9 Foods That Calm Your Nerves — and Mind

Many of us operate in high gear much of the day, putting out small (and large) fires, juggling schedules, dealing with traffic and generally trying to keep our lives and that of our families in order. Even when our days and nights aren’t streaming at a high pitch, levels of the stress hormone cortisol can remain elevated because we often fail to effectively manage stress and return to a state of tranquility.

Several health dangers exist in the presence of high cortisol. One is that it triggers food cravings, which can send us dashing to the freezer for the ice cream or the cupboard for a box of cookies. That same cortisol can also prompt an enzyme in fat cells to transform cortisone into more cortisol. The fat cells in the abdomen have more cortisol receptors than do regular fat cells, which means high cortisol can translate into more belly fat, which in turn raises the risk of diabetes and heart disease.

Certain foods can help restore calm in your life. I’m not talking about comfort foods, which we turn to when we need emotional numbing and that provide only a temporary, even fleeting sense of peace. In fact, we often feel guilty or angry with ourselves after downing a pint of ice cream or an entire bag of chips.

What I’m talking about are foods that have an ability to calm you because of their nutritional content (e.g., folate, which is a super stress reducer) or the steady energy they provide. They are balancing foods that can assist in relieving stress and restoring internal equilibrium. Include these foods as much as possible in your diet and find some creative ways to enjoy them even more.

1. Asparagus

These noble stalks are rich in folate. A study of 2608 adults found that people who ate the most foods high in folate had a lower risk of depression than those who consumed the least amount.

2. Avocados 

Not only do avocados have more folate than any other fruit, they also contain healthy fats and potent antioxidants such as glutathione, lutein, beta-carotene, and vitamin E, which fight cell-damaging free radicals. Alas, they are also a bit high in calories, but even a few thin slices in a salad (leafy greens—more calming foods!) or in a sandwich are all you need!

3. Berries

Berries are a super source of vitamin C, which has a long history as a stress reducer. For example, in a double-blind, placebo-controlled study, 500 mg of vitamin C was found to reduce anxiety in high school students. Another study found that vitamin C was effective in reducing anxiety in people with type 2 diabetes.

4. Chamomile tea

This herbal tea is a tried, true, and tested way to help achieve a sense of calm. Two studies from the University of Pennsylvania study help illustrate this benefit. In the original 2009 study, 57 adults with anxiety or anxiety and depression were given either chamomile extract or placebo for 8 weeks, and there was a clear anti-anxiety benefit seen in those who took the chamomile. In a 2012 follow-up study, researchers determined that chamomile also provided an antidepressant benefit along with reducing anxiety.

You can enjoy chamomile tea by pouring 8 ounces of boiling water over 2 to 3 heaping tablespoons of dried chamomile (or buy chamomile in tea bags) and steep for 10 minutes. Chamomile tea is also great served over ice.

5. Dark chocolate 

You may heave a sigh of relief when you came to this food. It turns out that dark chocolate is more than a comfort food; it can boost serotonin levels as well as reduce blood pressure and provide a significant amount of antioxidants in the form of flavonols and polyphenols. Moderation is the key when it comes to chocolate, however, so be sure to indulge in small amounts infrequently.

6. Fermented foods

A healthy gut can mean a healthier and calmer brain. That’s because there’s a direct connection (brain-gut axis) between these two regions of the body. Therefore, fermented foods that contain reliable sources of beneficial bacteria (probiotics) can have a direct impact on brain chemistry via your vagus nerve. In fact, a new (September 2016) review from Canada noted “apparent psychological benefits from probiotic supplementation.” Be sure to choose foods with verifiable amounts of probiotics or even better, make your own fermented veggies, kefir, sauerkraut, and yogurt.

 
7. Leafy greens

Kale, spinach, Swiss chard, mustard greens, and others leafy greens are excellent sources of folate and magnesium, another calming nutrient. If you make a salad with leafy greens, asparagus, and a few slices of avocado, you’ll have a super stress-reducing entree on your hands!

