6 foods you should absolutely never eat when you're stressed
Put down the candy. You'll thank us later
Pretzels
Pretzels
Although complex carbohydrates can help give you the energy lift you need to power through a taxing day, there's nothing complex about pretzels. You'll get a temporary spike in energy, but it'll leave you back on the floor before too long.
Instead, go for some . Their bite-sized nature offers the same rhythmic repetition as repeatedly reaching into a bag of pretzels and they're full of good-for-you fiber and potassium.
Candy
Candy
This one's probably a no-brainer, but just in case, skip the candy if you're feeling stressed out. Turns out, the term 'sugar rush' has some very real implications, especially when you're stressed. Bite into a chocolate bar and you're bound to give yourself a massive glucose spike but little in the way of sustainability.
Instead, snack on strawberries for a similar rush of sweetness. Plus, eating around the leafy tops will force you to slow down and snack mindfully, which should help you with feeling stressed.
Coffee Drinks
Coffee Drinks
While coffee is a great source of energy, it's also a great source of, well, energy, which can be tricky if you're feeling stressed. Odds are, the coffee will boost your mood momentarily, but it'll probably leave you feeling jittery. Coffee can be particularly dangerous if you're stress-slurping a sugary coffee drink like a Frappuccino or flavored latte. The added sugar isn't doing you any favors and, odds are, the caffeine will send you into overdrive before you have a chance to calm down.
Instead, brew a cup of tea. Black or Rooibos will probably be your best bet but chamomile is especially well-known for its calming effect.
PHOTO: Starbucks
'Energy' Anything
'Energy' Anything
Whether you opt for an , an energy bar or a pack of energy gummies, proceed with caution. These snacks are usually full of sugar and carbohydrates.
If you need to refuel and reenergize, go with a handful of nuts instead. A quarter cup of almonds should hold you over until you can get a proper meal in you.
Wine
Wine
It sounds blasphemous, but if you're feeling freaked out, wine . Alcohol is a depressant and is widely known to raise Cortisol levels (related to the stress hormone).
PHOTO: Klaus Vedfelt
Fried Food
Fried Food
More often than not, stress is your body's way of saying it feels out of whack — often on a nutritional level. Aside from the fact that fried foods pack next to no nutritional value, who has time to wait for something to fry if you're feeling stressed? Add in the fact that fried foods are usually loaded with fat and salt, and you're looking for a recipe for sluggish stress.
If you want the familiar crispness of french fries, drizzle a sliced sweet potato (packed with fiber and beta-carotene!) with olive oil, sprinkle with salt, pop it into the oven and do some deep breathing exercises while it bakes. You'll be feeling calmer in no time.
PHOTO: Karly Campbell
Pretzels
Pretzels
Although complex carbohydrates can help give you the energy lift you need to power through a taxing day, there's nothing complex about pretzels. You'll get a temporary spike in energy, but it'll leave you back on the floor before too long.
Instead, go for some . Their bite-sized nature offers the same rhythmic repetition as repeatedly reaching into a bag of pretzels and they're full of good-for-you fiber and potassium.
Candy
Candy
This one's probably a no-brainer, but just in case, skip the candy if you're feeling stressed out. Turns out, the term 'sugar rush' has some very real implications, especially when you're stressed. Bite into a chocolate bar and you're bound to give yourself a massive glucose spike but little in the way of sustainability.
Instead, snack on strawberries for a similar rush of sweetness. Plus, eating around the leafy tops will force you to slow down and snack mindfully, which should help you with feeling stressed.
Coffee Drinks
Coffee Drinks
While coffee is a great source of energy, it's also a great source of, well, energy, which can be tricky if you're feeling stressed. Odds are, the coffee will boost your mood momentarily, but it'll probably leave you feeling jittery. Coffee can be particularly dangerous if you're stress-slurping a sugary coffee drink like a Frappuccino or flavored latte. The added sugar isn't doing you any favors and, odds are, the caffeine will send you into overdrive before you have a chance to calm down.
Instead, brew a cup of tea. Black or Rooibos will probably be your best bet but chamomile is especially well-known for its calming effect.
