When you are under stress, healthy eating becomes more important than ever. Eating well when times are tough can help boost your mood, decrease anxiety, improve sleep, promote digestion, and minimize the damage stress does to your gut (and your brain, hormones, immune system).
Whole foods, especially dark leafy greens are superheroes when it comes to mood and digestion.
Give this easy massaged kale and apple dish a try.
MASSAGED KALE WITH APPLE
- 4 cups kale, thinly sliced
- 1 cup parsley, chopped
- 1 large lemon, juiced
- 1 avocado, chopped
- 4 tablespoons extra virgin olive oil
- 1/4 teaspoon sea salt
- 1/4 teaspoon black pepper
- 1 large apple, chopped
- 1/4 cup carrots, shredded
Suggested toppings: pumpkin seeds, sunflower seeds, dried cranberries
Add kale, lemon juice, and sea salt to a bowl and massage well with clean hands. The kale should turn bright green and become softer (1-2 minutes). Add all other ingredients and toss.
Top with pumpkin seeds for that extra protein and tryptophan (for blood sugar stability and serotonin production) and dried cranberries if desired.
What healthy foods do you eat when you’re stressed?
I believe raw kale is not the best to eat unless you have an over active thyroid. It slows down the thyroid by making iodine hard for the body to use. This is true for all the cabbage family.
Yes, Hope, it’s true that raw kale doesn’t work well for everyone, and those with hypothyroid conditions may have a harder time. Kale may also not be a good choice if you have trouble with oxalates, or oxalic acid, which naturally occurs in foods like spinach, almonds, peanuts, soy, chard, beets, kale, chocolate, and more. Each body has individual needs. At Confluence, we work to help illuminate these intricacies for our clients, so they can make better food choices for themselves, with more information and knowledge on board.