What you eat can affect how you deal with stress. Some foods, such as those with high levels of salt, sugar and fats, lessen your ability to handle stress. Drinks also play a role in handling stress. Sodas, beverages with caffeine or alcohol increase stress.

Foods which improve your ability to manage stress include:

100% pure juices which contain a natural source of calming fruit sugars, and herbal teas that provide certain trace minerals, including zinc and selenium.

Good choices are: iced, or herbal teas, grape, orange or papaya juice which

contain tryptophan, an amino acid that acts like a tranquilizer in the brain.

High-fiber foods, such as raw fruits and vegetables help to fight high cholesterol, and hypertension and stress. Choose those that are high in potassium and are low in sodium, such as bananas, sweet potatoes and oranges. Many fruits also contain vitamins A and D, and folic acid to improve your overall general health. Good choices are: dark green, leafy vegetables.

Fiber foods also include: whole grains and heart-healthy nuts. Whole grain foods offer vitamin E, potassium, and pantothenic acid, one of the stress-fighting B vitamins. Nuts are high in magnesium. Good choices include: oatmeal, bran cereal, unsalted almonds, cashews, sunflower and pumpkin seeds.

Low-fat dairy products, such as yogurt and milk, provide protein, calcium and vitamins A and D. Yogurt is digested more rapidly than milk, encourages digestion, helps insomnia, weight loss and even some migraine headaches. Good choices: plain, or vanilla low-fat yogurt. Add your own fresh fruit without sugar or artificial sweeteners and a tablespoon of granola or wheat germ for fiber and B vitamins.

Look to the ocean. Kelp, dulse and spirulina provide protein, calcium, fiber and vitamin A. Fish adds protein and heart-healthy omega-3 fish oil to decrease stress. Good choices are: sprouts and kelp added to a green salad, deep-water ocean fishes. Limit tuna and sword fish because of mercury concerns.

If ever there was a champion among foods, it would be soybeans. They provide calcium, magnesium, B vitamins, protein and tryptophan, help to lower blood pressure and cholesterol and fight the hot flashes of menopause. Good choices: add garbanzo beans to salads, spread hummus on whole wheat bread with greens for a sandwich, incorporate tofu into your menus.

Water works wonders. Staying well-hydrated helps every system of the body to work more efficiently. Drinking water throughout the day helps the skin, the bowels, and the kidneys. Drinking six to eight glasses of water also encourages weight loss. Good choices include: keeping water close at hand to remind you to drink it frequently. To improve the flavor and add variety, you can freeze pieces of fresh fruit in ice cubes to add to your glass of water.

The old adage, you are what you eat, is definitely true when it comes to managing stress by following these tips in choosing what you eat and drink.

Learn more about this author, Joyce Good Henderson.
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