Superfoods: Eat to Beat Stress

So, do you tend to eat when you're upset or under stress or upset??? I am a stress eater and sometimes I eat when I'm angery or bored, just for comfort. Yeah, blah! And not good for the waist line. I just had two slices of pizza before I started typing this post because the boyz drove me gaga today! Read on, and I hope this article will help. Superfoods: Eat to Beat Stress SELF.com By Lucy Danziger, SELF Editor-in-Chief Happier, Healthier You by Lucy Danziger, SELF Editor-in-Chief Health Expert for Women's Health Do you tend to reach for food when the pressure's on? Relax—everyone does! When I'm under undue stress or edgy about something on the home front, I crave anything that's sweet or chocolaty. For years, that meant munching cookies or ice cream at high-stakes moments. Then I realized there were far healthier ways to satisfy my yen. Now I try to reach for almonds, cashews, sunflower seeds and apples. If I'm still craving chocolate, I allow myself some quality dark squares to ease the urge. But most times, healthy snacks can deliver the same pleasing sugar-and-salt combos as my favorite indulgences and are also good sources of fiber and nutrient-rich, so I can survive an angsty stint without packing on pounds. While editing this feature about stress-fighting foods for SELF, I discovered that digging into the fridge or pantry when you're anxious can actually help calm you down—as long as you seek out the right bites. Try these nibbles to eat your way serene. Spinach Go green! Three cups of spinach delivers 40 percent of your daily magnesium, a mineral that tames stress's effect on the body by preventing blood pressure from spiking, according to Beth Reardon, R.D., director of integrative nutrition at Duke Integrative Medicine in Durham, North Carolina. Rustle up a spinach omelet or a Spinach and Sun-Dried Tomato Frittata before making a big-deal presentation at work—it will keep you focused on the job at hand. Oranges Tension can wear down your immune system, a study from Carnegie Mellon University in Pittsburgh finds, but vitamin C appears to be the antidote to anxiety—it strengthens your body's ability to fight off bugs, so you stay well even when life is nutty. Sip orange juice during the crazy holiday season or other times when your calendar is crowded. You can also try marinating chicken or fish in OJ to bring out flavor and enhance tenderness. Orange you calmer now? Chocolate! Hear that? It's the sound of chocoholics the world over (myself included!) breathing a collective sigh of relief. Science confirms what we fans of the sweet stuff have known all along—chocolate really does make you feel better. Cocoa increases your levels of neurochemicals, which deliver a sense of happiness and relaxation, says Alan Hirsch, M.D., director of the Smell & Taste Treatment and Research Foundation in Chicago. Keep a few dark squares in your desk drawer and tear one (or two!) open when you're tense. Or if your family dinners are a bit tense, serve your on-edge relatives a Chocolate Torte the next time they visit and watch them chill out!Try these tips for picking the healthiest types of chocolate. Fish Omega-3 fatty acids in fish such as wild salmon, mackerel and swordfish can quell the jitters. In fact, people who ate more of these beneficial fats for three weeks leading up to a tough quiz halted a surge in stress hormones, a study in Diabetes & Metabolism found. Throw some smoked salmon into your eggs or anchovies into your salad a couple times a week to reduce stress and up your heart health. Oatmeal Goldilocks got it right—a bowl of porridge is a balm for your nerves. The B vitamins in oats spur the production of serotonin, a neurotransmitter that sends soothing signals to your brain as your body slowly digests the cereal. Linger over Hot Autumn Apple Oatmeal to start the day on an even keel. Suprisingly I love all these foods and will give it a try :)