Skip to content

Top Navigation

Health.com Health.com
  • Health Conditions A-Z
  • News
  • Coronavirus
  • Diet & Nutrition
  • Fitness
  • Beauty
  • Mind & Body
  • Lifestyle
  • Weight Loss
  • Newsletter
  • Promo

Profile Menu

Your Account

Account

  • Join Now
  • Email Preferences this link opens in a new tab
  • Newsletters
  • Manage Your Subscription this link opens in a new tab
  • Help
  • Logout

More

  • Give a Gift Subscription this link opens in a new tab
Login
Subscribe
Pin FB

Explore Health.com

Health.com Health.com
  • Explore

    Explore

    • Is Your Doctor Gaslighting You? Here's What to Do

      Is Your Doctor Gaslighting You? Here's What to Do

      How to handle a physician who doubts or dismisses your symptoms. Read More Next
    • 9 Signs It's More Serious Than the Common Cold

      9 Signs It's More Serious Than the Common Cold

      Doctors explain how to tell if you have a head cold or something more serious that requires medical attention, such as the flu, strep throat, meningitis, or mono. Read More Next
    • How Your Period Changes During Your 20s, 30s, and 40s

      How Your Period Changes During Your 20s, 30s, and 40s

      From easier cramps to a heavier flow, here's a guide on what to expect decade by decade. Read More Next
  • Health Conditions A-Z

    Health Conditions A-Z

    See All Health Conditions A-Z
    12 Anxiety Symptoms That Might Point to a Disorder

    12 Anxiety Symptoms That Might Point to a Disorder

    The symptoms of anxiety can be hard to detect. Here are the ones you need to pay attention to, and how to know if you may have an anxiety disorder.
    • Allergies
    • Anxiety
    • Birth Control
    • Breast Cancer
    • Coronavirus
    • Chronic Pain
    • Cold, Flu, and Sinus
    • Depression
    • Digestive Health
    • Diabetes (Type 2)
    • Eczema
    • Eye Health
    • Fibromyalgia
    • Heart Disease
    • Headaches and Migraines
    • Oral Health
    • Pregnancy
    • Psoriasis
    • Sexual Health
    • Skin Conditions
    • Sleep
    • Thyroid
  • News

    News

    See All News
    Shannen Doherty Reveals Stage 4 Breast Cancer Diagnosis—Here's What It Means

    Shannen Doherty Reveals Stage 4 Breast Cancer Diagnosis—Here's What It Means

    "I'm petrified," the actress said when she shared the news that her breast cancer came back. Here's why a stage 4 breast cancer diagnosis can be so frightening.
    • Celebrities
  • Coronavirus
  • Diet & Nutrition

    Diet & Nutrition

    The Best (and Worst) Diets of 2020, According to Experts

    The Best (and Worst) Diets of 2020, According to Experts

    FYI: The keto diet isĀ not number one.
    • Food
    • Nutrition
    • Vitamins and Supplements
    • Groceries
    • Restaurants
    • Diets
    • Keto Diet
    • Mediterranean Diet
    • Whole30
    • Recipes
  • Fitness

    Fitness

    See All Fitness
    10 Moves for a Cardio Workout at Home—No Equipment Required

    10 Moves for a Cardio Workout at Home—No Equipment Required

    Stay in your living room and still spike your heart rate.
    • Cardio Workouts
    • Strength Training
    • Yoga
    • Ab Workouts
    • Arm Workouts
    • Leg Workouts
    • Butt Workouts
    • Fitness Gear
  • Beauty

    Beauty

    See All Beauty
    These 13 Women Prove Every Body Is a Bikini Body

    These 13 Women Prove Every Body Is a Bikini Body

    We're loving their inspirational, body-positive messages.
    • Skincare
    • Makeup
    • Hair
    • Nails
  • Mind & Body

    Mind & Body

    See All Mind & Body
    Why Do People Lie? We Asked an Expert

    Why Do People Lie? We Asked an Expert

    Here's the truth about lying.
    • Body Positivity
    • Self-Care
    • Misdiagnosed
    • Invisible Illness
    • LGBTQ+ Health
    • Right to Care: Health Diversity and Inclusion
    • Resolution Reboot
    • Wellness Warriors
  • Lifestyle

