10 foods to beat stress

Stress is a natural part of life. Sometimes it's even healthy and productive, spurring us on to get things done.

But when stress becomes a part of your daily life and you are never able to burn it off, stress can become a real and debilitating problem.

Daily exercise, yoga, meditation and deep breathing a very helpful, but you should also include these foods in your diet too, to help stay cool and calm.

1. Oats. Oats get the feel-good hormone seratonin flowing. Opt for old-fashioned oats that need a little bit longer to cook. These thicker oats take longer to digest, meaning the seratonin-boosting benefits last longer.

2. Bananas. Containing tryptophan, bananas encourage production of seratonin, that feel-good hormone, helping promote calm and reduce anxiety.

3. Turkey. Just like bananas, turkey contains tryptophan.

4. Spinach. This leafy green contains high levels of magnesium, nature's own anti-anxiety mineral. Swap your normal lettuce for spinach and aim for a big handful a day.

5. Oily fish. Feed your brain with oily fish, like salmon, tuna and mackerel. Oily fish contains omega-3s which nourish the brain cells and help reduce cortisol (the stress hormone) and adrenaline.

6. Oranges. A good dose of vitamin C daily helps keep cortisol under control.

7. Almonds. These crunchy nuts contain vitamins E and B2, both of which support the immune system when you're under stress.

8. Milk. We all know how well warm milk works as a sleep-inducer and that's because of its B vitamins, lactium and potassium, all of which reduce tension and promote calm.

9. Sweet potatoes. A good source of fibre and carbohydrates, sweet potatoes and vitamin A and C rich and help to boost seratonin production

10. Dark chocolate. Ladies, that chocolate you love is stress busting, but only if it isgood quality dark chocolate. It is the most endorphin-producing food on the planet. No wonder it makes us so happy.



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