Stress Soothing Foods

Stress is the emotional and physical way of responding pressure. It can affect both mental and physical conditions. Stress is already part of our life as it gives spice and excitement of our day to day living but if it gets out of control it may harm to our health, relationships and the opportunity to enjoy life. That is why we need to control it. Some foods can be of great help to soothe our stress. Below are some of the foods that we can easily grab and eaten when we are feeling stress.

 


1. Avocado – The flesh of this fruit is loaded with two powerful stress fighters which are the potassium and monounsaturated fatty acids. These nutrients can lower blood pressure and helps ward off depression.

2. Black Tea – Drinking black tea may help the person recover from nerve-racking events more quickly and gives a relaxing effect after a stressful task. It can also help increase alertness throughout the day.

 
3. Fish – It contains Omega-3 fatty acids an essential fat that help moderate stress hormones and protect against depression.

4. Dark Chocolate – Eating dark chocolate can help reduce the stress hormone in people who ate dark chocolate often. Since it has a “not so good for you fat, sugar and calories” it is suggested to eat a few small squares a day just to relieve the stress feeling.

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This is a Sponsored post written by me on behalf of Walgreens for SocialSpark. All opinions are 100% mine.


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Best Foods to Suit Your Mood

Emotions can affect us in so many ways. That is why we need to know how to handle and overcome those intense feelings that we feel and it can be done through the foods that we eat. Exactly, there are foods which will help to ease and lighten whatever emotions that we have. 

Sadness

If you’re feeling sad and you need happiness booster, try to eat oily fish. Oily Fish is rich in Omega-3 fatty acids which can help fight off depression, negativity and mood swings. It can also boost your brain health and mood. Fish like salmon and tuna are good sources of vitamin B12 and also help regulate the mood.

Fear

Many of us suffer from phobias. However, maybe to blame is our food intake. Research suggests that folate deficiency may be behind the irrational fears and anxiety, so try to intake foods more in folate. One the best source of folate is avocado.

Anger

It is a common feeling to everyone. But next time you feel a rage is coming on, try reaching some nuts and seeds to help calm you down. Research shows that Omega-3 deficiency can contribute to aggressive behavior of adult offenders and children with severe behavioral difficulties. Japanese study showed that zinc may ease the anger in women. To ease the feeling try eating walnuts and flaxseeds which contain both zinc and Omega-3 fatty acids.

Love

If you plan for a date and want to get in the mood, try some foods rich in zinc. This is to stimulate the libido and enhance the desire. Foods like oysters, shellfish, pine nuts or pumpkin seeds are the best source of this nutrient.

Shyness

To make our shy away and boost our confidence, we need foods that contain tryptophan. It is an essential amino acid to make people feel more confident. Good sources of tryptophan include meat (particularly chicken), fish such as salmon and tuna and legumes.

Heartbreak

The most painful feeling which many people find themselves reaching for chocolate which is not a bad. Chocolate preferably dark chocolate contains many chemicals to beat the breakup blues, including relaxing magnesium, calming anandamide and mood boosting phenylethylamine.

Anxiety

It is a normal feeling specially if you’ve got a big interview or presentation coming up, instead of drinking coffee tries to replace it with a calming herbal tea. The calming effects of chamomile are so powerful that they have been found to reduce symptoms of mild to moderate anxiety disorder.

Stress

The most common feeling after a busy day of work, in order to ease the feeling, try snacking on some blueberries. Blueberries are high in vitamin C which can help the body deal with high levels of stress. It is also packed with antioxidants which help to protect the body from its effects.

"Brain Fog "

If you feel confused, unfocused, forgetful or your mind is running slow, give your brain a boost with a cup of green tea or water. Our brain consist of at least 80% of water and by drinking any fluids will help keep it hydrated and function at the optimum level. Green tea also helps maintain alertness by regulating the blood sugar levels and helps protect the brain and cut risk of dementia.

Tiredness 

If you’re suffering from a lack of sleep or feeling lethargic, drinking beetroot juice could help revive the energy levels. Beetroot is high in sugar and many energizing nutrients such as magnesium and vitamin C.

Boost Your Energy Level

Your energy level has a dramatic impact on your day to day quality of life. It affects your ability to enjoy your work, exercise, and recreation all that life has to offer. Energy help you to keep going longer, perform better and exercise more strongly and stay fit a whole lot more in a day. There are ways to maximize your energy levels.