8. Oatmeal

You might say oatmeal reduces stress in two ways. One, it’s inexpensive and easy to make, so you don’t spend a lot of prep time. Two, it prompts your brain to make the calming neurotransmitter called serotonin. Enjoy a bowl of oatmeal with a handful of berries and you’ll have double the soothing power.

 
9. Seeds

Chia, sunflower, flax, hemp, sesame—seeds provide lots of magnesium, which is a precursor for serotonin. Research also shows that a magnesium deficiency is associated with anxiety, depression, and panic attacks. For example, a study in Nutrition Neuroscience found that taking magnesium was associated with lower depression symptoms. Another study among 5,708 adults showed a relationship between magnesium intake and depression. Toss some seeds into your leafy greens salad, stir them into your oatmeal, blend them in your smoothie, and enjoy them as a snack!

Do Not Fall for Baked Chips. They are full of Toxic Ingredients

A lot of people fell for the -Baked Lays are a healthy alternative to Fried chips- marketing when Baked were first released. However, these “healthy” snacks may in fact have slightly less calories, sodium,  and fat, but not enough to make a difference. These “healthy” snacks are mostly made up of chemicals and salt, not much of the nutrition you were expecting.

Let’s take a minute to look at Fried chips ingredients: Potatoes, Sunflower and/or Canola oil and salt. These oils are highly toxic when used at a high temperature, like what is required to fry these potatoes. When frying these chips at the high temperature, the starch in the potatoes is subjected to the high heat and forms the carcinogen, acrylamide. It doesn’t matter if the oil is made to withstand high heat either.  

On to Baked chips.

The potatoes aren’t even fresh! They are dried, and there is no information given on how this process was completed. It is likely that the potatoes were dried at a very high heat, which would subject the potatoes to acrylamide. Once the chips have been dried, then they are baked at a low temperature. 

The FDA shows, Baked chips have three times the level of the carcinogen acrylamide than the fried version. Since the Baked Lays are not organic (and neither are the Fried option), ingredients like: Potatoes, corn starch, corn oil, sugar (High Fructose Corn Syrup) and soy lecithin are most likely from a GMO (genetically modified) source.
•Potatoes. Mice fed with potatoes engineered with Bacillus thuringiensis var. Kurstaki Cry 1 were found to have this toxin in their system.
• Corn has been modified to create its own Insecticide. Monsanto has revealed half of US sweet corn has been planted with GMO seeds. Mice fed with GMO corn have smaller babies and have fertility problems.
• Sugar and corn sugar (high fructose corn syrup). Rats fed HFCS gained 300% more fat than those being fed (even slightly more amounts of) regular sugar or sugar from fruit. It also fattens your heart with bad cholesterol, causing plaque build up, leading to hypertension, heart disease and even stroke. Liver, gallbladder and kidneys process HFCS. It is highly destructive to the liver and can cause fatty liver. Scarring of the liver diminishes its ability to process out toxins that will make you sick. HFCS is also high in Mercury levels. Exposure (in young, growing children especially) can result in irreversible brain and nervous system damage.
• Soy has been modified to resist herbicides. Soy products include soy flour, tofu, soy beverages, soybean oil, soy lecithin and other products including pastries, baked products and edible oils. Hamsters fed with GMO soy, were unable to have offspring and suffered a high mortality rate.

The debate of Fried vs Baked isn’t unhealthy vs healthy. It’s more like, these toxins vs those toxins. Knowing how the starch in potatoes is exposed to carcinogens at high heat, you should take apple chips or carrot sticks in place of these toxic chips.

The food industry’s advertising marketers are very creative with their campaigns. They know how to market “food” as natural and (if not better than) healthy. If they put words like, “healthy” and “natural” on their products it must be true, right?
Well your family’s favorite honey nut bowl of cereal is about to be exposed for what it is really made of.

