After a b*tch of a morning (or a looong, hard day, whichever applies to you), sometimes, all you want to do is go to Mini Stop and buy every chocolate bar in sight. There's this misconception that sugar cures all our emotional wounds, even if it's only temporarily. But mindful eaters know that real food, not empty calories, are what we should be loading up on—especially when all we want to do is swim in a tub of ice cream.
According to author Lindsey Smith, "stress triggers a fight-or-flight response in your body that sends blood to your limbs, which spikes your cortisol (aka a stress hormone) levels." When you're always stressed, your body forgets what a normal or stable level feels like.
But your body wants what's best for you, so it wants you to go back to your normal state as soon as possible. The problem is that during that time of imbalance, you crave for everything you hold near and dear to your heart (donuts, cakes, pizza, ice cream, and so on). This happens because your body is trying to make up for all energy you're using when you're stressing out.
Unfortunately, Lindsey shares, "In reality, these foods tend only to increase your stress throughout the day." Instead, Lindsey suggests consuming foods with magnesium for better brain function: bananas, spinach, figs, almonds, and beans.
For stress reduction, target foods that help boost the brain's production of the neurotransmitter GABA: hummus, oolong tea, and shrimp.
And if you want something that'll balance out your moods and not make you want to weep uncontrollably, make sure your diet includes: leafy green veggies, blueberries, pineapple, salmon, and walnuts.
So keep calm and avoid cake?
Source: Elite Daily
This story originally appeared on Cosmo.ph
*Minor edits have been made by FemaleNetwork.com editors
