Keeping Calm at Work with Healthy Snacks
When deadlines pile up and your inbox is overflowing, office stress can easily go through the roof. Taking brief snack breaks with blood sugar-balancing bites can help you regain equilibrium on particularly hectic days. Keeping the right stress-fighting munchies on hand is key.
Choose Snacks Wisely
Not all snacks are created equal when it comes to managing stress. Processed junk foods can lead to energy crashes that amplify anxiety. Sweets may offer quick satiation but soon have you digging for another fix. And carb-heavy treats can trigger the release of serotonin that briefly lifts your mood then swiftly drops it lower than before once the carbs are metabolized.
Smart snacking means opting for nourishing, whole food options that offer a steady stream of energy and mood-lifting compounds. Here are some of the best stress-taming snacks to stock up on.
Mixed Nuts and Seeds
Nuts like almonds, pistachios, walnuts and pecans brim with protein, fiber, magnesium and plant-based omega-3s that help stabilize blood sugar and quell stress-related inflammation. Nutrient-dense seeds like pumpkin, chia and flax make excellent additions. Combine an assortment in reusable containers to keep handy on your desk or in your office kitchen for quick grabbing when pressure builds. Just watch portion sizes, as nuts are calorie dense.
Beef or Turkey Jerky
Lean protein provides the building blocks for neurotransmitters that regulate mood, like serotonin. Protein also steadies blood sugar which prevents energy and mood crashes. Beef and turkey jerky deliver a hearty hit of protein in a portable package, making them perfect pick-me-ups when you feel overwhelmed by your workload and need to take the edge off quickly. Look for low-sodium options without too many additives. Homemade jerky is the healthiest choice.
Greek Yogurt
Packed with mood-lifting tryptophan and protein, Greek yogurt makes for an ideal afternoon stress-snacker. Top with berries for an extra infusion of antioxidants. Chia seeds, walnuts and flaxseed also make great mix-in options to amplify nutrition. The healthy fat and fiber will help you go longer between hunger pangs so you can maintain focus on completing tasks without distraction. Just be sure to pick unsweetened yogurt to limit sugar content.
Avocado Toast
Creamy, potassium-rich avocado smeared onto whole grain toast yields the perfect balance of healthy carbs, fiber and monounsaturated fats for sustained energy and clearer thinking under duress. The addition of sprouts, tomatoes or hard boiled egg white kicks up the nutritional quotient even more. Prepare a batch ahead of time so midday mini-breaks involve quick grabbing rather than prepping.
Trail Mix
Homemade trail mixes made with unsalted nuts, dark chocolate chunks, coconut flakes, freeze dried fruit and seeds make for wholesome snack attacks to fend off stress. Tuck single serving bags in your desk drawer to help you ride out rough patches without derailing healthy habits. Trail mix gives you something to nibble mindlessly on while you plow through projects, helping diffuse tension.
Popcorn
A snack staple, popcorn makes for a fibrous mini-meal that fills you up and keeps hangry hysteria at bay when work problems pile high. Opt for stovetop or air-popped varieties over calorie-dense movie theater popcorn laden with butter. Spritz your popcorn with olive oil and sprinkle with just a touch of sea salt for heart-healthy flavor if plain doesn't satisfy your cravings.
Best Foods for Calming Stress
In addition to snack staples every desks should stock, incorporating certain nourishing foods into lunchtime and dinnertimes can help you better cope with job stress.
Leafy Greens
Leafy greens like spinach, kale and swiss chard supply magnesium, a mineral that deficiency of may exacerbate anxiety. Add leafy greens to sandwiches, salads, soups and smoothies to help replenish calm-inducing magnesium stores.
Fatty Fish
Salmon, mackerel, herring and other fatty fish boast high levels of inflammation-quelling omega-3 fatty acids known to short-circuit the stress response. At least two servings per weeks is recommended for optimal effects. Bake, broil or grill your fillets and add them to salads or enjoy fish tacos for stress-free brain food.
Bananas
Packing vitamin B6, potassium and tryptophan, bananas can help curtail work worries. Low B6 levels correlate with irritability and depression while potassium regulates blood pressure spikes common when you feel frazzled. And tryptophan coverts to calming serotonin. Keep a bunch of bananas near the office kitchen for easy grabbing when you require an anxiety antidote.
Sweet Potatoes
Like bananas, orange-hued sweet potatoes deliver a sizable dose of mood-stabilizing vitamin B6. They also contain some tryptophan. Bake them in batch and store in fridge, then reheat as needed for a soothing spud fix all week long.
Blueberries
Bursting with antioxidant and anti-inflammatory power, blueberries banish the belly-aching, headache-inducing effects of work woes better than nearly any other food. Sprinkle them onto yogurt, oatmeal and salads or just nibble straight from the pint anytime blood boils from mounting frustrations throughout the workday.
Dark Chocolate
A bite or two of antioxidant-rich dark chocolate not only slows stress-induced free radical damage but also boosts levels of calming anandamide to help clear work-rattled minds. But limit portions to one square or less a day to minimize sugar and fat intake.