Protein Cheerios, Oats & Honey ingredient list :

whole grain oats, cluster (whole grain oats, brown sugar, soy protein, lentils, sugar, corn syrup, natural flavor, molasses, rice starch, caramel (sugar, caramelized sugar syrup), salt, calcium carbonate, baking soda, color added, bht added to preserve freshness), sugar, corn starch, honey, salt, refiner’s syrup, tripotassium phosphate, rice bran and/or canola oil, color added, natural flavor, brown sugar, vitamin e (mixed tocopherols), bht added to preserve freshness. vitamins and minerals: calcium carbonate, zinc and iron (minerals nutrients), vitamin c (sodium ascorbate), a b vitamin (niacinamide), vitamin b6 (pyridoxine hydrochloride), vitamin b2 (riboflavin), vitamin b1 (thiamin mononitrate), vitamin a (palmitate), a b vitamin (folic acid), vitamin b12, vitamin d3. 

Cheerios: The Awful Truth About America’s Favorite Cereal

NATURAL OATS

General Mills boasts about their use of natural oats in Cheerios. The first ingredient isn’t even oats (remember, ingredients are listed in order by weight of the ingredient) in seven out of the twelve Cheerios varieties currently sold in the U.S.

TRISODIUM PHOSPHATE

One of the ingredients Cheerios are made from is a chemical called Trisodium phosphate. Have you ever heard of this ingredient?  According to Wikipedia, Trisodium phosphate was found to be ecologically damaging. It is still being sold and used in the USA as a cleaning agent, enema (laxative) and food additive. Toilet bowl tablets use this ingredient in most brands on the market. It also used for many other cleaning purposes, from cleaning your driveway to washing your clothing. If that’s not scary enough, Trisodium phosphate isn’t recommended for cleaning your house. It is known to stain the metal of your faucets and even damage the grout around your tile.

CORN STARCH

The second ingredient is corn starch. There is a great chance that this is coming from genetically modified sources, as today corn is one of the top 3 genetically modified crops grown. Not much in the way of nutritional value either. 

SUGAR

The third ingredient- would you be shocked to know its sugar? Sugar should not be in the top five ingredients of any foods your purchasing. Refined sugar consumption damages health much more than we realize. It suppresses immunity and causes weight gain.

Research has linked sugar consumption to numerous health conditions, including:

• Premature aging
• Various cancers — breast, ovary, prostate, rectum, etc.
• Diabetes
• Digestive problems, including chronic indigestion
• Fatigue and low energy
• Heart disease
• Hyperactivity and concentration problems
• Loss of muscle mass
• Nutritional deficiencies, including decreased ability to absorb calcium and magnesium
• Osteoporosis
• Tooth decay and gum disease
• Yeast infections

Monoglycerides are single fatty acids attached to a glycerol molecule. Basically, they are modified fats, which are used to combine ingredients, such as oil and water. According to VRG.org, the commercial source may be either animal (cow- or hog-derived) or vegetable, and they may be synthetically made as well.

Tocopherols are a series of organic compounds consisting of various methylated phenols. They are mainly used to preserve food, especially oils from going rancid and usually have vitamin E activity.

FOODS WITH ADDED VITAMINS

To supplement a diet, food that have vitamins and mineral additives may seem like a healthy boost, but it turns out that the added nutrients can be especially harmful to young children, pregnant women and senior citizens.

A new report from the Environmental Working Group studied breakfast cereals and snack bars and found that more than 140 of them are causing harm to consumers because of the over-fortification.

These excessively fortified foods are causing nearly half of American children (ages eight and under) to consume potentially dangerous amounts of Vitamin B3 (niacin), Vitamin A (retinol) and Zinc.

Food manufacturers’ misleading marketing tactics and outdated nutritional labeling guidelines can lead children to consuming the potentially dangerous foods, the EWG research found:

“Heavily fortified foods may sound like a good thing, but it when it comes to children and pregnant women, excessive exposure to high nutrient levels could actually cause short or long-term health problems,” Renee Sharp, EWG’s research director and co-author of the report, said in a news release.

“Manufacturers use vitamin and mineral fortification to sell their products, adding amounts in excess of what people need and more than might be prudent for young children to consume.” Processed sugars, salt, and oils increase inflammation, which increases the risk of heart disease. Cheerios markets their cereal to suggest it is of all things, healthy for your heart. After reading these ingredients, how could this be true. A chemically, GMO, created sugar coated cereal. May I suggest you look into companies and products that are certified organic and/or at least GMO free for example, to offer at your breakfast table? Your heart and family will thank you for making this informed choice.

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