Stress-Busting Recipes: Nourish Your Body & Calm Your Mind
Feeling anxious or stressed? Try these delicious recipes for a healthy body and calm mind.
Stress management begins with a diet that supports a healthy nervous system and facilitates relaxation. Authors of The De-Stress Diet (Hay House, $19.95) Charlotte Watts and Anna Magee share this tasty one-day meal plan for shedding stress, fast.
Bircher muesli medley
This is the best alternative to muesli if you want a morning starchy carb, as the oats and nuts are soaked and so easier to digest and lower in phytic acid.
Serves 1
Soak 35g (about 2 tablespoonfuls) rolled oats in yoghurt or alternatively water or half-water/half-freshly pressed apple juice overnight in the fridge with a tablespoon of nuts and seeds for protein – choose from almonds, Brazils, walnuts, pecans, sunflower and pumpkin seeds. You can add a dessertspoon of golden linseeds for increased detoxifying, digestive and hormonal health if you want.
Sweeten only with ground cinnamon, unsweetened desiccated coconut and fruit from these options: chopped dried apricots, prunes, grated apple, berries, sliced or stewed plums and/or apples.
For variety or a gluten-free option, buckwheat, quinoa or millet flakes can be used in place of oats, or mixed in with them.
You can add a dollop of plain live Greek or live plain wholemilk yoghurt to taste if the oats have been soaked in water/apple juice.
For speed, mix up your grains, nuts and seeds and keep in an airtight container to quickly pour into a bowl.
Hearty smoothie
Serves 1
Blend the following:
½ large avocado ½ tin coconut milk (or make up 200ml from a coconut block) 200ml freshly squeezed apple juice or water, or a mix of the two 1 cup berries – strawberries, blueberries, raspberries or mixture (can be defrosted from frozen or blended while still partially frozen)
Options:
Add optional ground almonds, whey, pea or hemp protein for a post-exercise smoothie.
Spiced chicken and vegetable soup
This spiced-up classic dish is particularly easy on the digestion and healing to the gut, with all the warming nutrients easily absorbed and highly satisfying – a great antidote to any sugar cravings hanging around.
Serves 2
1 small onion, finely sliced 2 medium carrots, roughly chopped 1 large leek, roughly chopped 1/4 savoy cabbage, roughly chopped 2 skinless chicken legs, preferably free range 1-2 cloves garlic, crushed – more if you fancy 1/2 tbsp olive oil 1/4 tsp ground turmeric 1/4 tsp ground coriander 1/4 tsp ground cumin 1/4 tsp ground ginger 1/2 low salt chicken or vegetable stock cube Chopped parsley to garnish 1 slice sourdough rye bread, to serve (optional)
Heat the olive oil in a pan, add the onions and gently soften, stirring continually. Add the turmeric, coriander, cumin, ginger and stir into the onions. Cook for 3 minutes.
Add 750ml of water and the stock cube, bring to the boil, add the chicken legs and simmer for 15 minutes. Add the chopped vegetables and simmer for another 10 minutes, adding more water if needed.
Remove the chicken bones, separate out the meat into fine shreds and thoroughly stir the soup.
Pour into bowels, garnish with parsley and serve immediately.
Green leafy ginger and cashew stir-fry
Using nuts as protein in this evening meal can be filling and also provide some starchy carbohydrates so you don't need to rely on grains or beans – add more if you need.
Serves 2
1/2 tbsp light olive oil 2 tsp chopped ginger – more if you fancy 1-2 chopped garlic cloves – more if you fancy 6 spring onions, sliced 150g kale or savoy cabbage 1/2 head broccoli, cut into florets 2 medium carrots, thinly sliced 4 baby sweetcorn, thinly sliced 1 pak choi, roughly sliced 3 tsp soy sauce or tamari 2 tbsp raw cashew nuts 1 teaspoon sesame oil 1 tbsp coriander, chopped
Heat the olive oil in a wok or frying pan and before it smokes add all of the vegetables except the pak choi and stir for about 4 minutes.
Add the garlic, ginger, soy sauce and keep stir frying until the vegetables are almost cooked but still crisp. Add a little water if they become dry and put the lid on for a seaming effect. Add the pak choi and keep cooking until all the vegetables are cooked lightly.
Remove from the heat, stir in the cashews, sesame oil and coriander and serve in a large bowl.
Options:
Add a small portion of soba noodles if you've exercised during the day.
You can vary vegetables eg asparagus, fennel, red peppers, kale, cavolo nero
Extra protein like tofu or cooked prawns can be added at the end of cooking for a heartier meal
These recipes are courtesy of The De-Stress Diet (Hay House, $19.95) by Charlotte Watts and Anna Magee and www.de-stressyourlife.com