    Lifestyle

    20 Things You Should Throw Away for Better Health

    20 Things You Should Throw Away for Better Health

    Clean out expired products and clutter to make way for a healthier you.
    • Healthy Home
    • Pets
    • Family
    • Relationships
    • Style
    • Holidays
    • Sex
    • Gifts
    • Money
    • Tech
    • Medicare
    • Best Life Now
    • Health Reviews
  • Weight Loss
  • Newsletter
  • Promo

Profile Menu

Subscribe this link opens in a new tab
Your Account

Account

  • Join Now
  • Email Preferences this link opens in a new tab
  • Newsletters
  • Manage Your Subscription this link opens in a new tab
  • Help
  • Logout

More

  • Give a Gift Subscription this link opens in a new tab
Login
Sweepstakes

Follow Us

  1. Home Chevron Right
  2. Mind & Body Chevron Right
  3. 10 Foods That Fight Holiday Stress

10 Foods That Fight Holiday Stress

By K. Aleisha Fetters
Updated December 03, 2018
Skip gallery slides
Save Pin
oyster
Credit: Getty Images
These foods that can slash stress, curb anxiety, and help you make it to the New Year emotionally unscathed.
Start Slideshow

1 of 11

Save Pin
Facebook Tweet Mail Email iphone Send Text Message

Eat your way calm

food-relieve-stress
Credit: Getty Images

Eat right, stress less. Sounds like a good deal, right? Especially during the holidays, when the last thing on your wish list is more stress. After all, over time, stress can increase your risk of fatigue, high blood pressure, heart disease, and belly fat—not to mention the odds you'll snap when your mom gifts you wrinkle reducer. This year, start the season right by stocking up on these foods that are made for fighting holiday insanity.

RELATED: 11 Tips for Avoiding Holiday Depression Triggers

1 of 11

Advertisement
Advertisement

2 of 11

Save Pin
Facebook Tweet Mail Email iphone Send Text Message

Blood oranges

blood-orange-stress
Credit: Getty Images

It's a good thing this produce pick is in season during the winter: with more vitamin C than their bloodless counterpart, they're a perfect quick defense against drama. In a study published in the journal Psychopharmacology, German researchers attempted to stress out 120 people by asking them to give a speech and then answer difficult math problems. Researchers found that those participants who had been given high doses of vitamin C before the stress-fest had lower blood pressure levels and concentrations of the stress hormone cortisol. (Here are 12 more foods with more vitamin C than oranges.)

RELATED: 9 Surprising Health Benefits of Citrus Fruit

2 of 11

3 of 11

Save Pin
Facebook Tweet Mail Email iphone Send Text Message

Oatmeal

oatmeal-stress
Credit: Getty Images

A perky disposition depends on carbohydrates. Serotonin, your brain's primary mood-boosting neurotransmitter, comes from the amino acid tryptophan, which needs carbohydrates to reach the brain, according to Judith Wurtman, PhD, former MIT research scientist and co-author of The Serotonin Power Diet. Problem is, as cute as Christmas cookies are, their refined carbs spur an overproduction of insulin that's not only linked to sugar crashes but spikes in stress hormones as well. Reach for warm and gooey oatmeal instead, suggests Wurtman. It contains the healthy carbohydrates and fiber needed to boost your serotonin levels for a full three hours.

RELATED: Oatmeal Recipes for Every Day of the Week

3 of 11

Advertisement

4 of 11

Save Pin
Facebook Tweet Mail Email iphone Send Text Message

Chamomile tea

chamomile-tea
Credit: Getty Images

Stress time is the perfect teatime. In a recent study from the University of Pennsylvania published in the Journal of Clinical Psychopharmacology, adults with mild to moderate generalized anxiety disorder who took chamomile extract for 8 weeks saw greater reductions in anxiety than those who took a placebo. Plus, according to the University of Maryland Medical Center, chamomile promotes sleep so that your body can get the rest it needs to deal with stressors. (Discover more foods that will help you sleep.)