1. Always eat your breakfast. According to expert,  it is the considered most important meal of the day. It helps to establish steady blood sugar levels and attain maximum energy levels. Research showed that people who eat a healthy breakfast are less likely to become lethargic and more likely to consume a wider variety of important foods and nutrients. Try to eat carbohydrate foods with low glycemic index such as whole grain toast, fruit and high fiber cereals, eggs, skim milk or peanut butter.
2. Get enough sleep. Quality sleep rejuvenates and revitalizes your body and helps your immune system to function at its best. It also helps you to keep fresh both physically and mentally and improves your body’s ability to deal with stress.
3. Eat some healthy fats. Dietary fat supplies twice as many calories as carbohydrates or protein, so it provides plenty of energy for people who don’t need to worry about weight gain. Focus on plant fats which includes moderate portion of avocado, flaxseed oil, olive oil, nuts and seeds. Avoid animal or processed trans fats like butter, margarine, pastries and junk foods.
4. Be active. If you feel tired and sluggish, the last thing you probably feel like doing is exercising. Exercise makes your heart stronger and more efficient, elevates your mood and improves sleep quality which results to more energy and less fatigue.
5. Eat well and regularly. Eating smaller more frequent meals rather than fewer lager ones provides a relatively constant supply of fuel.
6. Hydrate and replenish. Always try to drink ample amounts of water throughout the day and add a little extra in hot weather if you exercise or if you drink caffeine or alcohol.
7. Avoid junk foods. Packaging, powdering, preserving and deep-frying food robs it of vitamins and minerals and reduces its ability to help you function at your best. Processed foods are often high in salt and refines sugar which will play havoc with your blood glucose and energy levels.

 If you have done all that have been listed above and still feel tired or low in energy, you should consult your doctor to further investigate the possible medical reasons for your poor energy level.

Correct Table Manners

Table manners are very important especially when you are in a formal gathering. If you think people don’t care about etiquette at the table as much as they used to, you have to think it again. One false move that you do is all it takes to turn some people off. So it’s better to know them so that you can be guided than to be embarrassed by doing the wrong one. Stay on and let’s take a look from the tips from Louise Fox of the Etiquette Ladies, Canada’s Etiquette Experts.

1. If you are the recipient of a toast, keep your glass at arm’s length—never drink from it. Instead, simply nod your head and graciously say, “Thank you.”
2. Never take your cocktail to the dinner table.
3. Allow your food to cool on its own—never blow on anything.
4. If you wear lipstick, keep it off your plate and napkin by blotting it as soon as you apply it.
5. our napkin is there for you to dab your mouth only. Do not use it to wipe off lipstick or (God forbid) blow your nose.
6. Keep your elbows off the table at all times.
7. Don’t put your purse, keys, sunglasses, or eyeglasses on the table.
8. Take food out of your mouth the way it went in. If a piece of steak fat went into your mouth with a fork, spit it out onto the fork.
9. Remove an olive pit with your thumb and index finger.
10. Taste everything on your plate before you add salt or pepper.
11. Leave your plate where it is when you are finished with your meal—don’t push it away from you.

Foods That Can Help You Sleep

Worried about falling asleep tonight? Take a look of the foods that you eat, it might be the cause of not getting enough sleep. Eating the right foods before going to bed may help fall asleep and even improve the quality of your sleep. Have a try of these foods before going to bed in order to get enough sleep. Just a reminder that it is important not to eat two hours before bedtime this is to give your body enough time to properly digest the food.
Almonds
Almonds contain magnesium which promotes both sleep and muscle relaxation. It has an added benefit of supplying proteins that can help in maintaining the stability of blood sugar level while sleeping. It also promotes sleep by switching you from your alert adrenaline cycle to your rest and digest cycle. Try this as your bedtime snack.
Tea
Drinking tea like chamomile tea and green tea is a safe sleep aid because it contains theanine which helps promote sleep. But be sure it is a decaf green tea.
Banana

It is considered as the most powerful fruit because of the benefits it offers to our body. It has an excellent source of magnesium and potassium which help relax the overstressed muscles. It also contains tryptophan which converts to serotonin and melatonin, the brain’s key calming hormones. Have a banana before going to bed and experience a good night sleep.

