When coping with anxiety, your diet can actually make all the difference.
In fact, even just simply eating breakfast can calm those anxious feelings and help you start your day on the right foot. But we don’t want to overcomplicate things and add layers to already existing anxiety. Instead, we want to make things ultra-easy. And this is where overnight oats can help!
Overnight oats are easy to prepare the night before (or even days ahead of time). This means all you need to do is get up and eat. There’s no fuss about making an extravagant breakfast. It’s already done. Plus, these berry overnight oats are to die for! It’s delicious and nutritious.
Anxiety can stop you in your tracks.
It’s a level beyond simply worrying about your day or even past events. Instead, it paralyzes you. And the hard part is that anxiety and depression can all be rolled into one. Talk about making your mental health tough to navigate!
Luckily, there are many online mental health resources. There are also many things you can try to calm your anxiety, including playing around with your diet.
And when it comes to carbs, which may actually help boost serotonin, oats are some of the best ones (more on this shortly)!
So, how can you make these berry overnight oats and finally find some bliss?
Related Article: Anxiety and Depression Can Go Hand in Hand: How Do You Know?
The type of berries is optional and specific to you. If you prefer raspberries over blueberries, go for it! Some also love to add a bit of dark chocolate to really make this a tasty and sweet treat.
Related Article: 4 Conflicting Signs of Anxiety: It Looks Different for Everyone
First off, having breakfast versus not having breakfast can have a huge impact on whether or not you feel anxious in the morning.
When we first wake up, our cortisol levels are at their peak (This isn’t necessarily bad; it actually helps us wake up!). However, eating something can help keep those cortisol levels at bay and prevent them from getting out of control.
So, how else can this overnight oat recipe help with anxiety? Let’s take a look!
Yup, you read that right!
Complex carbs, like oats, may help quell anxiety by boosting serotonin levels. One cup of oatmeal increases tryptophan, an amino acid that actually gets converted to serotonin in the body. Eventually, serotonin is then converted to melatonin, meaning it can also help you get a good night’s rest.
Research shows that decreased serotonin activity is associated with an increased risk of anxiety and depression. Other examples of carbs that act similarly to oats include quinoa and whole grains.
One cup of oats has about 26 grams of protein, meaning this recipe has about 13 grams of good ol’ (and much-needed) protein. So, why does protein matter?
This all comes down to blood sugar control, which isn’t just important for diabetic individuals. Even relatively healthy individuals should get in tune with their blood sugar levels since this can help regulate mood, focus, energy, and more!
Protein digests slowly and prevents sugar from entering the bloodstream all at once. This means your body gets a steady supply of glucose as opposed to a huge spike, which can actually increase anxiety.
Berries are some of the best fruits on the planet. This is all thanks to their antioxidant and vitamin content. Blueberries, specifically, are often talked about due to this very reason (and when it comes to berries, these rank out on top!).
On top of this, many berries, like strawberries and blueberries, contain vitamin C, which contributes to the protection and repair of our body’s cells.
Chia seeds can be a good source of omega-3s, which boost brain health and function.
These also aren’t limited to just this recipe. Try adding chia seeds to smoothies or yogurt bowls. This might just help you get the omega-3 content your body needs, without even having to eat seafood (especially if you aren’t a huge seafood fan or have allergies).
Like these overnight oats! All you need to do is grab them from the fridge and enjoy.
And yes, it takes a little bit of planning, but everyone has five minutes to throw this easy breakfast together! Let us know what you think of this recipe in the comments below.
Read Next: 3 Easy and Simple Secrets for Relieving Morning Anxiety and Stress
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