THE stress concerns most French people on a daily basis. Problems at work, family conflicts, our hyperconnected lifestyle and our desire to always be a model of balance in all circumstances… Our current society does not help us to live peacefully. The problem: stress is harmful to Mental Healthbut also for the heart health.
The study Interheart published in 2004 was one of the first to raise awareness among the medical profession: it showed that professional stress constituted a cardiovascular risk factor at the same level as smoking or untreated high cholesterol.
If you are naturally stressed, food may be able to help you. Certain foods are known to lift your mood and reduce anxiety levels.
Jean Cryan, a University College Corkselon (Ireland) researcher, provides evidence through a study published in the journal Naturedemonstrating the power of certain foods to reduce stress.
“A study published by myself and other members of APC Microbiome Ireland showed that eating more fermented foods and fiber daily for just four weeks had a significant effect on reducing stress levels“.
The list of foods to eat every day to combat stress
To achieve this result, Irish scientists recruited 45 healthy volunteers aged 18 to 59. The latter were divided into two groups which were each assigned a diet to follow for four weeks. One of the two groups followed a “psychobiotic” dietwhich increases the amount of prebiotic foods and fermented foods.
They were led to consume 6 to 8 servings per day of fruits and vegetables rich in fibers prebiotics (onions, leeks, cabbage, apples, bananas, oats…), 5 to 8 servings of cereal (spelt, oats, rye…) per dayhas 3 servings of fermented foods per day (sauerkraut, kefir, kombucha…) and 3 to 4 servings of legumes (chickpeas, lentils, split peas, red beans, etc.) per week.
The volunteers were then subjected to a quiz. Results ? People who followed a psychobiotic diet reported feeling less stressed than others. They also improved the quality of their sleep.
The anti-stress kimchi recipe that highlights fermented foods
Of course, fermented foods aren’t for everyone. However, start by testing a recipe kimchi. It’s actually a spicy cabbage pickle.
Place 1 kg of chopped carrots, fennel and cabbage in a large bowl. Add 75g of caster sugar and a tablespoon of salt and massage with clean hands for five minutes until the liquid begins to drain. Cover and let sit for two hours. Prepare a spicy paste by combining one tablespoon of red pepper flakes, three finely grated garlic cloves, 50g finely grated ginger, four teaspoons of fish sauce, three teaspoons of soy sauce and five onions new thinly sliced. Add the vegetable paste and mix well.
Pack the mixture into a large sterilized storage jar, pressing firmly. Pour over the remaining liquid in the bowl to completely cover the vegetables, adding a little water if necessary. Leave open at room temperature for an hour, then put the lid on and place in the refrigerator. Kimchi can be eaten the next day, but its flavor will develop over the following weeks. Keeps for six months in the refrigerator.
Do not hesitate to add to the recipegarlic and parsley. They are full antioxidantsthe body’s first line of defense against oxidative stress.
