22 Mar Foods and drinks to help relieve stress

Exercise can be a great tension reliever, but sometimes when it’s crunch time it’s not possible to go for a run around the block, throw some weights on the barbell or jump on a treadmill.
For the readers of athomefitness.com, here are five food and drink choices to help you rid stress:

1. Omega-3s – The fatty acids found in fish and tuna or also tablets you can buy help block the rise of stress hormones in your body.

2. Carbs – Try eating raspberries, blueberries or any other kind of berries if your feeling stressed instead of unhealthy choices like candy or ice cream. The carbs in berries increase the level of tryptophan, which is an amino acid that makes the mood-improving chemical serotonin.
Complex carbs like whole-grain pasta and whole-grain cereal also bring about slow releases of tryptophan

3. Vitamin C – Berries and other fruits are also great sources of Vitamin C, which helps keep the body’s stress hormone – cortisol – from going on the rise.

4. Vitamin B – The aforementioned tryptophan conversion to serotonin is helped by vitamin B. This vitamin also is essential for maintaining healthy brain cells and nerves.
Vitamin B6 is found in foods like nuts, while B12 is in meat and dairy products. Many people also recommend taking Vitamin B supplements.

5. Folic acid – Another great way to reduce stress is by making sure to get folic acid in your diet. Asparagus and wheat germ – put on your yogurt or in recipes – are excellent source of folic acid.

At Home Fitness consultant Aaron Dorksen’s blog deals with a variety of fitness topics, ranging from workout tips, motivational ideas and feature stories on how exercise impacts people’s lives. E-mail him with comments, questions or ideas for future blogs at aaron@athomefitness.com