Dairy
Dairies like yogurt, milk and cheese do contain tryptophan, but aside from that it also have a surprising sleep inducing nutrient. It contains calcium which is effective in stress reduction and stabilization of nerve fibers and that includes those in the brain. Eating your favorite yogurt before bed also help you stop worrying about the weird thing that happened during the day.
Oatmeal

It is rich in calcium, magnesium, phosphorus, silicon and potassium which are known to support sleep. But go easy on the sweeteners because too much sugar before bed can have an anti-calming effect. Instead, try topping with fruit like banana.

Hard-Cooked Egg

We usually eat this during breakfast, but it can be also a good bedtime snack because of its high protein content so you can not only fall asleep but stay asleep.

Healthy Ways To Add Years To Your Life

If you think that you can have long life based on how long your grandparents and parents live, then you’re partly correct. Though genetics have an impact you still have more control of how long you should live that is based on your lifestyle choices says Dr. Michael Roizen, chief wellness officer at the Cleveland Clinic. He stated certain habits that will certainly add years to your life.

1. Go to Bed 15 minutes earlier: Add 3 years to your life

This habit will help you get an extra 7.5 hours of shut-eye in a month. Because sleep is very much important since it is when every organ and system in your body repairs, restores and resets itself. Not having enough sleep compromises on how well your entire body functions and the negative impact it brings.

 

2. Walk 30 minutes a day:  Add 2.2 years to your life

It is the simplest form of exercise that everybody can do. Just a 30 minute walk a day, it can already keep your weight steady and can lower your risk of heart disease and diabetes.

3. Get up and move: Add 5.6 years to your life

Just as giving yourself time to walk 30 minutes a day will make your overall daily life more active. Getting up of at least 100 minutes of movement a day can give you the biggest health benefits. Movements like sweeping the floor, dusting windows, washing the dishes, cooking, stretching or anything that you can do to make your body moves.

4. Floss daily:  Add 3.5 years to your life

According to research that people who do the most sitting have an increased risk of heart disease because sitting for a long period of time allows fat to continue circulating in your bloodstream longer, which in turn slows the ability of HDL(the good cholesterol) to clear plaque from your arteries. A healthy smile can also lead to a healthy heart. Many studies reveal that periodontal and cardiovascular diseases are linked. That is why you should floss in the morning and at night that will help improve your health.

5. Eat healthy: add 14 years

Food has a very big impact on the genes that accelerate or that slow down the aging process of the body. Therefore eating is not only eating anything that you want it is choosing the “good and healthy” ones. Eat at least five servings of variety of fruits and vegetables daily. Eating different fruits and vegetables can give a thousands of different disease fighting nutrients says Dr. Katz.

Eating fish which is rich in omega3 fatty acids twice a week can help fight heart disease, stroke, hypertension, depression and even Alzheimer’s disease and

Go for fiber-rich whole grains. Spooning up a high-fiber breakfast cereal instead of a more refined, sugary one cuts your risk of heart disease and diabetes by nearly 30%.

6. Have more sex with your partner: add 8 years to your life

I was a little bit amazed of this tip, anyway that’s according to their research then it must be true. Being in a satisfying relationship is good for your heart and soul. Women in a healthy monogamous relationship are significantly healthier compared with those who are either unhappy or sexually inactive says Dr. Roizen.

7. Don’t text and drive: add 2 years to your life

Studies shows that texting while driving and driving while drunk increases your risk of being in a serious accident, which means you will die at any age.

8. Mange stress: add 4 years

Of course you cant control when and overloaded work and family obligations might hit but how you handle stress has the biggest impact to your health. When you are constantly tense, your blood pressure, heart rate and levels of the stress hormone “cortisol” will also raised which increases your risk for heart disease, stroke and Alzheimers disease and many more. What you can do is to exercise, 15 minutes walking and breathing can be of great help. Being involved with friends or in a community can swept away your stress. A British study shows that people who chewed a gum had less work-related and overall and depression than those who didn’t get this oral fix. It is because chewing a gum can stimulate the vagus nerve which helps the body relax and increases levels of serotonin, a brain chemical that makes the person feel calmer and happier.