The perfect meals for
beating stress
By Oluwatoyin Oluwastoyin
Friday,
November 30, 2007
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Fish
•Pix: Sun News Publishing |
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Christmas is around the corner. Soon ‘Christmas is
coming…’ will soon fill the air. But Christmas
and stress! Or is it stress and Christmas? Regretfully in
many lives and families both are synonymous. Have you noticed
the mad rush during this period? It is the same worldwide.
From running round for shopping to attending carol service(s)
at children/nieces/nephews’ school(s), not to mention
that of the church while still actively going to work. The
pressure really accumulates.
Nonetheless, you can be ‘over’ instead of under
pressure by eating foods that are capable of reducing stress
in your life.
Papaya/pawpaw
Stress sucks potassium, vitamin C and manganese out of the
body, resulting in fatigue, sore muscles, difficulty in concentration
and a rise in blood pressure. Get those nutrients back with
one papaya, the best fruit source of all three.
Ricotta cheese
Researchers found that people who ate a daily 2.8 grams of
whey (the liquid in the cheese) produced fewer stress hormones.
They also had up to 48 per cent of trytophan, the substance
that tells your body to release more of the feel-good chemical,
serotonin.
Whole wheat pasta
It will give you extra tryptophan and the steady supply of
energy you need to fight off stress-induced fatigue.
Turkey/ turkey sausage
Turkey is a good source of trytophan and pantothenic acid-
a B vitamin vital to the production of stress-fighting hormones.
Plus, the zinc in turkey may help keep you from being worried
and weak. One study found that zinc supplement increased muscle
strength and endurance.
Whole wheat bread
Whole grains are rich in folate and other B vitamins, which
help supply your brain with the fuel it needs to keep you
sharp when you are stressed.
Dark chocolate
Want a runner’s high without the annoying running part?
Eat a little dark chocolate; it will give you a shot of endorphins,
a natural morphine.
Milk
Even the low-fat type has protein that will elevate your levels
of the stress-fighting hormones, dopamine and norepinephrine
Recipes
Papaya soda
1 cup papaya nectar
1 cup orange juice
1 cup lemon lime soda
Ice
Method
Dump all the ingredients into a blender. Blend well and drink.
Makes two servings.
Italian hot chocolate
1¼2 cup unsweetened dark cocoa
1/3 cup sugar
1¼2 cup boiling water
1¼2 cup water
1 cup fat-free milk
Method
Mix together the cocoa, sugar and boiling water. Stir
in the water and milk; microwave until hot. Makes four
half cup servings.
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