Eat to Reduce Stress: 6 Foods That Help With Stress Relief
Life as an entrepreneur is not short of stress and one way to deal with the pressure is through eating. While stuffing our mouths with something tasty is a great stress-reducer and solution to most of our problems, the issue is that we tend to overdo it out of emotion. On top of that, emotional eating usually involves the consumption of unhealthy foods.
Fortunately, there are plenty of healthy foods that can help alleviate the pressure we undergo on a regular basis. And the best part is that they quickly satisfy our hunger and keep us full for longer hours, preventing additional unnecessary snacking. Keep on reading to know what these foods are.
1. Herbal Tea
Chamomile, peppermint, hibiscus, sage, ginger, or any tea (as long as it’s not green) are some of the most effective optionss for relieving stress. Tea catechins like the epigallocatechin gallate (EGCG) is a type of antioxidant that causes a calming effect when consumed.
The best thing about herbal teas is that they can be consumed at any time without the risk of a caffeine overdose. You can drink a cup before starting your tasks, during your work, and after a tiring day.
2. Dark Chocolate
It doesn’t matter if you’re a man or woman — there is one thing we can all agree on: Sweets are most appealing when we feel pressure. However, indulging in pastries, ice cream, or sugary beverages will only cause glucose level spikes. Unfortunately, this will lead to diabetes.
If there’s one type of sweet (and bitter) food that’s good at relieving our stress while being safe to eat, that would be dark chocolate.
3. Milk
Milk and dairy products are a great source of tryptophan δΈ an essential amino acid that helps the body make melatonin and serotonin. Melatonin is the hormone that promotes sleep while serotonin is responsible for our feelings of happiness, well-being, and mood stability.
Think about this: Milk helps you fall asleep earlier by preventing you from late-night overthinking. It also keeps your hormones balanced making you more resilient to depression, anxiety, and stress. So drink a glass before going to bed.
4. Organ Meats
The liver, heart, and kidneys of animals are packed with B vitamins. Like tryptophan, vitamins B12, B6, B2 (riboflavin), and B9 (folate) are needed for the production of hormones and neurotransmitters like serotonin and dopamine.
Organ meats aren’t a regular part of other people’s daily diet due to the common perception of being a poor man’s food. However, they have that distinct, incredible, and exotic taste that’s better than muscle meat on any day. You just need to find the recipe you’ll love.
5. Shellfish
Another food that promotes the production of happy and calm-inducing hormones are shellfishes like mollusks and crustaceans. But instead of being rich in B vitamins, shellfishes are packed with taurine. If you’re looking for a reason to eat seafood, this is the sign. Just remember to pay attention to your allergies.
6. Poultry and Eggs
We’re not going to end this list without mentioning food sources from birds. Poultry animals such as turkey, chicken, goose, duck, guineafowl, and the eggs they produce are rich in tryptophan. It’s the reason we all feel sleepy after eating that Thanksgiving Turkey. Here’s a tip: Prepare chicken for dinner and drink milk if you want to sleep early and wake up in a good mood.
There are many ways for entrepreneurs to deal with stress. But the best way is to prevent it in the first place through healthy lifestyle habits like eating and sleeping well. Hopefully, the foods on this list will help you achieve those goals.
Get more lifestyle tips for entrepreneurship here!