Eating and Relieving Stress!

We all hit times in our busy schedules when we look for anything to calm us down and make us feel better. Sometimes we watch movies, sometimes we read books, sometimes we exercise... you get the point. But sometimes our comforts can be destructive! Example A - stress eating! How many of our "comfort foods" are probably not the best for us? 

Fortunately, there ARE food options that are both delicious and beneficial for our stress levels! 

One Tara Gliese, a registered dietician shares the following:

"One of the keys is avoiding things that will give your body and mind real highs and lows like caffeine and alcohol. You don't want to intake a lot of stimulants or a lot of depressants when you're stressed."

That being said, she also leaves behind a few alternatives that are pretty satisfying:

Asparagus

Beef

Milk

Cottage Cheese and Fruit

Almonds

Blueberries

Tuna

Cornflakes (Or in some countries, called Corn Flackers or Corn Hackers... just sayin')

Food Network Star Ellie Krieger also recommends choosing snack foods low in simple sugars and ones that have a good crunch! Maybe there is just something about pulverizing a pretzel that makes it feel really good... I don't know.

For more information on these healthy stress-relievers, check out this article:

Stress Foods!

You may notice some trends in the vitamins present in these food options! For instance, nearly all of these options are high in proteins, low in sugars, and high in B-complex vitamins. If we eat too many simple sugars, we cause a rollercoaster of fluxuations in our blood sugar that causes us to be tired (which can lead to irritability and... STRESS!). A balance of protein, fat, and carbs allows the body to stay full over a longer period of time and also to keep your other processes in check. And B vitamins are known to help moderate our moods! With that, it's easy to understand why these choices are great choices when we need a break from studying!
 (And a great excuse to eat a steak!)