Holiday Stressbusters

Tis the season for stress.It's everywhere, from over crowded shopping malls to never ending family dramas and issues to work end of year deadlines. Luckily there are certain foods that can melt that away. Eat your way to relaxation  and a world of peacefulness.

One of the best is while grain pastas and breadsThey contain tryptophn, yep that snoozer chemical found in turkey , which is a calming neurotransmitter. Nothing beats a bowl of spaghetti, already a comfort food, with homemade sauce . Have it with a big slice of whole grain Italian bread and some salad after a hard day of multitasking . Another idea is making whole grain pizza at home with the family. Kneading the raw dough is another stress buster and it's fun to put on different toppings.Even a slce of whole grain toast with butter is a nice way to end the day, especially if you have it with a cup of herbal tea. You can add a drop o honey to this for some sweetness.
Stay away from jams and jellies though which have processed sugar. The last can make you hyper which just brings on more stress.

Stress busitng snacks are always good to  have , whether at home or at the office.These include almonds, blueberries and dark chocolate, no surprise on the last one.Almonds are loaded with zinc which help to balance moods plus they are full of healthy fats and iron which are needed for combatting brain fatigue , a contributor to stress. Blueberries are not just a tasty low fat snack they are asup erfood and contain vital and important antioxidants. The more antioxidants in a body, the less the stress.dark chocolate, reduces the hormones that causes all these problems, cortisol. Stay away from milk chocolate  which has the problematic dairy and refined sugar. For a yummy combination of the dark chocolate and blueberries buy a bag of Brookside chocolates. The company also sells another stress buster acai dipped in dark chocolate.Acai is the exotic cousin of the blueberry and it too is a super food that relieves stress.

Tis the season to be merry not stressed out. Have a dinner of whole grain pasta followed by a tasty dessert of chocolate dipped blueberries. You'll not only feel cam but happy with these wonderful flavors.