Home LivingWellnessSleep5 foods that reduce stress & improve sleep, according to nutritionistsFeeling stressed and tired? Try eating these 5 foodsWhen you purchase through links on our site, we may earn an affiliate commission.Here’s how it works.
Home LivingWellnessSleep5 foods that reduce stress & improve sleep, according to nutritionistsFeeling stressed and tired? Try eating these 5 foodsWhen you purchase through links on our site, we may earn an affiliate commission.Here’s how it works.
Feeling stressed and tired? Try eating these 5 foods
When you purchase through links on our site, we may earn an affiliate commission.Here’s how it works.
(Image credit: Pablo Merchan Montes / Unsplash)
(Image credit: Pablo Merchan Montes / Unsplash)
Did you know that what you eat and drink throughout the day not only has an impact on your health, but also your sleep and stress levels? From disrupting your sleep schedule to not giving your body the right amount or type of nutrients it needs, food and drink can drastically affect your day-to-day life.
Similar tofoods that can help you sleep better, there are also foods that can reduce your stress levels. A newstudy published in Nature from APC Microbiomehas looked into the role of diet in supporting optimal mental health and has found that a psychobiotic diet can reduce stress and improve sleep.
In addition to fermented foods, increased fibre and less processed foods also had an impact on stress and sleep levels within the participants. So, if you’re feeling a little stressed or are having trouble sleeping, adding prebiotics or fibre to your diet can contribute to solving or easing these problems.
Below, we’ve found 5 foods that you should think about incorporating into your diet to help reduce stress and improve sleep.
1. Sauerkraut
(Image credit: Polina Tankilevitch / Pexels)
(Image credit: Polina Tankilevitch / Pexels)
2. Beans & lentils
(Image credit: Antoni Shkraba / Pexels)
(Image credit: Antoni Shkraba / Pexels)
Another trend that the study found to be beneficial for stress was an increase in high fibre foods, like beans and lentils. Fibre is hard to digest compared to other nutrients and having too much fibre can make you feel a little uncomfortable. However, having extra fibre in your body forces your gut to produce more enzymes to digest food which results in more short-chain fatty acids which can help manage sleep and stress problems. Fermented foods are also high in fibre but if you’re not the biggest fan of these types of foods, other high fibre foods like beans and lentils are a great choice.
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3. Berries & dried fruits
(Image credit: Jane Doan / Pexels)
(Image credit: Jane Doan / Pexels)
Other high fibre foods that are good for sleep and stress management are berries and dried fruits. Strawberries, blackberries and raspberries are high in fibre, great for digestion and are naturally low in calories, too. Other berries like avocado (did you know that an avocado is a single seeded berry?!) are also a good source of fat and potassium, and dried fruit is brilliant for blood flow and brain functioning. For sleep help,cherries are said to make you feel sleepierand improve the duration and quality of sleep.
4. Meat & fish
(Image credit: Ca Creative / Unsplash)
(Image credit: Ca Creative / Unsplash)
5. Nuts & seeds
(Image credit: Raspopova Marina / Unsplash)
(Image credit: Raspopova Marina / Unsplash)
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