Christmas is around the corner. Soon ‘Christmas is coming…’ will soon fill the air. But Christmas and stress! Or is it stress and Christmas? Regretfully in many lives and families both are synonymous. Have you noticed the mad rush during this period? It is the same worldwide. From running round for shopping to attending carol service(s) at children/nieces/nephews’ school(s), not to mention that of the church while still actively going to work. The pressure really accumulates.
Nonetheless, you can be ‘over’ instead of under pressure by eating foods that are capable of reducing stress in your life.
Papaya/pawpaw
Stress sucks potassium, vitamin C and manganese out of the body, resulting in fatigue, sore muscles, difficulty in concentration and a rise in blood pressure. Get those nutrients back with one papaya, the best fruit source of all three.
Ricotta cheese
Researchers found that people who ate a daily 2.8 grams of whey (the liquid in the cheese) produced fewer stress hormones. They also had up to 48 per cent of trytophan, the substance that tells your body to release more of the feel-good chemical, serotonin.
Whole wheat pasta
It will give you extra tryptophan and the steady supply of energy you need to fight off stress-induced fatigue.
Turkey/ turkey sausage
Turkey is a good source of trytophan and pantothenic acid- a B vitamin vital to the production of stress-fighting hormones. Plus, the zinc in turkey may help keep you from being worried and weak. One study found that zinc supplement increased muscle strength and endurance.
Whole wheat bread
Whole grains are rich in folate and other B vitamins, which help supply your brain with the fuel it needs to keep you sharp when you are stressed.
Dark chocolate
Want a runner’s high without the annoying running part? Eat a little dark chocolate; it will give you a shot of endorphins, a natural morphine.
Milk
Even the low-fat type has protein that will elevate your levels of the stress-fighting hormones, dopamine and norepinephrine