, tasty way to spruce up a salad or omelet, while adding a positive stress relief diet change, avocados are your answer. While you do want to be conscious of your fat intake, they make ideal stress relief food additions.
2. Limit caffeine and alcohol. While a cup of coffee or tea may seem like a good idea when you’re feeling stressed, too much caffeine can actually make stress worse. Alcohol can also have a negative impact on stress levels, so it’s best to limit your intake.
3. Get enough protein. Protein helps to keep your energy levels up and provides the building blocks for healthy muscles and tissues. Eggs, nuts, seeds, and lean meats are all good sources of protein.
4. Stay hydrated. Drinking enough water is important for overall health, but it can also help to reduce stress levels. When you’re feeling stressed, try to drink eight glasses of water per day.
Gid rid of unnecessary stress
Another way to combat stress is to simply slow down and focus on one task at a time. When we try to do too much at once, we not only increase our stress levels but also decrease our productivity. By taking the time to focus on one thing at a time, we can not only get more done, but we can also reduce our stress levels and improve our overall well-being. So next time you feel like you’re being pulled in a million different directions, take a step back and focus on one thing at a time. Your mind (and body) will thank you for it.
You can’t get rid of all stress, but you can get rid of unnecessary stress. Check out Dr. Kellyann’s STRATEGIZING YOUR YESSES —and then start saying “no” to over-commitment. Following these tips can help you manage stress in a healthy way!
Leave a Reply