Stress Relieving Recipes!

In order to manage your stress relief food plays a very important role. If you feed yourself high energy and nutritious foods potentially stressful situations won’t bother you because you have the energy and stamina to cope.

On the other hand, if you eat poorly or irregularly your energy levels will be depleted and potentially stressful situations will become stressful.

I've come up with a few recipes that include foods that combat stress:

Cottage Cheese Parfait

Servings: 4

2 cups whipped low-fat cottage cheese (can be substituted with yogurt) 

1 large orange, peeled and separated

1 medium sized banana, cut in chunks

1 tablespoon of fresh lime juice
1/2 cup blueberries

1/2 cup of strawberries, hulled and quartered

1/4 cup of honey

1/4 cup shelled sunflower seeds and walnuts 

In a medium bowl, gently toss banana chunks with the lime juice. 

Add strawberries, blueberries, orange slices, honey, walnuts and sunflower seeds to bananas and gently toss to coat. 

Spoon 1/4 cup fruit mixture into each of 4 parfait glasses. 

Top each parfait with 1/2 cup of cottage cheese (or yogurt) and enjoy!

Now how is this good for stress?

Cottage Cheese: Cottage cheese is high in protein and calcium. Foods with high protein content that aren't loaded with sugar won't cause a spike in blood sugar and will keep you satiated for a longer time. Mixing cottage cheese with fruit that is high in Vitamin C. Vitamin C plays a role in fighting stress because it's an antioxidant that fights the free radicals that get released when you're stressed.

Yogurt: Work more calcium into your diet with non-fat or low-fat yogurt — a sprinkle of nuts and some fresh fruit will turn it into an ultra-satisfying snack. The good-for-you part: Yogurt contains probiotics that help create a healthy and calm digestive system.

Orange:  Stress can delete your storage of vitamin C, which is something your body doesn't produce naturally. Vitamin C helps your immune system function under stress more efficiently.

Banana: Bananas really are a magical food supply. They not only give you a boost of energy when you most need it but they are also so quick and easy to eat. You don’t need to cook anything; just peel and enjoy!
If you find yourself lagging in energy and need a boost especially in the afternoon then bananas are the food stuff to do it.

Blueberries: Very rich in antioxidants, blueberries offer a high-fiber, low-calorie fruit option that is also rich in stress-fighting vitamin C.

Strawberries: Because strawberries are known to contain higher concentrations of phytochemicals and have higher antioxidant capacity among common fruits, their neuroprotective activity was tested in vitro on PC12 cells treated with H2O2.

Honey: Honey reduces stress and is suitable for people who are suffering from stress, as it clams highs and lows of mood.

Sunflower seeds: Sunflower seeds have folic acid which helps reduce stress by increasing the amount of serotonin in the brain. Serotonin is a natural antidepressant - which may explain why children are so happy eating these seeds. 

Walnuts: Walnuts and walnut oil reduce blood pressure during stress, this is important because we can’t avoid all the stressors in our daily lives. 

Clean Tuna Salad

1 can white tuna, in water

1.5 Tbsp plain yogurt 

1.5 Tbsp Dijon mustard

Half an apple, chopped

2 Tbsp walnuts

1 tsp turmeric and curry 

Pepper to taste

Open the can of tuna and place in a bowl. Add the yogurt and mustard and stir. Then add all of the ingredients and make sure it is all incorporated well. 

Serve on whole wheat toast or in a pita pocket and enjoy!

Now how is this good for stress?

Tuna: Tuna is high in stress-fighting vitamins B6 and B12. Tuna is also a good low-fat protein source.

Yogurt: Same as parfait

Apples: Fruit in general is great for snacking in the office or at home. It is a stress free way of getting some healthy food inside you quickly. If you have lots on at work, fruit is great for keeping you healthy and they are full of vitamins and minerals.

Walnuts: Same as parfait

Turmeric: Turmeric has the highest antioxidant activity of ALL FOODS, including antioxidant-rich fruits such as blueberries. Antioxidants are needed by our bodies to counter the free radical damage that underlies most common degenerative diseases.