Three calming foods…

… to eat when you’re feeling stressed

Foods that contain vitamins and minerals that help to regulate our heart rate, blood pressure and blood flow are being celebrated on social media as ‘natural beta blockers’ – so called because of the potential calming effect they have on our bodies.

While none of them can ever substitute beta-blocker drugs that block the release of stress hormones, studies show these foods can aid heart health and so may help to alleviate physical symptoms of stress.

Here are some easy ways to include them in your daily diet.

1. Potassium to regulate the heart

When dissolved in water potassium conducts electricity, a property necessary for many processes in the body including regulating the heartbeat. Potassium-rich foods include bananas, avocados, potatoes, broccoli, spinach, salmon, chicken and skimmed milk.

To make a potassium-rich “bananacado” morning smoothie, blend 1 medium-sized ripe banana, ½ a ripe avocado, 100ml skimmed milk, ½ tsp ground cinnamon and a handful of ice cubes until smooth. Serve immediately. This provides about 25 per cent of the recommended daily potassium requirement of 3,500mg.

2. Vitamin E to lower blood pressure

A powerful antioxidant known for its beneficial effect on skin and eye health, studies have found vitamin E also aids heart health, including helping to control high blood pressure. The top food sources of this important micronutrient are trout, prawns, spinach, avocado, butternut squash, kiwi fruit, olive oil, almonds and sunflower seeds.

The daily recommended intake for vitamin E in the UK is 12mg. To get all of this in one go, wilt down 200g of spinach in a large pan with 1 tbsp olive oil, a squeeze of lemon juice and a little salt and pepper. Top with 15g of chopped almonds and 15g of sunflower seeds which have been lightly toasted in a dry frying pan.

This would be an excellent accompaniment to grilled trout, 100g of which provides a further 2.1mg of vitamin E.

3. Amino acid L-arginine to improve blood flow

The best food sources of L-arginine are lean animal protein such as turkey, chicken, pork and dairy products, although pumpkin seeds, soybeans, chickpeas and lentils all contain a useful amount for those following a plant-based diet.

L-arginine is an amino acid that’s found in proteins, which the body uses to produce nitric oxide. This relaxes the blood vessels to increase blood flow and lower blood pressure.

For an L-arginine boost, make some heart-healthy “edamammus” by blending together a can of chickpeas (drained and rinsed), 200g defrosted edamame beans, 2 roughly chopped garlic cloves, the juice and zest of a lemon,

3 tbsp tahini, 3 tbsp olive oil and 100ml cold water.

Blend for several minutes until completely smooth. Top with 2 tbsp toasted pumpkin seeds. This will keep in an airtight container in the fridge for up to three

days.

The plasticwrapped supermarket loaf is one of the biggest sources of salt in our diet, says nutritionist Sonia Pombo. A slice of Hovis Granary Wholemeal contains 0.46g of salt – more than a bag of crisps. A slice of Waitrose White Sourdough contains 0.41g.

It all adds up. Two slices of Tesco White Bread (0.68g) spread with four teaspoons of salted butter (0.3g) and some Marmite (0.86g) has 1.84g of salt. That’s onethird of the maximum recommended salt limit for adults.

*If you are taking any medications check with your doctor before making any major changes to your diet