Food and Stress

At a stressful time in the semester it is important to remember that food choices make a difference in your stress levels. I don't know about everyone, but I personally notice a difference in my ability to take on my to-do list depending on what I have been eating. There is tons of information about this on the web, but most the articles on "stress busting foods" seemed to just list foods that would be good to eat all the time. Oranges, broccoli, nuts, salmon, and turkey were all specifically mentioned as boosting energy and curbing stress. Also, relatively obviously, foods to avoid were things with caffeine, too much sugar, and alcohol. Unfortunately, I find that things with caffine and sugar are often times what people think will make them feel the best when they are stressed and tired. So next time you need to pull an all-nighter should you go for broccoli instead of coffee? I think that the coffee might be more immediately successful, but perhaps in the long run the broccoli will make you feel better and give you more energy the next day.