RELATED: Pamper Yourself! 8 Natural Stress Relievers

4 of 11

5 of 11

Save Pin
Facebook Tweet Mail Email iphone Send Text Message

Turkey

turkey-stress
Credit: Getty Images

Who cares about family feuds when they're coasting through a turkey coma? "That's because turkey contains high concentrations of tryptophan, which is broken down to form serotonin to induce feelings of calm and even help your body make drowse-inducing melatonin," says Kimberly Gomer, a registered dietitian and educator at the Pritikin Longevity Center. But remember, if that tryptophan is going to reach your brain, you need to pair it with some carbs. Enter the famous Thanksgiving-leftover sandwich, or one of these other 9 Great Recipes for Turkey Leftovers.

5 of 11

6 of 11

Save Pin
Facebook Tweet Mail Email iphone Send Text Message

Almonds

almonds-stress
Credit: Getty Images

What can't these little nuts do? Almonds are brimming with vitamin E and B vitamins, which may protect both your immune system and mood. A handful of almonds packs about 20% of your daily-recommended intake of magnesium, which fights free radicals in the body. Not getting enough magnesium can even cause fatigue and trigger migraine headaches, says Gomer. And since, according to the American Journal of Clinical Nutrition, nearly seven out of 10 Americans don't get enough of the nutrient, it's a good bet that low magnesium levels have you on edge.

RELATED: 5 Genius Ways to Use Almonds

6 of 11

Advertisement
Advertisement
Advertisement

7 of 11

Save Pin
Facebook Tweet Mail Email iphone Send Text Message

Grass-fed beef

grass-feed-beef
Credit: Getty Images

Happy cows make for truly happy meals. Grass-fed beef contains more omega-3s and fewer omega 6s than its grain-fed counterpart, helping to mediate mood-wrecking inflammation in the body. Plus, it's a great source of the amino acid creatine, which can lift depression in women, according to 2012 study published in the American Journal of Psychiatry. Researchers believe that by increasing the energy available to the brain, creatine may help people better wrap their minds around problems. The result: those problems feel a whole lot smaller.

RELATED: 11 Healthy Ground Beef Recipes

7 of 11

8 of 11

Save Pin
Facebook Tweet Mail Email iphone Send Text Message

Sweet potatoes

sweet-potato
Credit: Getty Images

Here's a whole new reason to give thanks: With more nutrients than their colorless cousin, sweet potatoes are an excellent source of the antioxidant lycopene, which improves mood by preventing the formation of pro-inflammatory compounds, like interleukin-6, that are linked to depression, says Melinda R. Ring, MD, Medical Director of Integrative Medicine at Northwestern Memorial Hospital. Sweet spuds are also high in other mood enhancers like B6 and magnesium. And you can do much more with these tubers than mash them—try these healthy sweet potato recipes.

RELATED: 7 Health Benefits of Sweet Potatoes

8 of 11

9 of 11

Save Pin
Facebook Tweet Mail Email iphone Send Text Message

Salmon

salmon-stress
Credit: Getty Images

All omega-3 fatty acids are good for you, but when it comes to battling holiday stress, DHA and EPA are the ones you need. Found primarily in fatty fish like salmon, they support healthy brain cell function, endorphin levels, and positive moods by keeping cortisol and adrenaline levels in check, Gomer says. Plus, just one serving of salmon contains more than half of your recommended daily allowance of vitamin D, which most women fail to meet during the winter because of a lack of sunlight. One University of Texas study published in Mayo Clinic Proceedings found that the lower your blood levels of vitamin D, the greater your chance of having clinical depression. Need new recipe ideas? Try one of these 20 Heart-Healthy Salmon Recipes.

RELATED: The Best Salmon Toppings You Haven’t Tried Yet

9 of 11

Advertisement
Advertisement
Advertisement

10 of 11

Save Pin
Facebook Tweet Mail Email iphone Send Text Message

Lentils

lentils-stress
Credit: Getty Images

Lentils are the perfect comfort food—and not just because they're hearty, filling, and perfectly warm on cold winter days. They are also packed with depression-fighting folate, which helps make serotonin and dopamine, possibly explaining why up to half of people who suffer from depression have low folate levels, according to Ring. "Folate's so important to mood that many anti-depressant medications even contain the nutrient." If you find yourself experiencing more high-lows than chronic lows, good news: lentils are also a great source of fiber, which can help stabilize blood sugar levels and keep you from snapping under stress.

