We all have those days when we feel a little anxiety or a little blue and I am a big believer in diet and exercise to help ward off these feelings! So, when I recently read about olive oil helping with the blues and dates (the fruit not the activity-lol) helping to relieve anxiety I knew I had to share this information!
Olive oil- I am a big fan of olive oil as it is (it is a great for your skin, heart and helps to keep the bad fats from being absorbed ) but now in a study of more than 12,0000 people , those who consumed at least 3 ½ tsp of olive oil daily were 30% less likely to suffer depression than those who ate none. Apparently the same mechanism in monounsaturated fats that reduces inflammation in arteries also reduces brain inflammation. This is important because brain inflammation triggers the release of cytokines, proteins that suppress your levels of fee-good neurotrans-mitters. So to make a long story short have some olive oil everyday and you may kick some of those blues away! I personally use olive oil in most things that I cook and even take a teaspoon before eating high carb foods to help block the bad fats. Go olive oil!
Date away anxiety-Ok, ok not the actual activity of dating but the delicious fruit dates! I love the natural sweetness of dates and now beyond them having one of the highest antioxidant contents of any dried fruit--- dates ease stress and unkink tense muscles. Dates contain an almost perfect one-to-one ratio of calcium and magnesium which work in harmony to calm the nervous system. A single handful of dates has more potassium (which regulates heartbeat and breathing rate) than an entire banana!!
Sooooooooooo…. Now you know two great and natural ways to help when you are singing the blues!! I have started eating more dates so hopefully I’m on the right track too!
Ref:Woman’s World 2011
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Time to go to the store and get me some olive oil and dates. Its so cool that food can produce so many great things. How have you been Heidi. I need to stop by more often.
ReplyDeletei love olive oil too and our oil for cooking, and sometimes for dipping. should buy more dates next time.
ReplyDeleteGreat information. I won't complain anymore when my hubby adds olive oil to our stir fries! I like dates also and may rat more after reading this, but dating and decreasing anxiety - no way ;)
ReplyDeleteIt is good to see someone praising up fat (any kind of fat!) .... When you look back in time to the 1940's and 1950's etc - it appears that obesity has only really come to be a factor of bad health since diets have praised the consumption of less fat. People are eating low fat diets and exploding with plumpness.
ReplyDeleteOlive oil as you say is a wonderful fat and offers good health in every direction. I believe also it is one of the only oils that doesn't change its chemical structure when used in cooking which is always good to know.
Now whilst reading your post and getting down to the dates ...... you have made me want to raid the store cupboard as these are one of the many dried fruits I have on hand in case I get peckish - I enjoy all varieties of dates, especially the dark brown toffee flavoured ones. It's good to know they have so many health advantages so thank you for the reminder.