Food Items to Relieve Stress Instantly

If you are feeing stressed, there are a lot of food items to relieve stress and give you instant and natural relief.

While occasional bouts of stress are difficult to avoid, chronic stress can take a serious toll on your physical and emotional health.

In fact, it may increase your risk of conditions like heart disease and depression.

Eating healthy food (and making that a conscious choice) can actually offer some real stress relief. End the cycle of turning to foods when you’re stressed and find relief elsewhere.

Interestingly, certain foods and beverages may have stress-relieving qualities.

Some of the food items to relieve stress are,

Red Peppers

While oranges get all of the vitamin C hype, red peppers have about twice as much.

In a study in Psycho­pharma­cology, people who took high doses of C before engaging in stress-inducing activities had lower blood pressure and recovered faster from the cortisol surge than those who got a placebo.

Spinach

This leafy-green veggie is rich in stress-busting magnesium.

People with low magnesium levels (most of us, actually) are more likely to have elevated C-reactive protein levels-and research shows people with high CRP levels are more stressed and at a greater risk for depression.

“Magnesium helps regulate cortisol and blood pressure too,” says research.

And since magnesium gets flushed out of the body when you’re stressed, it’s crucial to get enough. Other solid magnesium sources: beans, brown rice.

Matcha Powder

This vibrant green tea powder is popular among health enthusiasts because it’s rich in L-theanine, a non-protein amino acid with powerful stress-relieving properties.

Matcha is a better source of this amino acid than other types of green tea, as it’s made from green tea leaves grown in shade.

This process increases its content of certain compounds, including L-theanine.

Both human and animal studies show that matcha may reduce stress if its L-theanine content is high enough and its caffeine is low.

Sweet Potatoes

Eating whole, nutrient-rich carb sources like sweet potatoes may help lower levels of the stress hormone cortisol.

Although cortisol levels are tightly regulated, chronic stress can lead to cortisol dysfunction, which may cause inflammation, pain, and other adverse effects.

Sweet potatoes are a whole food that makes an excellent carb choice.

They’re packed with nutrients that are important for stress response, such as vitamin C and potassium.

Dark Chocolate

If you crave chocolate when you’re on edge, have some.

Research has showed people who ate the equivalent of an average-size candy bar (about 1.4 ounces) daily for two weeks had lower cortisol and fight-or-flight hormone levels.

To reap the feel-better rewards, choose chocolate that’s at least 70 percent cocoa.

And remember: dark chocolate is a high-calorie food, so mind your portions.

Garlic

Garlic is high in sulfur compounds that help increase levels of glutathione. This antioxidant is part of your body’s first line of defense against stress.

Broccoli

Cruciferous vegetables like broccoli are renowned for their health benefits.

A diet rich in cruciferous vegetables may lower your risk of certain cancers, heart disease, and mental health disorders like depression.

Cruciferous vegetables like broccoli are some of the most concentrated food sources of some nutrients — including magnesium, vitamin C, and folate — that have been proven to combat depressive symptoms.

Broccoli is also rich in sulforaphane, a sulfur compound that has neuroprotective properties and may offer calming and antidepressant effects.

Also Read: Important Health Benefits of Pomegranate