RELATED: 6 Iron-Rich Food Combos—No Meat Required

10 of 11

11 of 11

Save Pin
Facebook Tweet Mail Email iphone Send Text Message

Oysters

oyster
Credit: Getty Images

These suggestive shellfish contain more than seven times the zinc per serving of any other food. Why does it matter? Zinc deficiency can cause depression and anxiety, and supplementation is an effective form of treatment, according to a 2010 study from the Florida State University College of Medicine. If seafood isn't your thing, reach for cuts of beef and poultry. While whole grains and fortified breakfast cereals also contain zinc, their phytates can inhibit zinc's absorption in the body and dull its effect.

RELATED: How to Safely Eat Raw Oysters

11 of 11

Replay gallery

Share the Gallery

Pinterest Facebook

Up Next

By K. Aleisha Fetters

Share the Gallery

Pinterest Facebook
Trending Videos
Advertisement
Skip slide summaries

Everything in This Slideshow

Advertisement

View All

1 of 11 Eat your way calm
2 of 11 Blood oranges
3 of 11 Oatmeal
4 of 11 Chamomile tea
5 of 11 Turkey
6 of 11 Almonds
7 of 11 Grass-fed beef
8 of 11 Sweet potatoes
9 of 11 Salmon
10 of 11 Lentils
11 of 11 Oysters

Share options

Facebook Tweet Mail Email iphone Send Text Message

Login

Health.com

Magazines & More

Learn More

  • About Us
  • Subscribe this link opens in a new tab
  • Contact us
  • Advertise this link opens in a new tab
  • Content Licensing this link opens in a new tab
  • Sitemap

Connect

Follow Us
Subscribe to Our Newsletter
Other Meredith Sites

Other Meredith Sites

  • 4 Your Health this link opens in a new tab
  • Allrecipes this link opens in a new tab
  • All People Quilt this link opens in a new tab
  • Better Homes & Gardens this link opens in a new tab
  • Bizrate Insights this link opens in a new tab
  • Bizrate Surveys this link opens in a new tab
  • Cooking Light this link opens in a new tab
  • Daily Paws this link opens in a new tab
  • EatingWell this link opens in a new tab
  • Eat This, Not That this link opens in a new tab
  • Entertainment Weekly this link opens in a new tab
  • Food & Wine this link opens in a new tab
  • Hello Giggles this link opens in a new tab
  • Instyle this link opens in a new tab
  • Martha Stewart this link opens in a new tab
  • Midwest Living this link opens in a new tab
  • More this link opens in a new tab
  • MyRecipes this link opens in a new tab
  • MyWedding this link opens in a new tab
  • My Food and Family this link opens in a new tab
  • MyLife this link opens in a new tab
  • Parenting this link opens in a new tab
  • Parents this link opens in a new tab
  • People this link opens in a new tab
  • People en EspaƱol this link opens in a new tab
  • Rachael Ray Magazine this link opens in a new tab
  • Real Simple this link opens in a new tab
  • Ser Padres this link opens in a new tab
  • Shape this link opens in a new tab
  • Siempre Mujer this link opens in a new tab
  • Southern Living this link opens in a new tab
  • SwearBy this link opens in a new tab
  • Travel & Leisure this link opens in a new tab
Meredith Health.com is part of the Meredith Health Group. © Copyright 2021 Meredith Corporation. All rights reserved. The material in this site is intended to be of general informational use and is not intended to constitute medical advice, probable diagnosis, or recommended treatments. All products and services featured are selected by our editors. Health.com may receive compensation for some links to products and services on this website. Offers may be subject to change without notice. Privacy Policythis link opens in a new tab Terms of Servicethis link opens in a new tab Ad Choicesthis link opens in a new tab California Do Not Sellthis link opens a modal window Web Accessibilitythis link opens in a new tab
© Copyright . All rights reserved. Printed from https://www.health.com

View image

10 Foods That Fight Holiday Stress
this link is to an external site that may or may not meet accessibility guidelines.