Usually to help destress and relax, many people will reach for the TV remote and a glass of wine. However, there are alternative ways to relax that don’t involve drink or watching TV. Healthy comfort foods can boost serotonin levels that can have a calming effect. So the next time you’re feeling stressed, get a plate and try these miracle foods to calm you down.
Black Tea
Even though tea contains caffeine, drinking a cup can actually chill you out. A recent study out of University College London found that drinking black tea does more than make you look like Downton Abbey’s Lady Grantham: It actually lowers stress-hormone levels.
Warm Milk
Warm milk is one of nature’s weird paradoxes. Anyone over the age of 4 would buy its calming abilities, yet there’s no scientific reason as to why that’s the case. How about the tryptophan, you say? No, it doesn’t contain enough of that essential amino acid to knock you out. What about its warming qualities, you say? No again. It’s not warm enough to induce calm. So where does warm milk’s calming magic come from? According to research, it has more to do with a strong psychological connection — i.e., it soothes you.
Almonds
Since they get super-high marks in magnesium which promotes the release of stress-relief hormones, almonds will definitely calm you down. Almonds also contain vitamin E, which can have a mood-changing effect. Try sprinkling them on yoghurt, mixing them with raisins or oatmeal for potentially the ultimate stress-relief breakfast.
Avocado
Serotonin is a brain chemical responsible for regulating many of the functions in your body that contribute to your overall health and wellbeing, and people who have anxiety disorders generally do not have enough of it., Avocados are high in tryptophan (a precursor to serotonin) your gateway fruit. Not only are they high in vitamin C, but a single cup of sliced avocado is filled with B vitamins, including panothenic acid, folate and vitamin B6 ,all nutrients that work as excellent calming agents. Try an avocado smoothie with yogurt and honey. Other calming foods include spinach, potatoes, radish, beets, fennel, bananas, figs, pineapple, and soy products such as soy milk.
Oranges
Chances are you know all about the health properties of vitamin C. But its calming benefits have been under wraps for ages. Numerous studies have shown that large doses of vitamin C literally act as a tranquilizer. If your brain is foggy and can’t think, then you can’t relax. For a quick fix, eat more vitamin C-packed foods, such as papayas, berries, broccoli or even frozen orange juice from concentrate. (Yes, OJ from concentrate contains only slightly less vitamin C than freshly squeezed.)
Nutritional Yeast
Nutritional yeast is like magic sprinkles packed with B vitamins. Per the National Institutes of Health, vitamin B6 produces “feel-good” hormones, and vitamin B12 is a proven stress-reducer. (B vitamins also help calm you down when you’re acting like a PMS-enraged lunatic.) The amino acids in nutritional yeast have even been shown to alleviate hyperactivity in ADHD kids. What does the stuff taste like? Slightly nutty. Slightly cheesy. .
Nutritional yeast is important for vegans because they have slight traces of b12 which is the only nutrient that are hard to come by for vegans. Nutritional Yeast Flakes are difficult to get hold of in the UK.
