Stress Fighters
Feeling a little stressed?  Reaching for some of your favourite foods can reduce your symptoms as well as give your body some of the vital nutrients it needs to function optimally. However, other foods such as coffee, eggs and cashews can actually increase your stress levels. Here's a few of the foods you should be stocking up on if you're feeling pressured:

Avocados The next time you’re feeling stressed and want to tuck into a creamy treat from the freezer, skip the ice cream and try some homemade guacamole. The thick, rich texture can satisfy your craving and reduce those frantic feelings. Plus monounsaturated fat and potassium can lower blood pressure. One of the best ways to reduce high blood pressure, according to the National Heart, Lung, and Blood Institute, is to get enough potassium and just half an avocado offers 487 mg, more than you'll get from a medium-size banana. To whip up your own avocado salad dressing, puree a medium avocado with 2 tablespoons of lemon juice and a dash of cayenne.

Head for the fridge and pour yourself a glass of milk Feeling tense and need of a comforting warm blanket to soothe away all those tensions, but don’t have time to lounge on the sofa, try sipping on a warm glass of milk. The calcium from the milk will reduce muscle spasms and soothe tension. A glass of milk (preferably skim or 1 percent) may also reduce stressful PMS symptoms such as mood swings, anxiety and irritability. According to a 2005 study from the Archives of Internal Medicine, women who drank four or more servings of low-fat or skim milk per day had a 46 percent lower risk of pre-period misery than women who had no more than one serving per week. You will not only be soothing your tension but also building up calcium for stronger bones and a reduce risk of osteoporosis.

A bowl of oatmeal may soothe your worries Carbohydrates make the brain produce more serotonin, a relaxing brain chemical which slows the body’s absorbtion of carbohydrates. The more steadily serotonin flows, the clamer the calmer the brain. Because thick, hearty oatmeal is high in fiber, few foods take longer for your stomach to digest. A bowl of creamy outmeal will make a great start to the day and give you an edge on any potential crisis. Top it with a swirl of jam for a quicker release of serotonin. When you know it's going to be a crazy day at work, avoid heavily processed varieties of oatmeal, which have a higher sugar content and are digested more quickly. You will not only be soothing your tension but also building up calcium for stronger bones and a reduce risk of .osteoporosis. Natures Path makes a fabulous Flax’n Oats Cereal, in ready to use individual servings pouches, the flaxseeds contain high levels of lignans and omega-3 fatty acids, which the heart and possess anti-cancer properties. Eat it at home or take it on the ferry for a breakfast to go option.

Need a quick stress relief, reach for the fruit bowl and grab an orange. Need a quick stress relief, reach for the fruit bowl and grab an orange. Oranges for stress relief, who knew? It turns out that vitamin C relieves stress by returning your blood pressure and levels of cortisol (a chemical produced by the body when you're under stress) to normal quickly.  Vitamin C is also vital for the proper functioning of a healthy immune system, which helps prevents colds, flu and ear infections.

Spinach still has a large nutritional value, especially when fresh, steamed, or quickly boiled. It is a rich source of vitamins A,C, E and K together with magnesium and several vital antioxidants. Magnesium is a sure way to calm your nerves.  First, the minerals can help lower your stress levels, keeping your body in a state of relative ease. Not getting enough magnesium may trigger migraine headaches and enduce a feeling of fatigue. Just one cup of spinach provides 40 percent of your daily value. Try substituting spinach for lettuce in sandwiches and salads.

Turkey isn't only good for making you lethargic after Thanksgiving or a Christmas dinner, it has major health benefits that have been proven to elevate mood, help regulate appetite, and of course promote better sleep.This is because it conatins a natural sedative called tryptophan, an essential amino acid, meaning that the body can’t manufacture it. So the body has to get tryophan and other essential amino acids from food. Tryophan helps the body produce the B-vitamin niacin, which in turn helps the body prodcue serotonin, a remarkable chemical that acts as a claming agent in the brain and plays a key role in sleeplarge nutritional value, especially when fresh, steamed, or quickly boil

Bananas have amazing vitamins and minerals that have been scientifically proven to help with stress. Bananas contain tryptophan, an essential amino acid that converts protein to the neurotransmitter serotonin, which is instrumental in facilitating relaxation. Low levels of serotonin are believed to cause mood disorders including depression. Bananas are also known for their ample supply of potassium, which is required by our body to overcome breathlessness, fatigue, insomnia and low blood sugar levels caused by stress. Dieticians suggest two bananas a day to beat stress.

But not all foods are good in alleviating stress. Some foods should be avoided as they add to feelings of being overwhelmed.

Tea, coffee and cocoa included in chocolate drinks contain stimulators like, caffeine and Theo bromine. Though these substances refresh a tired person, it is better to avoid all these items in stress. To an already anxious person further stimulation will result in aggravation of anxiety and worsen sleeplessness. Moreover tea and coffee worsens peptic ulcers associated with stress. But there is controversy, as chocolate contains magnesium, which helps in calming down an agitated person during stres.

Egg yolks contain a high percentage of cholesterol and should be avoided in stressful situations, which in itself increases the levels of cholesterol. Butter, cheese, coconut oil, cashews, almonds and meat are also to be avoided for similar reasons.
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Junk foods and fast foods are usually not part of abalanced diet. They contain protein, fats and carbohydrates in inappropriate proportions and usually don't contain the essential vitamins and minerals we need to keep our body functioning optimally. Stress uses up a lot of energy and therefore the body requires a balance of vitamins and minerals, to keep it functioning well.

Sugary Beverages including soda and soft drinks contain 'empty calories' which are useless and they also don't contain vitamins and minerals. In stress there is accumulation of carbon dioxide and lactates resulting in a condition called acidosis, which is detrimental to health. The high content of carbon dioxide in beverages aggravates it. Sodium benzoate is also evident in beverages, which should be avoided in hypertension associated with stress. Sugar should be avoided in stress, as the person will be already having increased blood glucose levels.