Many of our wellness retreat guests come to reduce stress so it’s something we like to address on a regular basis. Stress isn't just something that happens in your mind. Your body responds to stress, too, and nutrition can play a role in supporting how your body handles those demands.

There isn't one food that will make stress disappear, and food shouldn't be viewed as a treatment for anxiety or chronic stress. But consistently eating a variety of nutrient-dense foods can provide your body with the protein, healthy fats, fiber, vitamins, minerals, and antioxidants it needs to support overall health—including your nervous system and brain.

It's also worth remembering that stress can influence the way we eat. When we're busy, overwhelmed, or tired, it's easy to reach for whatever is quickest and most convenient. Having nourishing options available can make it a little easier to take care of yourself when life gets hectic.

Here are 11 foods worth adding to your rotation, along with some of the nutrients that make them interesting choices when you're looking to support your body during stressful seasons.

A Note About Food and Stress

Think of these foods as options—not a prescription. You don't need to eat all 11, and you certainly don't need to force yourself to eat something you don't enjoy.

Instead, use this list as inspiration. Choose the foods you already like, experiment with one or two new options, and notice how they fit into your meals, energy, appetite, and overall well-being.

→ If you want a system that walks you through how to build a wellness plan unique for you, we’ve also created The Mind + Body Lab, but let’s dive into the info in this post first.

Asparagus

This veggie is tasty, though it might be an acquired taste for some. Asparagus is high in folate, helping you to stay calm and feel good.

Avocados

This fruit is full of a compound called glutathione, which helps to block the absorption of many fats that can cause free radicals to develop. It is also rich in beta carotene, vitamin E, and folate, plus a great source of healthy fat.

Berries

All berries, and especially blueberries, are high in antioxidants, but they also contain tons of vitamin C, which is well known to combat stress and help reduce cortisol levels.

Cashews

These healthy nuts provide the crunch and salty relief in place of junk food. Cashews are high in zinc, which can help you to control stress, decrease your risk for depression or anxiety, and give your mood an overall boost.

Chocolate

Real, high percentage cocoa dark chocolate may come as a surprise, but it is rich in antioxidants and can help you to control your stress levels while also reducing cravings for sugar during stressful periods.

Grass-Fed Beef

Grass-fed beef is very good for you given it is a lean protein source, while also rich in iron and omega-3 fatty acids. It does not have any of the added antibiotics or hormones found in other beef, so it can help to lower inflammation while fighting off stress.

Oatmeal

This may be traditional comfort food for you, so you’ll be happy to know that the complex carbohydrates found in oatmeal help you to combat stress, while also leading to an increase in your mental focus and concentration. Oatmeal also contains beta-glucan, which is a soluble fiber that helps with satisfaction and craving control.

Oranges

Sweet and tasty, and loaded with vitamin C and minerals, oranges are one of the greatest comfort foods. Reach for a juicy orange and you will automatically be boosting your immune system and helping your body be better prepared to handle any kind of stress. Because they are so portable, you can keep one with you all the time, just in case you find yourself with a craving that needs attention.

Oysters

This seafood treat is another choice loaded with zinc. Only six oysters contain more than 50% of the recommended daily allowance of zinc. This helps combat stress, while also controlling anxiety and depression, too.

Yogurt or Other Fermented Foods

Yogurt may have a leg up on other dairy products thanks to probiotics, the good-for-your-gut bacteria. This is important because 50% of dopamine and 95% of serotonin, important
mood-boosting chemicals, are produced in your gut. Other probiotic-rich foods like sauerkraut, kimchi, and kombucha in your diet can also be helpful.

Walnuts

Here’s another healthy nut that is loaded with omega-3s and zinc, but walnuts also contain alpha-linolenic acid, which can help to boost your memory and may even help to reverse memory loss.

Putting It Into Practice

Knowing which foods are nutritious is one thing. Actually incorporating them into your everyday life is another.

Start with small steps.

Choose one food from this list to try this week. Maybe it's adding berries to your breakfast, keeping oranges on hand for an easy snack, adding walnuts to your oatmeal, or trying a fermented food you've never had before.

Then start to pay attention to how that food works for you.

How did you enjoy it? Did it keep you satisfied? Did you like the way it made you feel? Was it easy to incorporate into your routine? Would you eat it again?

You can also experiment with different combinations. Try yogurt with berries and walnuts. Add avocado to eggs. Toss asparagus into a grain bowl. Add cashews to a stir-fry. Have a piece of dark chocolate with a handful of berries.

