Stress washes out many essential nutrients making your body too weak to fight back. Make sure you compensate for any shortfalls with your diet. Nuts, seeds, dried fruits and vegetables are especially rich in anti-stress nutrients. A small handful of them will put you back on track.
Make your anti-stress food mix
The health authorities of Canada and United States recommend 1.5oz of nuts per day for an adult (or 42 grams, or roughly 1/3 cup, or a small handful). This mix consists of the following eight ingredients:
- Brazil Nuts – 100g for 7-day supply: 3-4 nuts per day (1 Brazil nut = 5g)
- Cashews – 100g for 7-day supply: 5 nuts per day
- Pistachios – 100g for 7-day supply: 15 kernels per day ()
- Pumpkin Seeds – 100g for 7-day supply: 1 tablespoon per day
- Sunflower Seeds – 100g for 7-day supply: 1 tablespoon per day
- Sundried Tomatoes – 454g (1lb) for 7-day supply: 70g per day
- Goji Berries – 100g for 7-day supply: 1 tablespoon per day
- Raisins – 100g for 7-day supply: 1 tablespoon per day
Why this Anti-Stress Food Mix is good for reducing stress
Because it’s packed with anti-stress nutrients:
B Vitamins
B Vitamins can sufficiently and increase your tolerance to stress and improve your mood.
- Thiamine (Vitamin B1) is important in keeping the nervous system healthy and plays a vital role in maintaining a healthy mental attitude. It can help stabilize mood and improve memory and concentration.
- Niacin (Vitamin B3) supports the functions of the nervous and digestive system. The body can produce niacin from the amino acid L-tryptophan. A deficiency in B3 can cause depression, irritability, stress and mood disturbances.
- Pyridoxine (Vitamin B6) is crucial for happy hormones dopamine and serotonin production, which aids the body’s ability to cope with depression, stress and anxiety. B6 may also help boost the immune system during times of anxiety.
- Folic Acid (Vitamin B9) strengthens memory and concentration while preventing Alzheimer’s disease.
Zinc and selenium for happy hormones production
Those minerals have been scientifically proven to prevent depression and anxiety. They play a crucial role in the synthesis of serotonin, one of four hormones of happiness. Researchers from the University of Barcelona found that people had higher levels of serotonin metabolites after nut consumption.
Amino acid tryptophan
Amino acid tryptophan is a biochemical precursor for serotonin, which is a well-known hormone of happiness. Serotonin produces your happiness, and tryptophan produces serotonin.
Amino acid tyrosine
Amino acid tyrosine is required for dopamine production. Although dopamine is found in many types of food, it is incapable of crossing the blood–brain barrier that surrounds and protects the brain. Therefore, it must be synthesized inside the brain from tyrosine.
Magnesium
Magnesium calms down your nerves.
Science-based health benefits of foods included in this mix
Brazil nuts
Brazil nuts are the richest dietary source of selenium and very good in magnesium.
- Selenium is a core-component of the antioxidant enzymes that activate many processes of free radicals fighting. A one-ounce serving of 6 nuts supplies 774%DV for selenium!
- Magnesium is one of the major anti-stress nutrients; it calms down the nerves and keeps them relaxed.
Cashews
- Copper: Cashews are one of the best plant sources of copper which is necessary for a wide range of physiological processes responsible for the state of your nervous system. It regulates nerve transmission. Numerous health problems can develop when copper intake is inadequate, including brain disturbances.
- Plant sterols: They also contain a fair amount of beta-sitosterol (one of several plant sterols) that is being studied for its potential to reduce benign prostatic hyperplasia and blood cholesterol levels.
Pistachios
- Vitamin B6: Pistachios have phenomenal contents of vitamin B6; they are one of the richest sources of it. A 100-gram serving of pistachios has 1.7mg of vitamin B6 (131% DV), whereas 100g of salmon have 0.8mg. Pistachios are twice higher in B6 than salmon! B6 is crucial for dopamine and serotonin production. B6 can help the body manufacture neurotransmitters, such as serotonin, which aids in the body’s ability to cope with depression, stress and anxiety. B6 may also help boost the immune system during times of anxiety.
- Folic acid (vitamin B9): Pistachios are naturally rich in folate (or folic acid, or vitamin B9) which is important for synthesis of the “hormones of happiness”
- Amino acid arginine – 217 mg/100g (and have high arginine to lysine ratios)
- Magnesium – 121 mg/100g (34% DV)
- Zinc – 2 mg/100g (23% DV)
Pumpkin seeds
Pumpkin seeds are extremely rich in four major anti-stress nutrients:
- Zinc: A serving of 100g of pumpkin seeds provides 80% of the Daily Value for zinc, making pumpkin seeds one of the best sources of zinc. Stress depletes zinc rapidly, causing hidden deficiencies, and that is why you need a constant supply of zinc.
