Foods that help to reduce stress and anxiety levels

Under the circumstances when the second wave of the coronavirus pandemic has affected the mental state of a number of people, it is important to know how to deal with the situation. Changing the circumstances might not be in your hand, but dealing with it is indeed in your hands. With a few changes in your diet it can be easier to deal with problems like stress and anxiety. Here are a few foods that can be consumed to deal with problems of anxiety.

1. Foods that improve serotonin content – Fruits like kiwi, bananas, tomatoes, plum, cherries and pineapple have high content of tryptophan. Some of the foods like chicken, fish, turkey, milk, cottage cheese, soy products, beans and nuts and spinach also help to increase serotonin.

2. Omega 3 – Foods like fish, walnuts, kidney beans, flax seeds, chia seeds, soybean oil and yoghurt contain Omega 3 fatty acids which are great in dealing with anxiety and stress and can be consumed on an everyday basis.

3. Folate – Some foods like broccoli, lentils, leafy greens, oranges, lemons and brussels sprouts contain folate which are great to deal with mental issues. Including these in your diet will help to maintain a mental balance.

Foods that should be avoided

1. Sugar – processed sugar has never been good for the body. It can be consumed in limited quantity but excess of it can make the person irritable and fatigued.

2. Alcohol– Although alcohol helps the person to relax but it is a very temporary measure. It reduces the production of serotonin in the body and produces hormones which are related to anxiety and stress.

3. Caffeine – Caffeine in limited amounts does no harm, but overdose of it can lead to trouble in falling asleep, irritability or even withdrawal effects. The good thing is that it can be replaced with lemon water or some greet tea.

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