This is the companion menu for my previous blog post, Stress Less This Summer.  As promised, it focuses on foods that have been shown in studies to reduce anxiety and/or promote relaxation.  These include salmon, yogurt, poultry, turmeric, green tea, dark chocolate and bananas.  I will discuss the first two below.

It also is stress-free to prepare.  The breakfast salad is pretty much a quick assembly job of readily purchased ingredients.  For lunch, make the soup on the weekend and portion it into grab-and-go mason jars for a quick reheat and eat meal.  And dinner is also a salad where the components may be prepared in advance at your leisure.  So all you need to do when you get home is toss it all together.  No cooking!  This is a mercy in this heat.  To keep you well hydrated, I’ve included a green tea lemonade you can sip on all day long.  And to keep you cool, I’ve finished the day with a frozen treat.

Sign up here to receive the recipes. I hope you enjoy my Stress Less Menu and please do share these recipes with your family and friends!

Stress Less Menu

Breakfast: Smoked Salmon Avocado Yogurt Bowls (the only stress-trigger here is finding yourself without a ripe avocado, so plan in advance)

Lunch: Lentil Masala Soup (an appetizing, aromatic, all-in-one meal with loads of satiating protein and fibre)

Dinner:  Thai Chopped Chicken Salad with Peanut Sauce (to make this even simpler, you can use a prepared fresh slaw mix…I like to blend two or more of PC Kale, Broccoli or Beet Slaws….and feel free to use thawed frozen mango chunks to reduce prep time even further)

Hydrate in the heat:  Iced Green Tea Lemonade (add a pinch of Himalayan or sea salt to replenish electrolytes;  also, green tea contains L-theanine, an amino acid studied for positive effects it may have on brain health and anxiety reduction )

Cooldown Dessert: Chocolate Banana Ice Cream (this is truly a revelation – frozen bananas and cacao powder whipped up into a creamy, cool, tasty treat)

Join The Nutritional Reset community here to receive this month’s menu today (as well as each month to come)!  And read on for some nutritional tidbits about a few foods featured in the recipes…

A few featured foods

Yogurt

As mentioned in my post, Stress Less This Summer, it’s emerging that our health is determined to a large extent by the health of our gut microbes.  Yogurt contains probiotics, i.e. live bacteria and yeasts that are beneficial for our digestive system.  By contributing to a thriving microbial balance, yogurt may positively effect brain health and anxiety levels.  Be sure you buy yogurt that has live, active cultures, as not all do.

 

Salmon

Salmon contains omega-3 fatty acids (DHA and EPA), which may help regulate dopamine and serotonin, neurotransmitters which can have calming effects.  These fatty acids also have anti-inflammatory properties which may help counteract the negative effects of stress hormones (cortisol and adrenaline).

 

 

 

Cooking your own food is the single most impactful step you can take to improve your health and energy!

I hope you enjoy this Stress Less Menu (sign up here to receive the download link).  And if you want to cook more of your own food but don’t know what to make or have the time to organize your own menus and shopping lists, The Nutritional Reset offers a meal planning service.  It makes preparing tasty, nutritious meals a snap. Click here to find out more.