Supplementing for Stress Support
While nourishing snacks and meals should form the foundation of your stress fighting regimen, certain supplements can provide backup when job anxieties simply refuse to back off.
Nutritional frontiers calm day
Nutritional frontiers calm day promises the "ultimate stress relief blend" with a mix of vitamins, herbs and amino acids engineered specifically to promote endocrine and adrenal health. It features high potency B-complex including methylated vitamin B12 and folate to rejuvenate energy pathways. The formula also supplies 200 mg of premium ashwagandha extract per serving to reduce excess cortisol and control systemic inflammation that drives anxiety.
L-theanine
Often sourced from green tea, l-theanine is an amino acid that counters stimulation of excitatory neurotransmitters that generate anxiety. It also boosts alpha brain waves to incite relaxation sans sedation. Most experts recommend 100-400 mg of l-theanine as needed to block stress responses.
Magnesium
The body burns through magnesium faster during periods of high stress, making supplementation advisable for those coping with regular work pressures. Magnesium threonate is the preferred form for cognitive health as it more readily crosses the blood-brain barrier for swift stress relief. Take 1-2 capsules nightly or as recommended based on individual deficiency.
Omega-3s
Since most people eat too few omega-3-rich foods to reap anti-inflammatory benefits, daily supplementation warrants consideration. Look for sustainably sourced fish, krill or algal oil omega-3 products that supply at minimum 250-500 mg of EPA/DHA per capsule. Nordic Naturals Ultimate Omega fish oil is a premium therapeutic choice.
Probiotics
Supporting healthy gut flora yields total body rewards due to the "gut-brain axis" connection. When gut microbiome balance falters from job stress, neuroinflammation and psychiatric distress can follow. Seek a multi-strain formula from a reputable brand providing colony forming units (CFUs) in the billions. Formulations with prebiotics offer added gut nourishment.
Adopting Lifestyle Habits to Lessen Workplace Stress
While nourishing foods, snacks and supplements provide biochemical assistance to help you navigate nerve-racking workdays with cool, calm composure, also cultivate these key lifestyle habits:
Exercise Regularly
Make daily movement a priority, even just quick 10 minute bursts. Exercise unleashes endorphins, gets blood pumping to deliver energizing oxygen to the brain, and eliminates toxins that cloud thinking. Take regular walking breaks plus hit the gym, trail or mat on your own time to sweat away tension.
Sleep More
Aim for 7-9 hours of quality sleep per night. Restorative rest recalibrates neurotransmitters and stress hormones imbalanced by heavy work demands. Support sleep consistency by sticking to a set bedtime/wake time and limiting evening blue light exposure from phones, TVs and computers.
Laugh Often
Laughter truly is some of the best medicine when job stress strikes. Share silly YouTube videos with coworkers, seek humor in absurd deadlines and difficult personas, and avoid taking yourself too seriously even in taxing circumstances. Lightening the mood can work magic.
Breathe Deeply
When confrontations arise or responsibilities feel overwhelming, take 60-second breathing breaks to engage the parasympathetic relaxation response of your nervous system. Inhale slowly, guiding breath deep into your belly - then exhale fully. Repeat until calm returns.
Set Healthy Boundaries
Don't become a hostage to emails and notifications outside of work hours. Disconnect once home to devote time to family, friends, hobbies and relaxation that recharges you for the next hectic day so burnout doesn't set in.
While demanding jobs will always breed some degree of stress, arming yourself with the right snacks, nourishment and lifestyle habits can help you stay centered even on the craziest of office days. With key support, a nutritional frontiers calm day awaits!
FAQs
What is Nutritional Frontiers Calm Day?
Calm Day is an anti-anxiety supplement blend containing vitamins, herbs and amino acids designed to promote adrenal health and relieve excess cortisol caused by workplace stress.
When should I take Calm Day supplements?
The nutrients and botanicals in Calm Day work best when taken consistently day after day. Take them daily as a preventative stress support regimen rather than just occasionally when feeling overwhelmed.
What snacks most help calm work worries?
Smart snacks for alleviating work stress include nuts, avocado toast, Greek yogurt with fruit, turkey jerky, trail mix, popcorn and other whole foods that provide a steady supply of energy and nutrients without causing crashes.
How else can I relieve tension besides supplements?
Don't rely only on pills to banish work woes. Also be diligent about daily exercise, getting 7-9 hours of sleep, laughing often, taking deep breaths when stressed, setting healthy work boundaries and nourishing your body with leafy greens, fatty fish and other stress-fighting foods.
Can I take Calm Day every day or just when very stressed?
While you can take Calm Day supplements on an occasional, as-needed basis when work pressures peak, they work best when taken consistently so nutrients like B vitamins and magnesium remain steadily replenished.
Disclaimer: This article is for informational purposes only and does not constitute medical advice. Always consult with a healthcare professional before starting any new treatment regimen.
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