Stress-busting snacks

When you can feel your stress and anxiety levels rising, choose your snacks wisely. Your body may try and direct you to the vending machine and coffee cart, but resist! There are far better snacks to help you manage a stressful situation…

The body craves ‘quick fixes’ when it feels under pressure – sugar and caffeine guarantee an energy hit when you are in flight or flight mode (and yes, you can be in this state at work, during an argument or when you are overtired – not only when you are in mortal danger!). Sadly, sugar and caffeine come with a dark side – an energy crash and additional pressure on your already-overloaded adrenal system.

Choose calming and sustaining foods to get you through a tricky time.

– Warm water and lemon first thing in the morning – this fantastic combo stimulates your body’s digestive system, encouraging optimum function, and acts as a natural detox. Fewer toxins = less stress in the body.

– Cashews and brazil nuts – cashews are sometimes called ‘nature’s prozac,’ and come complete with magnesium, tryptophan, and zinc, and brazil nuts are high in selenium, which is used to prevent anxiety.

– Protein and complex carbohydrate combos – salmon or tuna brown rice sushi, apple slices and tahini, dark green veges with raw cheese, chicken or turkey lettuce wraps, whole grain crackers and nut butter, bananas with almond butter and pumpkin seeds – all these provide slow release carbohydrates to balance your blood sugar, and protein and nutrients to sustain you.

– Dark chocolate – go on, just a wee bit – dark chocolate stimulates the body’s release of endorphins, and seratonin, to make you feel nice and calm. The antioxidants found in 70% cocoa solids chocolate also deserve an honorable mention.

– Tea – chamomile or green – chamomile is excellent for calming frazzled nerves, and green tea contains theamine, which promotes relaxation.

Eat little and often during times of stress, so as not to overload your digestive system. Try to avoid getting ‘hangry’ (Hungry+Angry), which will only make matters worse.

Remember slow calm breaths, in through the nose and out through the mouth, are also a proven way to encourage emotional equilibrium, as is exercise. Take a walk outside and shake off the stress.