When you’re stressed out, the foods that you’re turning to are most likely going to be traditional ‘comfort’ foods – think big meals, take-out, fatty foods, sweet foods, and alcohol. Let’s face it – we’ve all found some comfort in a tasty meal and a bottle of beer or glass of wine when we’ve been stressed out or upset about something. However, this isn’t a good permanent solution.

When you’re turning to unhealthy foods you can feel better temporarily, but in the long run, you will feel worse. When your body isn’t getting the right nutrition, you can begin to feel less energetic, more lethargic, and in some cases less able to concentrate and focus. All of this can lead to even more stress.

Foods that Fight Stress

If you’ve been feeling more stressed out than usual lately, it’s important to know which foods are best to choose and which to avoid when it comes to combating stress and helping you to deal with feelings of stress and anxiety. The best way to fight stress is to have a healthy, balanced diet which includes a moderate amount of each of the different food groups.

Filling up on foods such as whole grains, leafy vegetables, and lean proteins as the basic staples of the diet is the best way to ensure that your body gets the optimum amounts of nutrients to fight both physical and mental health problems. When it comes to choosing the foods to eat, some have a range of great properties that help the body to combat stress. Choosing these stress-busting foods will help to heal and calm your mind permanently, rather than providing a temporary fix.

Some of the best stress-fighting foods include:

Avocado – Avocados are a creamy and versatile fruit that can be eaten in a range of different ways whether you enjoy it raw, made into sauces, dressings and dips, or in a smoothie. These nutrient-dense fruits have the properties to stress-proof your body, thanks to their high glutathione content which specifically blocks the intestinal absorption of certain fats which cause oxidative damage. Avocados also contain higher levels of vitamin E, folate, and beta-carotene than any other fruit, which boosts their stress-busting properties. However, be careful with portion control when eating avocado, as it is high in fat.

Blueberries – If you’re feeling stressed out and reaching for the snacks, swapping chocolate or chips for one of the best superfoods is a great way to help you deal with your stress levels and achieve a higher level of calm. Blueberries have some of the highest levels of antioxidants, especially anthocyanin, which means that this berry has been linked to a wide range of health benefits including sharper cognition, better focus, and a clearer mind – all of which can help you to better deal with stress.

Chamomile Tea – Of course, it’s not all about what you’re eating when it comes to managing stress; what you’re drinking can also alleviate or worsen the stress you're feeling. Drinking liquids that are high in sugars and caffeine, such as coffee, energy drinks or soda, can actually increase your stress levels if consumed regularly. Chamomile tea has long been used as a natural bedtime soother, and it has also been used in clinical trials, which determined that chamomile tea is effective in reducing the symptoms of generalized anxiety disorder.

Chocolate – Although it’s usually seen as an unhealthy treat, there is an undeniable link between chocolate and our mood. Studies have shown that eating chocolate can actually make you happier. However, that doesn’t mean that you can start munching on chocolate bars every time you're stressed out – chocolate works best as a de-stressor when eaten in moderation and as part of a healthy and balanced diet. Dark chocolate in particular is best for you, as it contains more flavonols and polyphenols, two hugely important antioxidants that can help combat stress, more than many fruit juices.

Beef – Grass-fed beef is not only kinder to the planet and to animals, it’s also good for people, too. Grass-fed beef has a huge range of antioxidants, including beta-carotene and Vitamins C and E, which can help your body to fight stress and anxiety. If you’re looking for more reasons to spend a little more money on organic, grass-fed beef, it’s also lower in fat than grain-fed beef whilst being higher in omega-3.

Oatmeal – Oatmeal is great in that it can be filling comfort food, but also has a large number of healthy properties to actually make you feel better from the inside out. A complex carbohydrate, eating oatmeal causes your brain to produce higher levels of the feel-good chemical serotonin, helping you to feel calmer and less stressed. Studies have shown that kids who choose oatmeal for breakfast tend to be much sharper throughout the morning in school compared to kids who had alternative morning meals.

Walnuts – If you’re looking for a healthy snacking option that will help you to stay better in control of your stress levels, walnuts are a great choice. There is no denying the sweet, pleasant flavor of walnuts and they can be a tasty snack for in-between meals or as part of a desert. A versatile nut, walnuts are great for salads or add them to a sweet treat such as coffee and walnut cake.

