Nowadays, the world is getting busier, denser, and everything has to be done quickly can make people stressed. In the past, stress was only experienced by those who were old, even now children can experience stress. If so, it is important if we can take steps to reduce or eliminate this stress. One of them is with food. There are some foods that actually can help to relieve stress and depression. Check out below!
1. Dark Chocolate
Who doesn’t like chocolate? Well, actually some people don’t. Especially if it’s dark chocolate where dark chocolate has a bitter taste.
But if you want to relieve your stress & depression, maybe it can be taken into consideration for consuming these foods. This is because dark chocolate is effective in making people more relaxed.
Dark chocolate can reduce stress in 2 ways, which is from chemical and emotional effects. Eating chocolate can give you a feeling of pleasure. It is clear that the feeling of pleasure can make the mind which is tangle more relaxed.
Antioxidants from chocolate can also help reduce stress hormones in the body. Just eat 1.5 ounces per day for 2 weeks, then your mind tension will be much better.
Read Also: 15 Effective & Simple Ways to Relieve Stress
2. Milk
During childhood, some kids were encouraged to drink milk regularly. By regularly drink milk, your immune system can increase, accelerate growth, and also strengthen bones.
One more benefit of the consumption of this food is to relieve stress and depression. Stress due to work, school work, or other problems.
Before going bed, it is the best time to drink milk while it can help you sleep better and help clear your mind. From research conducted in December 2012, calcium is believed to help reduce stress levels.
This has even been published in the journal Nutrition Research and Practice. For those who have lactose problems, maybe it can be overcome by consuming dairy products such as chocolate or yogurt.
Read Also: 9 Reasons Why Laughing is Good For You
3. Tea
Besides being good for getting rid of toxins in the body, it turns out that herbal teas are also great for relieving stress. A nutritionist who is the owner of the Nutrition Works in Louisville has revealed other benefits of tea. According to the expert, Sandra Meyerowitz, MPH, RD, drinking a cup of tea can make someone calmer.
Recommended herbal teas such as lavender and camomile have been shown to be effective in reducing a person’s stress. The caffeine contained in tea can also provide positive benefits for brain health. This caffeine can provide additional protection to the nerves of the brain when experiencing infection from neurotoxins, suppress neuroinflammation, and increase brain capacity.
4. Nuts
It is only natural if they are fitness enthusiasts diligently consuming nuts. Nuts are high in protein and healthy fats that can help with muscle growth. But are these foods only good for sports enthusiasts? Certainly not. These foods can actually help you to relieve stress and depression.
Nuts are very rich in nutrients. Call it B vitamins, fat, magnesium, and protein. Vitamin B and magnesium in nuts are useful for diet and reduce stress. So, you can include nuts such as almonds, pistachios, almonds, peanuts, into your diet to reduce stress. Only you need to remember to limit your consumption so you don’t exceed the recommended calories.
5. Avocado
People who want to lose weight are obliged to cut out fatty foods. But not all fatty foods are bad. There are good fats and bad fats. Bad fats are usually from foods that are processed by frying. While good fats can be obtained from fruits, one of which is avocado.
Avocado is not only good as a diet menu, but also can be eaten to relieve stress. Avocado application is also quite easy because it can be processed or included in any menu. You can eat it directly, cut it and then serve it as a salad, or even in juice too. This avocado is rich in good fats, namely omega 3 fats which function to relieve stress, panic, increase concentration, and improve mood.
6. Oatmeal
Nowadays people have started to understand how important it is to maintain health. One of the ways to maintain health is by consuming the right foods. Oatmeal is a food that is currently popular because it is simple, easy to serve, and very healthy.
Foods containing carbohydrates can indeed reduce stress. But there are two divided carbohydrates, which is simple and complex carbohydrates. What is recommended for consumption is complex carbohydrates because they are high in carbon but low in sugar.
Oatmeal is included in complex carbohydrate foods. These carbohydrates later can stimulate the growth of serotonin which can function as an anti-depressant.
7. Olive Oil
Choosing the right oil is very important to determine the health of the body. Olive oil is considered better than ordinary oil because it has a lower content of chemicals and free radicals. This oil also contains high levels of antioxidants, vitamins E, and E. It is suitable for boiling or frying.
Indeed, when it comes to price, olive oil has a high price. But what’s the meaning of the price if we can get a lot of benefits. Apart from being low in cholesterol, olive oil can also help increase the serotonin hormone which is responsible for creating feelings of happiness. This happy feeling will later suppress the stress experienced.
8. Fish
Fighting stress isn’t just by doing fun activities or just sleeping on the bed. Relieve stress and depression can also be done by eating, of course, eating the right foods. Fortunately, the food consumed turns out to be food that does have important nutrients needed by the body. An example is fish meat.
Incorporating fish meat into a food plate can be an option to reduce stress levels. Generally, fish meat contains high omega 3 fats. These omega 3 fats will later work to lower your stress levels. In addition to losing stress, the body becomes healthier because of it. Some fish that are quite popular for consumption include tuna, salmon, halibut, herring, mackerel, and sardine.
9. Green Vegetables
Green foods are usually foods that are avoided or even hated. An example is vegetables. Even without vegetables, we can experience digestive problems. This is because the fiber contained in green vegetables is an important nutrient that can make the stomach full longer and increase bowel movements.
In addition to the benefits mentioned above, green vegetables such as kale, spinach, cabbage, and so on, are good for health, especially for a healthy mind. The stress you experience can be reduced by eating vegetables. Folate in vegetables can encourage the body to produce dopamine which can make the mind calm.
10. Eggs
Eggs are included in a nutritious meal that must be included in the diet every day. Both white and egg yolk have nutrients that are needed by the body. Egg white contains protein, while the yolk contains fat. Consuming eggs can increase the body’s immunity, reduce inflammation, and suppress depression.
Nutrition expert named Keri Gans, RD explained to Health that the acetylcholine content in eggs can function as a neurotransmitter in the brain and improve mood. If the mood increases, the stress level will automatically decrease. Unfortunately, there is a myth that eating lots of eggs can cause pimples and ulcers. It is wrong, if pimples, boils, or redness appear on the body, it is because you have an allergy to protein. You must consult a doctor to solve this problem.
