By Juliana Spano
Special to the Chronicle
It’s 12:01 a.m. and you are on the fifth page of an eight-page essay due that morning. You’re stressed, so you grab your vanilla latte and chocolate caramel crunch bar to calm you down. Surly these sugary sweets will satiate you enough to continue forging your assignment.
Wrong.
Eating excess amounts of sugar while stressed can actually impair your memory and too much of it can make you more anxious. However, you need a certain amount of sugar for concentration – it is your brain’s fuel source. So what should you eat that won’t show on your stomach?
If you haven’t had dinner yet, order some salmon. The heart-healthy omega-3 fatty acids in fish can lower your anxiety by more than 20 percent.
Why not top it off with some oranges? A study published in “Phychopharmacology” says that vitamin C reduces stress and lowers blood pressure. Research says the scent of the fruit triggers a sense of refreshment. The sugars in oranges are natural and healthy enough to help you focus on finishing that paper.
If you are low on vitamin B, which keeps your nerves and brain cells healthy, you might feel anxious. Next time you feel restless, grab an avocado. Avocados are high in B vitamins. The smooth texture of avocados makes it easy to consume and digest. If you need a little flavor, guacamole is a great recipe for angst reduction.
It may not be a food, but green tea is one of the best sources of stress relief. Not only does it reduce anxiety, but it also battles depression, according to a study in “The American Journal of Clinical Nutrition.” Replace coffee with green tea, since green tea is a natural and calming source of caffeine, while coffee will keep you anxious during those late night study hours.
The only dessert to make the menu: chocolate. Chocolate, specifically dark, is shown to lower the stress hormones that swarm throughout your body. Some doctors say eating a chunk of dark chocolate a day can seriously boost antioxidants in your body.
It is not only important to eat right when you are stressed, but to stay conscious of what you eat at all times. A build up of fatty foods can leave you feeling sluggish and less productive to work. So sit down, have some guacamole, and get that paper done!
