7 Foods to Combat Stress

It's a well-known fact; when you eat better, you feel better.  Not just physically, although that is a major aspect of it.  No, you'll also feel better mentally, emotionally and even spiritually if you're getting the right vitamins and essential nutrients in your diet.  Have you ever missed your morning cup of coffee and felt awful all through the day?  You're tired, you're angry, you're stressed and not to mention that horrible, pounding caffeine headache.  Now image that instead of failing to get your daily dose of caffeine, you've failed to provide your body with the nutrients that it needs to function at its best.  This can affect your very outlook on life and leave you feeling drained and stressed out.  Here are seven foods to combat stress in your life.

Fresh Fruit

Of course, we all know from listening to the lectures of our mothers and fathers that fruit is a very important food to include in our diet.  The essential vitamins, such as vitamin C, B12 and others, help keep our body running the way it is supposed to.  A diet that is high in refined sugar but low in natural sugar can wreak havoc on your body and your mood.

Again, mom and dad know best.  Even after years of being told to each our vegetables throughout childhood, most adults still fail to get the recommended daily amount.  Fresh vegetables are a great food to combat stress as they keep our body's running smoothly and feeling good, which will make you feel better too.

Replacing some of the red meat that many of us consume on a daily basis with eggs, an excellent food to combat stress can also help out.  Meat is heavy and sometimes greasy but protein is an essential food to combat stress.  Getting protein from eggs rather than exclusively from meat will help out with your digestion and make you feel better and less stressed during the day.

A natural, creamy treat, yogurt has many enzymes and active cultures that our digestive system needs to regulate itself.  Starting out the day with some yogurt and granola can fill you up and help keep your internal processes on track making it a great food to combat stress as well as a delicious way to kick off your morning. 

Nuts, such as almonds, macadamia nuts, walnuts, pecans and pistachios are also a great food to combat stress. Recent scientific studies suggest, although do not prove, that regularly including nuts as a part of your diet can help lower the risk of heart disease. In addition, most are also an excellent source of protein. So next time you're watching the big game or your favorite movie, snack on these nuts instead of potato chips and you'll agree that they are a great food to combat stress.

High in omega-3 fatty acid, an essential amino acid, fish, salmon particularly, is another food to combat stress. Fish is filling and delicious and also provides a high amount of protein and the afore mentioned omega-3 fatty acid. It is heart healthy and often as satisfying as a steak when cooked properly. Its essential amino acids and protein content make it a great food to combat stress.

While one may not think of chocolate as being all that healthy, it can be a great food to combat stress as sometimes one has to indulge.  If you do need a sweet treat, a small helping of chocolate can actually help provide essential antioxidants as well as that satisfying feeling.  Dark chocolate is best as milk chocolate has usually been processed quite heavily.