In today’s fast paced way of living, it is quite common for people to complain that they are stressed. For many individuals, there are just so many things to do with the limited amount of hours in a day. It is because of this that many suffer from the effects of stress such as becoming ill, having difficulty sleeping, experiencing mood swings and others. But stress can be managed by simply taking in the right vitamins and minerals.
Certain vitamins and minerals have anti- stress effects on the body. In order for you to have brighter moods, you should increase your intake of foods rich in B vitamins, particularly B6 and B12. The B vitamins have the ability to stimulate the production of serotonin in the brain. This neurotransmitter helps you relax. Foods that you can try munching on would include almonds, pistachios and walnuts for vitamin B6, fish, such as salmon, and low- fat yogurt for vitamin B12, scallops and shrimp.
Your immune system may weaken when stress takes a toll on your body. To combat it, vitamin C is needed. It reduces the free radicals that accompany stress and strengthens the immune system. It is considered to be the front liner for colds and other stressors. Vitamin C- rich foods include blueberries, broccoli, green bell peppers, kiwifruit, tomatoes, mangoes and strawberries.
If insomnia, or difficulty sleeping, bothers you a lot, eating chickpeas, lentils, oatmeal, pumpkin seeds, Swiss chard or spinach for dinner may help. These foods contain magnesium which has a natural tranquilizing effect; relaxing the muscles, blood vessels and gastrointestinal tract. Other than this, just like the B vitamins, it also boosts the amount of serotonin.
The option of taking the supplemental form of the abovementioned vitamins and mineral depends on you but nothing beats the natural sources. So eat up and stress less.
