Healthy Foods For Stress

Fuel yourself with these when stress grabs a tight hold on you:

• Foods rich in magnesium. Studies suggest that magnesium helps control blood pressure – which can be the first thing to go up when under stress. Quick tip to get in the know: Most magnesium comes from vegetables, such as dark green, leafy vegetables. Other foods that are good sources of magnesium are fruits (such as bananas, dried apricots, and avocados), nuts, and legumes.

• Most of us have heard this one before – foods rich in Vitamin C. Drink your OJ, eat your fruit. Studies really do suggest that this little soldier sets up sturdy barricades against colds and other viruses. Quick tip to get in the know: Most vitamin C comes from citrus type fruits. Drink up or eat up on these delicious gifts from mother-nature.

• Yum – this one often takes first place in the taste line-up: cocoa. However, this powerhouse seems to get a bad rap because it can be fattening. Not many of us are used to the idea that if it tastes this good, it’s also good for you. Quite often, it’s the opposite. So give yourself a little treat and also know you are doing some good for your body. Cocoa affects the brain and helps increase feel good neurochemicals. This has a relaxing effect on you and helps to battle stress. But as with anything in life, going overboard can have negative results. Quick tip to get in the know: Dark chocolate seems to earn bonus points for extra health punch. Enjoy some every day.

• Foods rich in Omega-3 fatty acids (mostly fish like salmon and tuna). Just the name alone sounds unhealthy – fatty acids? But truth be told – this one gets served up with benefits galore. Helps elevate mood, decrease worry and anxiety, increase memory and more. I know when I was a child, the fish options were minimal and not all that appealing. However, now-a-days, the options (and the tastes) are limitless and delicious. Enjoy! Quick tip to get in the know: Studies show that eating fish a couple times per week helps with test performance and work productivity.

• Foods rich in B vitamins – particularly, oats. Research suggests that oats rev up the production of serotonin, a neurotransmitter that feels like a cozy blanket for the brain, ahhhhhhh. Quick tip to get in the know: This is a bonus for oatmeal eaters in the AM - the body digests oatmeal slowly, so serotonin hangs around for a while.

So when you feel that tightness that settles in at your gut, squeezes around your shoulders or applies pressure to your head – take a break, take a breath and take a spoonful of something that will work to help you feel better.

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