PHOTO: Starbucks
'Energy' Anything
'Energy' Anything
Whether you opt for an , an energy bar or a pack of energy gummies, proceed with caution. These snacks are usually full of sugar and carbohydrates.
If you need to refuel and reenergize, go with a handful of nuts instead. A quarter cup of almonds should hold you over until you can get a proper meal in you.
Wine
Wine
It sounds blasphemous, but if you're feeling freaked out, wine . Alcohol is a depressant and is widely known to raise Cortisol levels (related to the stress hormone).
PHOTO: Klaus Vedfelt
Fried Food
Fried Food
More often than not, stress is your body's way of saying it feels out of whack — often on a nutritional level. Aside from the fact that fried foods pack next to no nutritional value, who has time to wait for something to fry if you're feeling stressed? Add in the fact that fried foods are usually loaded with fat and salt, and you're looking for a recipe for sluggish stress.
If you want the familiar crispness of french fries, drizzle a sliced sweet potato (packed with fiber and beta-carotene!) with olive oil, sprinkle with salt, pop it into the oven and do some deep breathing exercises while it bakes. You'll be feeling calmer in no time.
PHOTO: Karly Campbell
Pretzels
Pretzels
Although complex carbohydrates can help give you the energy lift you need to power through a taxing day, there's nothing complex about pretzels. You'll get a temporary spike in energy, but it'll leave you back on the floor before too long.
Instead, go for some . Their bite-sized nature offers the same rhythmic repetition as repeatedly reaching into a bag of pretzels and they're full of good-for-you fiber and potassium.
Candy
Candy
This one's probably a no-brainer, but just in case, skip the candy if you're feeling stressed out. Turns out, the term 'sugar rush' has some very real implications, especially when you're stressed. Bite into a chocolate bar and you're bound to give yourself a massive glucose spike but little in the way of sustainability.
Instead, snack on strawberries for a similar rush of sweetness. Plus, eating around the leafy tops will force you to slow down and snack mindfully, which should help you with feeling stressed.
Coffee Drinks
Coffee Drinks
While coffee is a great source of energy, it's also a great source of, well, energy, which can be tricky if you're feeling stressed. Odds are, the coffee will boost your mood momentarily, but it'll probably leave you feeling jittery. Coffee can be particularly dangerous if you're stress-slurping a sugary coffee drink like a Frappuccino or flavored latte. The added sugar isn't doing you any favors and, odds are, the caffeine will send you into overdrive before you have a chance to calm down.
Instead, brew a cup of tea. Black or Rooibos will probably be your best bet but chamomile is especially well-known for its calming effect.
PHOTO: Starbucks
'Energy' Anything
'Energy' Anything
Whether you opt for an , an energy bar or a pack of energy gummies, proceed with caution. These snacks are usually full of sugar and carbohydrates.
If you need to refuel and reenergize, go with a handful of nuts instead. A quarter cup of almonds should hold you over until you can get a proper meal in you.
Wine
Wine
It sounds blasphemous, but if you're feeling freaked out, wine . Alcohol is a depressant and is widely known to raise Cortisol levels (related to the stress hormone).
PHOTO: Klaus Vedfelt
Fried Food
Fried Food
More often than not, stress is your body's way of saying it feels out of whack — often on a nutritional level. Aside from the fact that fried foods pack next to no nutritional value, who has time to wait for something to fry if you're feeling stressed? Add in the fact that fried foods are usually loaded with fat and salt, and you're looking for a recipe for sluggish stress.
If you want the familiar crispness of french fries, drizzle a sliced sweet potato (packed with fiber and beta-carotene!) with olive oil, sprinkle with salt, pop it into the oven and do some deep breathing exercises while it bakes. You'll be feeling calmer in no time.
PHOTO: Karly Campbell
Put down the candy. You'll thank us later
Mindless snacking is never a great idea, but more often than not, when stress hits an all-time high, we actually tend to forget to eat. In a perfect world, we'd eat nothing but nutritious, healthy foods when stressed, but the world isn't perfect and neither are we. If you find yourself tail-spinning down into a rabbit hole of stress and low blood sugar, then be sure to grab something to munch. Just make sure it's not one of these snacks.