Stress can come from many things in life and sometimes from a lot of things at once. Stress hits everyone on a daily basis, and most of us can deal with it, but long-term stress is another story. This is stress that is beyond someone’s control, like long term financial problems or a family crisis. You may even be experiencing this right now with the Pandemic. This kind of stress can wear a person down both physically and mentally, and over time can take its toll.
If you want to get more nutrition into your body while also helping with your mental health, food is an excellent place to start. Foods that are especially good at helping us deal with stress are rich in vitamins and minerals and easy to add to meals for a well-balanced diet. You might even think of them as “superfoods” for this reason.
Many doctors will recommend changing your diet if you suffer from anxiety, whether it is general worry or an actual anxiety disorder. With anxiety, you typically have a general feeling of worry and unease that you can’t attribute to a specific event or issue. Diet isn’t usually the first thing we think of when we are feeling that way, but your diet could be helping or hurting you.
Let’s take a look at some “superfoods” that have been known to help with anxiety.
Dark Chocolate (yay!)
Everyone is glad to hear this one :-)
It is not unusual that dark chocolate would be recommended as a superfood for anxiety. It's considered a superfood because it is filled with lots of essential nutrients, primarily antioxidants that help to reduce cortisol in the body. Cortisol is a stress hormone that leads to stress and anxiety symptoms, so a little dark chocolate is great for you.
But, before you grab any dark chocolate off the shelf, check the ingredients. Ideally, it will be low in sugars and dairy-free. It is the pure cocoa (or cacao) that has the stress-reducing benefits. Look for bars that contain 70% cocoa or more. Sugars have the opposite effect. It’s even better for your health and the health of the world, if your chocolate is fairly traded and organic, without a lot of additives.
Asparagus
One of the best vegetables to have when you suffer from anxiety is asparagus. This mild-tasting green vegetable pairs well with proteins, grains, and other vegetables. Its mood-boosting power is found in its rich supply of folic acid and B vitamins. Folic acid has been linked to lower levels of anxiety and reducing panic attacks in people who suffer from panic disorder.
Seaweed
If you are like many Americans, you don’t generally include large amounts of sea vegetables, or seaweed, in your diet. But seaweed is a really important superfood that can help counter stress. It contains a high amount of magnesium, which is known to help reduce anxiety and stress symptoms. It is interesting to note, that magnesium levels are depleted when the body is stressed. In addition, there are lower magnesium levels in the soils used to grow conventional produce. Organic foods, on the other hand, grow in soils that contain more stores of this essential mineral, and naturally have a higher magnesium content. So, try to include organic produce whenever possible, or up your intake of magnesium-rich foods like seaweed.
Almonds
The last superfoods to try if you have anxiety is almonds. While many nuts have a lot of nutrients and fit in the superfood category, almonds specifically are good for anxiety and panic attacks. This is due to the zinc in almonds, which is good for balancing your moods and helping manage stress.
Almonds are also a good source of iron. They contain healthy fats, which are a good source of sustained energy and help with brain function. A healthy brain is necessary for maintaining a positive mood.
Oranges
Citrus fruits such as lemons, oranges, and grapefruits, in general, are often at the top of superfoods lists for the many antioxidants they contain. Oranges in particular have high levels of vitamin C and antioxidants, which provide natural anti-depressant qualities when you eat enough of them. Vitamin C helps the body produce serotonin, our feel-good hormone. The more serotonin we can produce and supply to the brain, the happier we are. Oranges also contain folate which we know is an important factor in keeping us happy.
And while oranges do contain sugar and sugar is known to contribute to anxiety and a depressed mood, they are complex sugars, which are treated differently by the body and therefore, don’t cause the mood swings associated with simple sugars.
Lentils
If you are looking for a superfood to help with depression that also has a lot of fiber and
protein, lentils are a good option for you. Lentils are a superfood due to its high nutritional value including iron, folate, fiber, manganese, and protein. They also contain phosphorous and manganese which help give your mood a natural boost. Lentils supply energy which also helps combat the effects of stress and depression. For vegetarians, they are a good source of protein when combined with grains. They are also high in fiber which helps maintain a healthy balance of microbes in our gut. Healthy gut microbes can communicate directly with the brain via the Vagus nerve and can affect our moods. They produce helpful enzymes, B-vitamins, and increased serotonin levels. We need to encourage these helpful organisms to grow by providing them the fiber they feed on, which in turn also crowds out harmful microbes (known as pathogens) that have a negative effect on our health and mood. Beans and vegetables are all good sources of fiber and should be included in a healthy diet.
Maca
Maca is a small turnip-like root that has been cultivated for thousands of years in the Peruvian Andes. Today, maca powder can be found in most health foods stores around the world and touted as a superfood. It is generally sold in a powdered form made from grinding the root. There are several different types of maca, including yellow, black, and red. Each has its own nutritional profile.
While maca is very nutritious containing high amounts of copper, manganese, protein, and iron, but most importantly maca is valued as an adaptogen. Adaptogens are so named because they help us cope better, that is to say, adapt to our environment. They work to counteract the effects of stress on the body. Maca also helps with energy and stamina, and contains zinc, magnesium, and vitamins C and B, which we now also know help us better cope with stress and help keep our moods elevated.
So there you have a list of some of the foods that help elevate our moods and deal with stress! This is not an exhaustive list by any means. Look to include foods that contain some of these helpful minerals, vitamins and nutrients in your diet, and you will naturally support your body to defend itself against the stressors it faces every day.
Please stay well and stay safe during these challenging times. If you need support, feel free to reach out to me. As a Certified Health Coach, I am trained to listen and help my clients become their best selves.
Yours in Health,
Eve
