{"id":4367,"date":"2021-03-29T15:10:28","date_gmt":"2021-03-29T20:10:28","guid":{"rendered":"http:\/\/www.cooking2thrive.com\/blog\/?p=4367"},"modified":"2021-03-29T15:10:29","modified_gmt":"2021-03-29T20:10:29","slug":"promote-calmness-through-food","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.cooking2thrive.com\/blog\/promote-calmness-through-food\/","title":{"rendered":"Promote Calmness Through Food"},"content":{"rendered":"\n

It\u2019s a good day to promote calmness through food. For lots\nof people in my state, it\u2019s a hard day to be calm. Our basketball team plays in\nthe Elite Eight tonight. They\u2019ve been a bit of a heart attack team in the tournament\nso far, making it impossible to calmly lounge on the couch and watch. Could the\nsnacks we choose for the game help quell our anxiety?<\/p>\n\n\n\n

I\u2019m not going to pretend that only a handful of almonds tonight will slow our heartbeats when we\u2019re trailing by 10. That\u2019s not how wellness through food generally works. But skipping the sugary, carb-filled food and beverages can help diminish the jittery feeling caused by fluctuating blood sugar levels. <\/p>\n\n\n\n

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That doesn\u2019t mean you have to go snack free to reduce anxiety. A handful of crunchy raw almonds or sunflower seeds will provide magnesium. Magnesium deficiency<\/a> has been shown to increase anxiety-related behaviors. <\/p>\n\n\n\n

Spinach is also a source of magnesium as are Swiss chard, legumes,\nother seeds and nuts, and whole grains. You may not want to eat a spinach salad\nduring the game, but spinach dip could hit the spot. You could even serve it\nwith bean-based tortilla chips.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Some experts recommend foods rich in B vitamins to reduce\nanxiety. That makes guacamole another great gameday snack food. Or serve layer\ndip with beans, sour cream, guacamole, salsa, cheese, green onions, and\ntomatoes. <\/p>\n\n\n\n

Pickles are probiotics that have been linked to lower social\nanxiety. A plate of crunchy dill pickles will be a welcome addition to your\ncoffee table fare.  Another option is\npickled asparagus. You\u2019ll get probiotic benefits coupled with the anti-anxiety\nproperties of asparagus. <\/p>\n\n\n\n

And while you\u2019re gathering snacks, don\u2019t forget one of our family favorites – deviled eggs. Foods rich in zinc, like eggs, have also been linked to lower levels of anxiety.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Gluten-free diet followers will be pleased to learn that low\nanxiety dessert is in the offing. Buckwheat and quinoa are high in magnesium as\nwell as B vitamins. And dark chocolate provides both magnesium and\nantioxidants. More antioxidants can mean less anxiety. A buckwheat chocolate\ncookie sweetened with dates, honey, or coconut crystals is the perfect dessert combination\nfor game day.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

If you don\u2019t have time to bake, a bowl of fresh berries<\/a> topped with a dollop of plain yogurt or sour cream and a sprinkle of nutmeg is a refreshing addition to an antioxidant-filled menu.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

And when it\u2019s not game day, all of these foods will still help reduce anxiety. Many are effective for lessening depression as well.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

A balanced diet filled with fresh food and plenty of water will give your body the support it needs to function properly. This can go a long way toward building physical and mental and emotional resiliency. I need to get started snacking now so that I\u2019ll have the stamina to watch the game\u2026calmly. <\/p>\n\n\n\n

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Treating Depression with Diet<\/a><\/blockquote>