Address your feelings with mindful eating!
We’re all familiar with the concept of stress-eating. AKA emotional eating, Mayo Clinic calls it “a way to suppress or soothe negative emotions.” It’s usually associated with stress and weight gain due to copious amounts of junk food. But did you know that there are foods that can help you cope with stress?
Yes, it’s true! You can bring down your stress levels and eat your feelings at the same time. It’s all about being mindful of what you put in your body. Certain foods are effective in bringing down the amount of cortisol in your body. Cortisol is a hormone produced and released by your adrenal glands.
Read on to learn which foods may help you feel better when you’re stressed out.
Food with high Omega-3 fatty acid content
Our knee-jerk reaction to hearing about omega-3 is to turn to olive oil and tuna. But there are actually more sources! Aside from stress, inflammation can be directly addressed by foods under this category. That includes herring, mackerel, and salmon. Chia seeds, flax seeds, and walnuts too. Avocadoes are also a key source of omega-3.
Need more of this in your diet? Try the Baklava from CYMA! If you don’t have a yen for Greek food at the moment, try Fish & Co’s Herb Crusted Salmon. Finally, the Sandwich Guy’s Tuna Salad with Crushed Pineapple is a good alternative. You can order all these for delivery through Foodpanda and Grab.
Foods rich in magnesium
As mentioned, avocadoes are good for dealing with stress. But they also fall under this category. That fruit is in great company here: bananas, dark chocolate, and spinach are all rich in magnesium. Aside from fighting depression and stress, magnesium also promotes heart health.
Need more of this in your diet? Try the Avocado Toast of Flossom Kitchen + Cafe or the Dark Chocolate Ganache Cake of Cafe Amazon. If you want soup, there’s the Spinach and Seafood Soup of Classic Savory. Those are also available via Foodpanda and Grab!
Food with high protein content
Keep your stress levels in check by making sure your blood sugar is at a decent level. Achieve this by consuming food like almonds and peanuts, lean beef, lentils, and quinoa. Additionally, chicken and turkey breast are also rich in protein. If you’re more of a seafood person, go for salmon, shrimp, and tuna.
Need more of this in your diet? Try the BLT Quinoa Salad from Great Greens: Salads & Grains. The Gambas or the Italian Roast Chicken of Mama Lou’s are also good options. Again, they’re all available via Foodpanda and Grab.
Foods rich in Vitamin B
Under this category, you’d do well to eat beef, chicken, and eggs. You can also try organ meats (like liver) and fortified cereal. Also, this category includes Vitamin B12! Aside from helping you cope with stress, B12 plays an essential role in red blood cell formation. It also improves cell metabolism, nerve function, and the production of DNA.
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Finally, if you need to chill out in a hurry and you don’t have time to eat a full meal, turn to dark chocolate. Make sure it’s made of 90% cacao, and let it melt in your mouth!
Featured Image Daniella Sison
