Eat These Foods to Reduce Stress and Anxiety

[cheryl]

Eat These Foods to Reduce Stress and Anxiety - Cleveland Clinic

A dietitian weighs in on foods to lower your cortisol levels

If you’re trying to lower your stress levels, you probably already know to start with the basics: self-care, sleep management, and exercise. But did you know there are some foods that lower stress levels, too?

Dietitian Courtney Barth, MS, RDN, LD, CPT, explains how certain foods can help reduce your levels of cortisol — the primary hormone responsible for stress.

What cortisol does

Cortisol plays a number of roles in the body, including:

• Regulating sleep cycles.
• Reducing inflammation.
• Increasing blood sugar.
• Managing how the body uses carbohydrates, fats, and proteins.
• Controlling blood pressure.

Importantly, cortisol is sometimes known as the “stress hormone” because your adrenal gland releases it when you’re in a stressful situation, or when your body is under physical stress (like inflammation). It’s the key to helping your body manage its fight-or-flight instinct — which is a good thing.