Monday, May 2, 2011

7 Best Stress-Fighting Foods

When You're in Gridlock
A Starbucks skim-milk chai latte and half a bagel with cream cheese. The carbohydrates in the bagel provide energy, and they're balanced by protein from the milk in the latte, which makes you feel alert.

When You Have a Big Presentation
Milk, hold the coffee and sugar. Stress may lower your levels of serotonin, one of the body's critical stay-calm chemicals. But milk contains whey protein, which can help boost tryptophan, one of the building blocks of serotonin, by 43%.

When Eating Lunch with the Boss
A manly salad with grilled chicken or fish. Leafy greens are rich sources of B vitamins, which cause feel-good hormones. In fact, a lack of B6 can cause nervousness, irritability, and even depression.

When You Flub a Pitch to a Client
M&M's. And if you have a choice, pick the peanut kind. The chocolate will trigger the release of relax-right-away endorphins, while the nuts will replenish your protein stores to help keep you focused.

When You're Mad At Someone
Eating fish rich in omega-3 fatty acids—salmon, mackerel, trout—can lower the likelihood of feelings of hostility by almost 20%!

When the Game Goes into OT
Any kind of fruit is fine—the sugar in it will give you the little burst of energy that your adrenaline-charged body is craving.

When You Can't Sleep
Oatmeal and a banana. Melatonin is found in only a few foods, and these are two of them.

According to Mens Health

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