- Amino acid arginine: Pumpkin seeds are not only rich in arginine but also have the best arginine to lysine ratio.
- Amino acid tryptophan: Pumpkin seeds are the best source of tryptophan ever – 576mg of tryptophan per 100g (206% DV), or 161mg of tryptophan per ounce (28g) (58% DV).
- Magnesium: A 100-gram serving of pumpkin seeds provides 155% of magnesium daily value!
Sundried Tomatoes
- Super rich in lycopene: Sundried tomatoes are the richest source of lycopene that has important health benefits, including nerves relaxation.
- Super rich in vitamin C – 102mg (169% DV) – as rich in vitamin C as oranges. It was found that high doses of vitamin C actively reduce levels of stress hormones in the blood. Like the B-complex vitamins, vitamin C cannot be stored in the body. This is why many nutritionists believe that a person who is under long-term stress requires this nutrient in much greater quantities than the Reference Nutrient Intake (RNI) which is sufficient under normal circumstances. Vitamin C also helps to maintain the immune system which is weakened during times of stress.
- Great in vitamin B6 – 3mg (20% DV)
Useful Tip: Eating sundried tomatoes with healthy fats increases the absorption rate of lycopene by as much as five to seven times because it is a fat-soluble thing.
Sunflower Seeds
Sunflower seeds have 9 nutrients essential for men’s health and sex life at excellent or great values.
- Super rich in vitamin E, a powerful antioxidant that – 78%DV
- Super rich in vitamin B1 – 48%DV
- Fantastic in vitamin B6 – 31%DV
- Rich in magnesium, manganese and phosphorus – 30%DV
- Rich in vitamins B3 and B9 and phytosterols – 19%DV
Dried Goji Berries
- Mega-super rich in vitamin A – 536% DV – a powerful antioxidant, immunity booster, eye-health promoter, and anti-aging agent; goji berries are not rich in provitamin A, they are superrich – comparable with beef liver and more than chicken liver!
- Excellent in vitamin C – 48mg (81% DV) – a powerful antioxidant, immunity booster, and anti-aging agent
- Excellent in potassium – 1594mg (45%DV) – 4 times banana’s content!
- Excellent in iron – 7mg (38% DV) – goji berries are packed with iron which improves haemoglobin and red blood cells production
For your references: nutrients these nuts are good for
Percent Daily Value (%DV) per 30g (or about 1 ounce)
- BRAZIL NUTS for selenium – 770%DV (SUPER RICH), thiamine (vitamin B1) – 19%DV, magnesium – 35%DV, manganese – 25%DV, phosphorus – 35%DV
- CASHEWS for riboflavin (vitamin B2) – 28%DV, vitamin E – 58%DV, copper – 37%DV, iron – 17%DV, magnesium – 25%DV, manganese – 31%DV, phosphorus – 28%DV, zinc – 20%DV
- PISTACHIOS for thiamine (vitamin B1) – 25%DV, vitamin B6 – 43%DV, manganese – 65%DV, phosphorus – 23%DV
- PUMPKIN SEEDS for amino acid arginine – 2g/oz, amino acid tryptophan – 161mg/oz (28g) or 58%DV (the best source of tryptophan ever), iron – 20%DV, magnesium – 51%DV, manganese – 70%DV, phosphorus – 56%DV, zinc – 27%DV (one of the best sources of zinc)
- SUNFLOWER SEEDS for thiamine (vitamin B1) – 48%DV, niacin (vitamin B3) – 19%DV, folate (vitamin B9) – 19%DV, vitamin E – 78%DV, magnesium – 30%DV, manganese – 31%DV, phosphorus – 31%DV
- SUNDRIED TOMATOES for lycopene (the richest source of it), vitamin C – 102mg (169% DV), vitamin A – 38%DV, vitamin B6 – 0.3mg (20% DV), potassium – 1565mg (44% DV), and iron – 3mg (15% DV)
- RAISINS for sugars – 80% by weight including about 30% of glucose, boron – 2-3mg/100g, potassium – 21%DV, and amino acid arginine.
- GOJI BERRIES for vitamin A – 536% DV (mega-super rich), vitamin C – 48mg (81%DV), betaine – liver and kidney health promoter, and potassium – 1594mg (45%DV) – 4 times banana’s content!
NOTES:
**Values and percentages are based on the USDA Nutrient Database
**Values and percentages are approximate based on the USDA Nutrient Database
**Percent Daily Value (%DV) is a guide to the nutrients in one serving of food. For example, 40% for protein means that one serving provides 40% of the protein you need each day. It helps you make informed food choices. DVs are based on a 2,000-calorie diet for healthy adults.