Learn what to eat when you’re feeling stressed, cranky, sad and more
By Sarah Jio Posted August 24, 2010 from WomansDay.com
While that tub of ice cream in the back of the freezer may be what
you crave when you’re feeling blue, there is a long list of other
(healthier!) foods that can cure a grouchy morning or a stressed-out
afternoon. We talked to the experts to get the scoop on what to eat to
make you feel better no matter what your mood.
Stressed: Eat Chocolate
The scenario: It’s Friday at 6:30 p.m. You’re hungry, tired and
late for your dinner date. You were supposed to be out of work an hour
ago, but your boss has asked you for a favor…again. The stress is
building, so what can calm you down fast? Now’s the time to pull
out the chocolate bar hiding in the back of your desk drawer. Experts
say that chocolate—particularly dark chocolate—may help reduce the
stress hormones that are swarming in your body. In fact, a recent study
by researchers in Switzerland, published in the Journal of Proteome
Research, found that eating just a smidge of dark chocolate (about
1.4 ounces) has the power to lower the stress hormones cortisol and
catecholamines in the body, reducing your anxiety and giving you a
better chance to get the job done—and make your date.
Sluggish: Eat a Spinach Salad
Can’t concentrate? Trouble keeping your eyes open? Skip the
coffee and have a spinach salad instead, says Joanna Dolgoff, MD, author
of Red Light, Green Light, Eat Right. “Folic acid, or folate,
helps your body to process and lower homocysteine levels,” says Dr.
Dolgoff. “High levels of homocysteine are associated with damage to
blood vessels, in addition to interfering with the flow of blood and
nutrients to the brain. Impaired blood flow may leave you feeling
sluggish or slow to process or recall information.” The best way
to get a boost? Eat folate-rich foods like spinach and other leafy green
vegetables as well as potatoes, fortified breads and cereals, beans,
peas and mushrooms.
Cranky: Eat an Apple with Peanut Butter
Did you snap at your kids…and the telemarketer on the phone?
Crankiness can be a sign that your body needs fuel. Just be sure to
refuel the right way: with foods that don’t leave you with a blood sugar
crash an hour later, setting the crankiness cycle in motion all over
again. To blast irritability, “eat combination foods at each meal
and snack,” says Dr. Dolgoff. “Combination foods contain a carbohydrate
in combination with either some protein or some fat. Carbohydrates are a
great source of energy that quickly burns out. Adding some fat or
protein will slow the digestion process, causing your sugar and energy
levels to remain stable for a longer amount of time. A great example of a
combination snack is an apple with peanut butter. The apple is your
healthy complex carbohydrate and the peanut butter is a healthy fat.
Combining these powerhouse foods tastes delicious and gives you energy
that lasts for hours!”
Anxious: Eat a Salmon Burger
Worrying about your finances, your marriage, your kids? If
anxiety and worries are consuming your day, consider heading out to
lunch with a friend. The conversation will do you good, and so will the
meal—if you order salmon, which is one of the richest sources of omega-3
fatty acids, a nutrient that may help tame your anxiety. "Regular
consumption of omega-3s has extensive research support for both the
prevention and treatment of clinical depression. And there's growing
evidence that omega-3s also help reduce anger and irritability,” says
Stephen Ilardi, PhD, author of The Depression Cure. While there
are plant-based sources of omega-3s, Dr. Ilardi says it’s best to stick
with fish: “The specific form of omega-3 that most strongly boosts mood
is found most abundantly in coldwater fish such as salmon, herring,
sardines and mackerel,” he says.
Angry: Sip Green Tea
Maybe your neighbor’s dog barked all night long and kept you up
or your coworker took credit for a project you worked on over the
weekend. Whatever the reason for the grrrrrrs, if you need to
calm down fast, consider sipping a cup of green tea, says Jacob
Teitelbaum, MD, a researcher, nutrition expert and author of Beat
Sugar Addiction NOW! Here’s why: “Green tea contains theanine, which
calms you and helps you maintain clear concentration and focus,” he
says. Green tea’s modest amount of caffeine won’t send you into an angry
rage, either; it’s gentler on your body than coffee.
Sad: Eat Whole-Grain Cereal with Lowfat Milk
Need a happiness boost? While the source of your sadness could
be work- or relationship-related, it also may have something to do with a
deficiency of vitamin D in your diet. “This nutrient has many different
roles in the body, one of which is to help in the production of
serotonin,” says Dr. Dolgoff, explaining that serotonin is a
neurotransmitter known as the “feel-good hormone” that can help you feel
calm, relaxed and happy. If you’re low on vitamin D, you may be
affecting your body’s ability to stabilize your mood and reduce feelings
of depression. To boost your intake of vitamin D, turn to lowfat
fortified milk, fortified cereals or mushrooms. “Depending on your diet,
you may also need to take a calcium and vitamin D supplement,” adds Dr.
Dolgoff.
PMS: Eat an Egg-Salad Sandwich
If your go-to PMS meal usually comes in the form of comfort
food (mac ’n’ cheese, potato chips, ice cream) consider making an
egg-salad sandwich instead. In the days before your period, it’s normal
for women to begin craving carbohydrates, says Stella Metsovas, BS, CN, a
nutritionist in private practice in Laguna Beach, California. And for
good reason: Carbs help your body boost its serotonin levels, in turn
helping you improve your mood. But avoid high-sugar, high-fat
carbohydrates, like doughnuts or chips, which can leave you feeling
sluggish—or worse, grumpy—after your blood sugar spikes, then drops. Opt
for whole grains, such as whole-wheat bread, and for extra PMS-zapping
strength, pair them with tryptophan-rich protein such as eggs, sunflower
seeds or turkey, which may enhance the release of serotonin, adds
Metsovas. An egg-salad sandwich on whole-grain bread offers the perfect
carbohydrate-tryptophan combination. Try our favorite tip: Cut the mayo
and mix your diced hard-cooked eggs with a teaspoon of fat-free or
lowfat plain Greek yogurt and half a teaspoon of whole-grain Dijon
mustard.
All photos by Shutterstock.
