What foods have a natural calming effect?

If you are feeling stressed then anything you can do to help yourself will be useful. Getting outside and exercising, being with people who make you feel good and learning breathing techniques can all help to calm you down. What you eat can also have a big impact on your mood. When you eat more foods that have a natural calming effect you will notice the difference in terms of how you feel.

Foods that are naturally calming

• It not only tastes great and is very good for you but salmon can also help when it comes to stress and anxiety. For example, it contains potassium, which is essential for making sure that your brain is able to properly use serotonin. It is potassium that acts as a facilitator so that your brain can properly use the serotonin, which is linked to positive thoughts and happy feelings. Salmon is also full of Omega-3 – as well as helping to properly process serotonin, this is also essential for dopamine and can help to increase calm, relaxed feelings. Salmon also has B6 in it, which is essential for processing another neurotransmitter called GABA. GABA has a big role to play in how your body deals with stress.
• Red bell peppers. We know that Vitamin C is important for keeping us healthy. But it’s also a big part of how the brain functions. In fact, there is more Vitamin C in the brain than any other part of the body. Vitamin C is needed in the brain to help it make neurotransmitters that have an effect on how calm you feel. It’s an essential part of the brain chemicals that will affect your mood and how you feel. There are lots of different ways to get Vitamin C but one of the best sources is red bell peppers. In every red bell pepper you will find 152 milligrams of Vitamin C – that’s 50 milligrams more than there is in an orange. It’s also more than 160 times the daily amount that you need.
• Many of us eat porridge for breakfast because it tastes good and gives us energy. But oats also have another benefit, as they contain nutrients that are needed by the body to produce that all-important serotonin. Why is this important? Because it can not only help to make you feel less anxious and stressed but also make sure you get plenty of good sleep too.
• We have already covered how Vitamin C and potassium are both very important for naturally calming you down. Spinach contains both of these. Raw spinach is the best way to make sure that you’re getting as much of these as possible. So, you might want to add some spinach to a salad or a smoothie, for example.

What we eat will affect how we feel. If you are looking for ways to feel less stressed and anxious then start with your diet. Salmon, spinach, oats and bell peppers could also help you to feel better. Find out how can begin tracking your food intake on the MyLife365.Me app today…