We often eat stress with harmful and high-calorie delicacies, but this is wrong. There are foods that really help calm the nerves, and it doesn’t have to be something sweet.
It turns out that celery, garlic, and cabbage have anti-stress properties. But, of course, chocolate is also on the list.
Celery
When you are stressed, it can affect your sleep. One of the most common signs of stress is when you wake up at dawn. Celery also contains tryptophan, which helps the body produce serotonin, and it is needed for a good mood and healthy sleep.
A few stalks of celery with peanut paste (without sugar) is a good snack at bedtime. It will help to avoid falling sugar levels during the night because it can also wake a person.
Garlic
Prolonged stress affects the immune system. Garlic has antimicrobial, antiviral, and antifungal properties, and also helps with inflammatory processes that are exacerbated by stress.
Nutritionists advise crushing a few cloves of garlic with peppers, tomatoes, onions, add fresh oregano, lemon, and a little olive oil, simmer for 20 minutes and serve with salmon or chicken fillet.
Cabbage and its “relatives”
White cabbage, cauliflower, curly cabbage, Brussels sprouts, broccoli, horseradish, and mustard – all contain glucosinolates, which help the liver cope with toxins produced in the body by stress hormones. By the way, cruciferous vegetables are useful during PMS.
Sweet
Licorice or licorice is good for the adrenal glands – those that produce cortisone and adrenaline. Stress hormones help you during deadlines and other tests, but when the adrenal glands get tired, so do you. Coffee further depletes the adrenal glands, so it’s a good idea to replace it with a sweet drink.
Chamomile
Everyone knows that chamomile tea is good to drink at bedtime because it increases the level of glycine in the body, an amino acid that calms the nervous system. And chamomile does the same with hippuric acid, which helps to overcome infections.
Black chocolate
If you are ashamed because you chewed stress with chocolate, do not worry. During stress, we usually like sweet and fatty foods. A little dark chocolate is good. Scientists have calculated that 40 grams of this product a day helps to overcome stress.
Chocolate releases endorphins, and it also contains phenylethylamine, which causes a feeling of pleasure and euphoria.
Nuts
During stress, the body uses the supply of vitamins faster, and nuts contain vitamin B, zinc, magnesium, and omega acids. Nuts are good for metabolism, balance sugar levels, and regulate appetite. You should not be afraid of high-fat nuts, studies show that people who eat nuts have fewer weight problems.
Olive oil
Recently, scientists have discovered that olive oil, whose benefits for the cardiovascular system have long been known, contains oleocanthal. It is a substance that has anti-inflammatory properties (same as ibuprofen) without side effects. The nutritionist advises to choose cold-pressed oil and season salads with it, but never to heat it. On the day of frying, it is better to use cold-pressed or rapeseed coconut oil.
Fatty fish
It contains Omega-3 fatty acids in the forms needed to improve sleep and mood and reduce inflammation. Fatty fish also contain vitamin B, zinc, and magnesium. Fish in the diet can quench our craving for sweets during times of stress.
The nutritionist advises eating mackerel, sprats, salmon, trout, or sardines 2-4 times a week, but avoid tuna – because it contains a lot of mercury, which can cause headaches and insomnia.
Berries
They contain antioxidants. And the berries contain substances that prevent premature aging, which can lead to stress. They also inhibit the release of sugar into the bloodstream, ie berries are the best choice when eating sweets. Unlike sweet fruits, berries do not cause strong fermentation and gas formation, and this is important because stress already interferes with the digestive process.