Pistachios – another food that is great for snacking on and can also help to combat stress and anxiety in the long term is pistachios. Studies have found that simply eating two small, snack-size portions of pistachios per day can lower vascular constriction when you are stressed, putting less pressure on your heart by further dilating your arteries. Along with this, the rhythmic, repetitive act of shelling pistachios can actually be quite therapeutic!

Green Leafy Vegetables – leafy, green vegetables should be a pivotal part of anyone’s diet. Along with helping to combat stress, leafy greens are full of nutrients and antioxidants which help to fight off disease and leave your body feeling healthier and more energized. Dark leafy greens, for example, spinach, are especially good for you since they are rich in folate, which helps your body to produce more mood-regulating neurotransmitters such as serotonin, which is a ‘feel-good’ chemical. Making leafy greens a part of your diet will help you to feel happier and less stressed out overall.

Fermented foods – last but not least, eating fermented foods such as yogurt can help to keep your gut healthy, which actually in turn will help to improve your mental health and reduce stress levels. The beneficial bacteria which are found in fermented foods such as yogurt actually have a direct effect on your brain chemistry and transmit positive mood and behavior regulating signals to your brain via the vagus nerve.

Martial arts, yoga, and even sports teaching us the power of focus and clearing the mind. Believe it or not, when you engage in any physical activity that has repetitive movements or that you can perform without thinking, you are actually performing what is called active meditation. Emptying the mind can be considered the first step to successful visualization.

Contrary to popular belief, you are NOT what you eat. Rather, you are what you don’t poop. In all seriousness, the waste in your body tells a story of your health. Have you ever gotten that gurgling feeling in your stomach after a meal? You may think that’s normal, but that is likely your gut trying to tell you something. The reality is that we have become far too comfortable feeling uncomfortable. Isn’t it time to supercharge your body to feeling better?

The holidays are upon us and that means that your weekends might be filled with parties and events. Just the thought of a holiday party can send you into a stress-filled frenzy when you’re trying to stick to a healthy plan.

If you have ever eaten asparagus you may be familiar with the unpleasant odor of urine. Some of the foods we eat can certainly contribute to the foul smell of urine. However, the scent of our urine can also be an indicator of something more serious going on in the body such as diabetes or dehydration.

You’ve probably heard the saying “Abs are made in the kitchen” and I like to add on to that by saying that abs can disappear in the kitchen too! If you’re like most people who work out, you might spend endless hours at the gym taking classes, ramping up your cardio sessions and still feeling like that six-pack just won’t pop through. Here you will discover some foods that may be hindering your progress towards getting the results you want.

Walking. We do it everyday. If you look around you see colorful bands adorning wrists on many people you come into contact with on a daily basis. Maybe you’re even wearing one as you read this, frequently checking the reading to see how many steps you walked today.

The holiday season is a great time for festivities and celebrating with friends and family, but it is also a time when you start to deprive your body of the crucial necessity of sleep. If you want to continue to have that holiday glow without all the tricks of makeup, make sure you’re getting a minimum of 7-8 hours of solid rest every night.

You’ve seen that commercial with the catchy tune that sticks in your head. If you’re like me you can’t help walking by one in the store without singing it. Did you know that the cute little chia pet sitting on your windowsill contains a plethora of goodness for your health?

The alligator pear, more commonly known as avocado, is a native fruit of Mexico and Central America. Widely known for its use in guacamole recipes, there is much more to this single seed fruit that you might realize.Rich in essential amino acids, vitamins, minerals and antioxidants, its nutrients are easily absorbed by the body allowing your body to run more efficiently.

Cinnamon is easy to find and is a common herb used in many recipes. Below are some recipes for cinnamon to help common ailments:

Inhale. Exhale. We take so many breaths a day and it is so natural that most often we aren’t even aware of it. As you know, breathing is important to oxygenate our bodies and cells resulting in energy for our activities. The real question is: are you breathing correctly?

Although there are so many varieties of apples to choose from you may become slightly bored with crunching into the same fruit every day. Here are three recipes you might enjoy: