Beat the family stress this Holiday Season with these foods

The holidays are a time for joy and cheer. For giving and feasting. For family and friends. But for many, it’s also a time for stress. The holidays can be a stressful enough time, but add in family tension or stress and you got yourself a hot mess for the holidays.

So how can we prevent the Holiday family hiccups and stress in a healthy, natural way?

Bestselling author, TEDx speaker and former immunologist turned mind-body wellness expert, Jaya Jaya Myra, says use the one thing we all love and can agree on… food!

She says, “Food nourishes the soul just as much as it does the physical body. You can use food as a powerful way to boost mood, promote mental health, reduce stress and even help people get along better. I can’t think of a better mechanism to bring people together in a healthy, meaningful way.”

Here are Jaya Jaya Myra’s favorite foods to help prevent family stress this holiday season:

Food 1: Turkey? Yes please! And if you’re plant-based or vegan, opt for other foods containing tryptophan which will metabolize to serotonin in the body. Foods like chia, flax, banana and hemp seeds. Serotonin is one of the body’s “happy hormones” that help you feel calm, relaxed and happy. And maybe even a little bit sleepy. The calm sort of happy serotonin contributes to is perfect for those otherwise tense family gatherings.

Food 2: Ayurvedic chai. And I’m not talking about the kind you get at the local coffee shop: I’m talking homemade medicinal goodness loaded with ginger, black pepper, star anise, nutmeg, cloves, green cardamom, cinnamon and strong black tea with milk or almond milk. This concoction of awesome is loaded with antiinflammatory spices to boost mood, settle the stomach, help regulate blood sugar (do you know how aggravated people get when they have a blood sugar drop or spike), and even ward of bacterial and viral infections. The black tea itself in addition to strong antiviral properties also contain theanine which helps calm the mind and promote relaxation.

Food 3: Sweet Potato Pie. Sweet potato in ayurveda is considered a rasayana, or rejuvenative food. It helps bolster energy and rejuvenate on a mind body and spirit level. They are an excellent source of vitamins, minerals and fiber and have been linked with gut health and better mood (thank you microbiome food and the gut brain connection), stronger immune response, improved brain health and function, and so much more, including anti-cancer properties! If you’re stressed out, burned out, fatigued or run down, the sweet potato pie is a pick-me-up not to pass over this holiday season. Keep in mind though, it can also cause weight gain, which is good for people who are elderly, sick or frail.

Jaya Jaya Myra