Comfort Food

You may think that foods soothe us based on emotional connections and fond memories (and that may be true for mac n' cheese and mashed potatoes), but it turns out there are foods that actually reduce anxiety, making them metabolically comforting.

Get out your notepad for your next trip to the supermarket. Natural anxiety reducers include berries, oranges and asparagus. The carbs in berries turn to sugar slowly, preventing blood sugar from plummeting, and they are high in vitamin C, which suppresses the stress hormone cortisol. Oranges are also chock-full of vitamin C and can lower levels of cortisol and blood pressure. Asparagus is good for reducing stress because of its levels of folic acid, a natural mood enhancer.

Healthful snacking foods like guacamole and mixed nuts also do the trick. Avocados are full of the B vitamins, which help your body maintain nerves and brain cells. Mixed nuts, especially walnuts, are also loaded with Bs. You'll get zinc in Brazil nuts and vitamin E in almonds, which helps fight cellular damage linked to chronic stress. Two other foods that will keep you calm are Chai tea and dark chocolate.

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