15 Healthy Foods That Help Reduce Stress

Doing a lot of task everyday may lead us to stress. Yes we can avoid it but most of the time we can't afford to escape it. To ease ourselves we tend to eat foods more on calories which we think can help us to relieve from stress. Comfort food can help us but we may not know that it can harm us as well. I will share some list of healthy food that we can take to medicate stress and at the same time can't give us bad effect.

APPLES

It is rich in phosphorous and iron, which help boost cell regeneration that is negatively affected in times of stress. This means that if your skin breaks out when you're stressed, eating an apple can help repair the damage by building new healthy skin tissue.

AVOCADOS

Rich is monounsaturated fats, as well as potassium which both help decrease blood pressure levels.

BANANAS 

Bananas are a good source of potassium, which fights fatigue, insomnia, and low blood sugar, as well as carbohydrates, which produce the natural sedative serotonin. Carbohydrates are most commonly associated with fare like pasta and potatoes, but since these are both comfort foods which fall under the easily-abused-when-stressed category, it would probably be wiser to eat a banana instead.

DARK CHOCOLATE

We've told you before that dark chocolate lessens emotional stress, so yes, that chocolate craving that hits you whenever you’re stressed is actually a good thing (as long as you practice moderation). Dark chocolate contains magnesium, which helps tranquilize tension. It’s also rich in theo bromine, which is a natural mood elevator. However, theo bromine is also known to stimulate the brain, and will probably aggravate a person who is already stressed to begin with—so take care not to ingest too much chocolatey goodness.

DRIED APRICOTS

Why not exchange your stash of sweet treats for a pack of dried apricots? They’re good for you, are pretty tasty, and best of all, contain magnesium, which is a natural stress-reliever and muscle relaxant.

GREEN VEGETABLES

Green vegetables like broccoli, kale, and Swiss chard contain potassium and B vitamins like folic acid which soothe the nerves and alleviate stress. Experiment with your meals by slipping verde veggies into soups, pastas, and even sandwiches—the possibilities are endless.

HERBS

Herbs like chamomile, passion flower, and dandelion are effective stress relievers because they relax your mind and the muscles in your body. Steep them into fragrant teas to savor the full calming experience.

NUTS

The next time you see a movie after a stress-packed workweek, munch on some mixed nuts—particularly pistachios, walnuts and almonds. Pistachios and walnuts bring down blood pressure, while almonds help boost the immune system.

ORANGES

Pack a bottle of OJ or a few orange wedges with your daily baon. Oranges are rich in Vitamin C, which boosts your immune system and reduces its susceptibility to virus. A German study in Psychopharmacology has also proven that Vitamin C helps reduce anxiety by bringing down blood pressure after a stressful situation, according to this MSN Health & Fitness article.

SALMON

Incorporate salmon into your workweek fare to help curb stress. According to this Delish.com article, a Diabetes & Metabolism study discovered that the omega-3 fatty acids in salmon, tuna, and other fish prevent stress hormones from escalating. 

SPINACH

Make like Popeye and have some spinach! Like apricots, spinach is rich in magnesium—so much so, in fact, that one cup of the green stuff contains 40 percent of the magnesium you need in a day. Spinach also helps fight fatigue and migraines—two bothersome effects of stress.

SWEET POTATOES 

Substitute your craving for fries with some sweet potato slivers. Sweet potatoes will give you the same soothing sensation that you get from eating chips or candy bars—plus, they’re packed with fiber, beta-carotene, and other immunity-boosting vitamins.

TURKEY

If you’re sick of the same old chicken breast, give turkey a taste. Turkey is full of tryptophan, which is a “feel-good” amino acid. Tryptophan helps trigger serotonin, a chemical that produces a calming effect on the body, and melatonin, a hormone that induces sleep and relaxation. In other words, you’ll be stress-free and bed-ready in no time!

WHOLE GRAINS

Have a bowl of brown rice instead of white, or an oatmeal cookie in lieu of a chocolate chip one. Whole grains like brown rice, oats, and whole wheat are chock full of B Vitamins and the chemical serotonin, which calm the nerves and put your body in a state of relaxation.

YOGURT 

Everyone’s favorite cold treat just got even sweeter! Yogurt is full of calcium, which helps regulate our nerves. Also, this creamy snack is a great acid neutralizer for those of you who are hyper acidic or have ulcers due to stress.

source: FemaleNetwork.com

This would be my first entry on my blog for this year. And I want to start it with sharing an article regarding love and relationship. Since I have been surrounded with broken-hearted people, this article may help them (somehow) to get up.

The 5 Stages of Grief After a Relationship Break Up

When there has been a dramatic change in our lives we feel a sense of loss for what has been. This is true if a long term relationship has ended or even a shorter term relationship where we have felt very intense emotions and love.You are in fact feeling the emotions of grief. By understanding the stages of grieving you can move on more quickly to a point where you can rationally decide your next steps for the broken relationship. This may mean moving on from a relationship totally or making plans to get back together with your ex.

Not everyone follows the 5 stages of grief in order, sometimes stages are missed all together. Sometimes you may move backwards and forwards through the stages in a roller coaster of emotions. Everyone is different. By understanding the grieving process you will recognise what is happening and this empowers you to take control.

1. Denial

When you have broken up you may initially feel numb. You know the relationship has ended but can not take it in that you have actually broken up. You hope that things will be "OK" later in the day or that things will be back to normal in the morning. The denial stage rarely lasts long as your ex does not come back home or return calls etc.

2. Anger

When you break up you often feel angry and look for someone to blame. Often rational thoughts go out of the window and we look to punish the person we feel is to blame for the break up of the relationship. This can be a very dangerous stage of grief. In a rage you may take some actions that will destroy any chance of getting back together with your ex, or even may be illegal and get you into serious trouble.

3. Bargaining/Buying your ex back

Some people actively try and buy back their ex and offer some sort of deal to get back together with their ex. This would include things like offering to move house, give up friendships or things you enjoy in return for a relationship. While this may seem ok in the short term, the underlying issues why the relationship broke up in the first place are not addressed so the new relationship rarely lasts. It also makes you seem desperate to your ex and may drive them further away.

4. Depression

When the anger about the relationship break up is over, you can often feel depressed. Everything feels hopeless; you have no energy, feel paralysed and don't know what to do next. This is when you realise fully that the relationship has ended and you will feel there is nothing you can do that will have a positive outcome. Depression is a difficult stage as often you will not have the energy to make changes to come out of it. Recognising the depression stage of grief is important and taking small steps and setting goals to come out the other end helps. If you find you are depressed for a while or are thinking of harming yourself, please seek professional help.

5. Acceptance

The final stage of grief is acceptance; you agree and accept that the relationship has ended. Now is the time to start making changes to move on. At this stage you will also be able to rationally think if you do actually want to get back together with your ex or to put the relationship behind you.

Article Source: http://EzineArticles.com/3385375