How to Plan a Diet to Beat Stress and Anxiety

Life is always on the move, particularly the city life and inadvertently stress finds its way into our lifestyles. A little bit of stress can be coped with but due to our lack of attention to it, it aggravates over a period of time and starts to become a major problem. If left still uncontrolled, stress can cause diabetes, thyroid storm and several heart diseases too. Hence it is very important to nip stress in the bud. Several activities in our lifestyle are unavoidable, so we should be able to reduce stress with what's at hand - Our Diet.
The food you eat almost determines everything you do, your activity levels, the way you think and most importantly to maintain your mental health. It is important that you plan a proper diet and follow it thoroughly; eating at odd times and junk food will only ruin your efforts to beat stress. In a properly planned diet programme to beat stress, I recommend that you eat 4 times a day, the breakfast, lunch, a quick bite in the evening and the dinner. Here's more on them,

1. Breakfast - You should have a nice and a slightly heavy breakfast. Have enough so that you don't doze off at work or don't have very less either that you feel tired and weary. The breakfast determines how you perform for the day and how active you can be. Here are the best foods to have for breakfast; Oatmeal, Corn flakes, Milk, Eggs, Bread toast, Any fruit, A few almonds or Rice cereal and Salad



Oatmeal is one of the best recommended foods for a stressbusting breakfast
Source - Flickr

Lunch - It is suggested that you eat well for lunch just like breakfast. You have to keep yourself up until the evening so you have to eat well. Best foods to have for lunch to beat stress are; Green leafy veggies, Asparagus, Tuna (Best Recommended), Any food containing fiber, Little amount of foods containing simple sugars, Spinach or cooked Soybeans.



Tuna can be both tasty and healthy to beat stress
Source - Flickr

The Evening Snack - It is here that you have to control your craving for lip-smacking but unhealthy foods. Here are the best foods for the best evening snack; Oranges, (Black) Tea or Coffee, A few Pistachios, Nuts, Raw veggies, Salad and Bananas or Apples.



A quick Raw Vegetables Burger can be good for an evening snack
Source - Flickr

Dinner - The main purpose of the dinner is to beat stress and help you get a good night's sleep. Eating heavily for dinner usually causes Heartburn, so you should be a bit light after dinner. Eating simple carbs can help you get better sleep. Here are the best recommended foods for dinner and post-dinner to beat stress; Beef (I'm not joking), Rice, Fatty fish, Avocados, Milk, Toast and jam.



Fatty Fish is best recommended for Dinner
Source - Flickr

Not only should you strictly adhere to this diet but you also stop consuming high content of alcohol or caffeine. Smoking also should be avoided strictly You should also accompany your diet with a good night's sleep, anything between 7 - 9 hours is best recommended. Start gradually and don't try to change your diet abruptly. Good luck with it and I would be pleased to hear your opinions and foods that you'd like to suggest or any other plans that you follow.