Top 10 Relaxing Foods

Biologically, our bodies are armed with a weapon against stress: your immune cells. However, there comes a time that you body’s “soldiers” take a beating. A study showed that grabbing a bit of your de-stressant can help generate more immune cells and help your nerves to relax. Here’s a list of food that could help you prevent a bad day.

1. Soup. That hot, steamy bowl of your favorite soup is always tops when it comes to sipping the stress away. Not only does that heat and aroma calm your nerves, ingredients like tomatoes, green pepper, garlic, and olive oil contain anti-oxidants, and are rich in Vitamin C to keep you stress-free.

2. Mint. More than giving you a fresh breath, mint also has anti-stress qualities that make it a handy emergency pck. It eases cramps and helps ward off indigestion. Mint is an antispasmodic so it relaxes  the muscle, which combats stiffness and aches.

3. Chamomile Tea. Tea has always been on the top half of everyone’s relaxing-food-list. This should be credited to the major amino acid content of tea leaves which is called L-theanine. L-theanine is a unique preparation for reducing stress and anxiety. It is said to contain two flavonoids called apigenin and chrysin, which are both said to have sedative effects.

4. Nuts. Ever found yourself absentmindedly popping peanut after peanut into your mouth while staring at a blank space? This is because of the magnesium content (12% of the Recommended Dietary Allowance according to the American Peanut Council) in peanuts. Food containing a high concentration of magnesium relaxes the nerves.

5. Warm Milk. Remember your little-tyke days when Mom used to tuck you in with warm milk? Aside from being a loving gesture, it is a chemical ploy to get you to sleep. Warm milk contains tryptophan, the conversion of which results in the production of serotonin, which aside from inducing feelings of pleasure is also a sleep-enhancing compound.

6. Pasta / Rice / Risotto. A meal with carbohydrates stimulates the release of insulin, which helps clear from the bloodstream those amino acids that compete with tryptophan, allowing more of this natural sleep-inducing amino acid to enter the brain and manufacture sleep-inducing substances, such as serotonin and melatonin. Just make sure to limit your carbo intake to a healthy level.

7. Fruits. The picture of an Egyptian princess munching on a bunch of grapes while lying down, an image of pure bliss, may not just be for a mere show. It is biochemically plausible that she is indeed a stress-free stupor. Vitaminc C-rich fruits like dried dates, figs, papaya, banana, strawberries, sweet cherries, orange, mango, pineapple, and grapefruit actually help optimize seratonin production.

8. Chocolate. Aside from being a bliss-inducing food, chocolate (brought about by the chemical tryptophan, which helps manufacture serotonin, the neurochemical in the brain associated with this sensation) also brings about a soothing feeling. Highly responsible for the latter effect is the theobromine which is said to relax the body’s smooth muscles.

9. Ice Cream. Aside from its palatable flavors, ice cream can actually help erase the frayed ends of a working girl’s nerves. It also contains calcium. This aids the amino acid tryptophan, which in turn cues the brain to relaxation mode. It is best to opt for low-fat alternatives so you can enjoy the experience guilt-free.

10. Seafood. It must be the place where they come from; gently lapping waves, cool sea breeze blowing, and the wide expanse of ocean and sky. Either that or it’s the tryptophan. This rest-provoking amino acid is present in scrumptious seafood that you would love to have after a burdensome day at work.