With the stresses of today, anxiety plays a key role in health. There are countless drugs out there to help with anxiety, however most of the time their side effects are worse than the anxiety itself. In order to avoid these problems, people may turn towards natural means of calming. Many types of food contain neurotransmitters which can alter hormones in the brain, increasing feelings of calmness, peacefulness, and may even take away pain.
Complex carbohydrates such as the ones you find in whole grains are known to increase the levels of serotonin in the brain. Increased levels of serotonin can increase relaxation,http://www.umm.edu/sleep/relax_tech.htm levels. An example of a great relaxation food would be whole grain cereals, without the sugar of course. Higher levels of sugars will increase blood sugar leading to anxiety and stress, thus countering the benefit of complex carbohydrates.
Chocolate,http://www.ghirardelli.com/ is a well known comfort food. Much like the complex carbohydrates, chocolate is also high in tryptophan which alters the brain’s serotonin levels. Chocolate also contains a neurotransmitter that can alter dopamine levels, leading to increased feelings of peace and relaxation.
Green tea is a beverage that may also be calming to the mind and body, however those sensitive to caffeine may not benefit.