Food & Diet

5 stress-fighting superfoods
Done right, noshing when your nerves are jangling can keep you calm and healthy. Munch your way mellow
!pinach
Three cups of spinach supply 40 percent of your daily magnesium, a mineral that blunts stress's effects on the body by stopping blood pressure from spiking, says Beth Reardon, R.D., director of integrative nutrition at Duke ntegrative !edicine in Durham, "orth #arolina. !tress "# $tuff fresh spinach into omelets and sand%iches to ni& tension %hile you're on the party circuit.

$ranges
'ealthy people %ho %ere e&posed to cold viruses %ere more likely to get sick if they %ere under pressure, a study from #arnegie !ellon (niversity in )ittsburgh finds. *ven a brief bout of tension can influence your immune system, but vitamin # in citrus bolsters your body's natural bug barricades, so you can stay %ell. !tress "# 'aving your %hole family over for brunch+ )our ,-.

%hocolate
This treat's pacifying po%ers are all in your head. .#ocoa boosts your body's levels of neurochemicals, %hich act on parts of the brain to help produce a sense of happiness and rela&ation,. says /lan 'irsch, !.D., director of the $mell 0 Taste Treatment and Research 1oundation in #hicago. !tress "# Drop some dark2chocolate s3uares in everyone's stocking, including your o%n4

Fish
,mega25 fatty acids in fish such as salmon and tuna can help 3uell an&iety. Test takers %ho consumed more of the healthy fats for three %eeks halted a surge in stress hormones %hen they %ere faced %ith a tough 3ui6, according to a study in Diabetes & Metabolism. !tress "# ncrease your omega25 intake7 Reach for smoked2salmon canap8s from the appeti6er tray.

$atmeal
$poon up serenity4 The B vitamins in oats stimulate production of serotonin, a key neurotransmitter that sends soothing signals to your brain. *lisa 9ied, R.D., author of Nutrition at Your Fingertips :/lpha Books;, adds that your body digests oatmeal slo%ly, so you absorb the serotonin steadily. !tress "# 'ave a bo%l of oatmeal as a preshopping meal.