some foods that may help fight stress away

Stress is inevitable. However, there are ways to minimize its grip on your life, starting with your diet

• Orange
  

Healthy people who were exposed to cold viruses were more likely to get sick if they were under pressure, a study from Carnegie Mellon University in Pittsburgh finds. Even a brief bout of tension can influence your immune system, but vitamin C in citrus bolsters your body’s natural bug barricades, so you can stay well.

• Spinach
  
  

Three cups of spinach supply 40 percent of your daily magnesium, a mineral that blunts stress’s effects on the body by stopping blood pressure from spiking, says Beth Reardon, R.D., director of integrative nutrition at Duke Integrative Medicine in Durham, North Carolina. Researchers have found that spinach may help protect the brain from oxidative stress and may reduce the effects of age-related related declines in brain function.

• Fish 
  

Omega-3 fatty acids in fish such as salmon and tuna can help quell anxiety. Test takers who consumed more of the healthy fats for three weeks halted a surge in stress hormones when they were faced with a tough quiz, according to a study in Diabetes & Metabolism. 

• Oatmeal
  
  
  
  
  
  
  

Spoon up serenity! The B vitamins in oats stimulate production of serotonin, a key neurotransmitter that sends soothing signals to your brain. Elisa Zied, R.D., author of Nutrition at Your Fingertips (Alpha Books), adds that your body digests oatmeal slowly, so you absorb the serotonin steadily.

•  Chocolate

This treat’s pacifying powers are all in your head. “Cocoa boosts your body’s levels of neurochemicals, which act on parts of the brain to help produce a sense of happiness and relaxation,” says Alan Hirsch, M.D., director of the Smell & Taste Treatment and Research Foundation in Chicago.









When the pressure is on, it's difficult not to turn to junk food for solace. But sticking to highly nutritious, low fat, low sugar, and low caffeine diet will be its own reward.