The goal isn't to create another set of food rules. It's to become more aware of the foods that nourish you and find simple ways to make them part of your real life.

Your body is constantly giving you information. The more you pay attention, the more you can learn about what works for you.

→ Want more support? Explore Mind + Body Lab.

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A way of learning how food, mindset, habits, lifestyle, and your body's own signals interact — so you can make choices that work for you.

Includes:

Nutrition Pathways (Mediterranean, High Protein, GLP-1 & More - recipes, meal plans & action steps)
Discovery - tools & educations to learn and experiment with. Enjoy topics from mindset (identity, self-talk, limiting beliefs, perfectionism), self-care, habits and motivation to nutrition and eating behaviors.
The Body Insight Method - Learn how to tune into your body & lifestyle to create a wellness plan that works for you.
What’s New (interactive) - A space for our coaches to post weekly topics, reflective thoughts, monthly challenges and more. This is also a place for interaction. You can comment and ask questions to learn more!
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11 Foods That May Help Support Your Body During Stress

September 16, 2026

Daily Wellness

11 Foods That May Help Support Your Body During Stress

September 7, 2026

A Balanced Approach to Staying Job-Ready and Avoiding Burnout

For mid-career professionals balancing demanding roles, family time, and a life outside work, career preparedness can start to feel like a second job.

The core tension is real: staying sharp for unexpected openings and job readiness challenges often collides with work-life balance, and the cost shows up fast in professional well-being. At the same time, ignoring readiness entirely can stall career growth strategies and make transitions harder than they need to be.

The goal here is “ready enough”, a steady, sustainable approach that keeps options open without living on edge.

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15 Free Ways to Help Restore Your Health

Restoring your health and wellness doesn't always mean taking another medication, adding another supplement, starting another diet, or following another protocol.

Oftentimes, it means allowing yourself to slow down enough to actually listen to yourself. To understand your body. To pay attention to what feels good, what doesn't, what you need more of, and what you may need less of.

In the busyness of life, we can get caught up listening to everyone else but ourselves. We're constantly being told what we should eat, how we should exercise, how much we should weigh, how productive we should be, and what we need to do to be healthier.

But what if restoring your health starts with simply getting quiet enough to hear yourself again?

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Food & Nutrition

10 Healthy, Budget-Friendly Breakfasts

Breakfast can look a little different when you’re eating with a GLP-1 in the mix. Appetite may be lower, so instead of focusing on eating a large breakfast, the goal is to make the food you do eat count.

That means prioritizing protein, fiber-rich non-starchy carbohydrates, and a little healthy fat to create a balanced meal that is satisfying without being overly heavy. These 10 breakfasts are simple, budget-friendly, and designed to provide approximately 25 to 30 grams of protein per serving.

You don't need specialty foods or complicated recipes. Most of these meals use simple ingredients you can find at any grocery store, and many can be prepped ahead for busy mornings.

August 26, 2026

Warm Fall Salads Without Lettuce: 3 Cozy & Healthy Recipes

As summer starts to wind down, I find myself naturally reaching for meals that feel a little more substantial. Crisp salads still have their place, but there’s something really satisfying about a bowl of warm roasted vegetables, hearty grains, lentils and creamy dressings.

These three recipes are perfect for that in-between season. They’re packed with vegetables and plant-based ingredients, but they’re also easy to customize with your favorite protein if you want to turn them into a more complete meal.

And you don't need lettuce to make a great salad.

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How Families Can Build Simple Habits to Boost Wellness Together

Busy parents and caregivers juggling work, school schedules, and household demands often want family self-care to happen, but it keeps getting pushed to “later.”

The tension is simple: wellness becomes one more task, while stress, short tempers, and scattered days quietly shape the home. Without shared family health routines, even well-meant self-care strategies for families stay inconsistent and everyone feels it.

A clear, realistic plan builds family wellness motivation and supports holistic family wellbeing as a normal part of daily life.

Why Immersive Wellness Getaways And Health Retreats Are Essential For Mental Reset

August 23, 2026

General

Why Immersive Wellness Getaways And Health Retreats Are Essential For Mental Reset

Life’s pace has quickened as we are caught up in cycles of perpetual work, social and family obligations, screen time and the incessant need to be available. As a result of this, burnout is almost universal. Fortunately, people recognize this and are making positive changes to combat this burnout and exhaustion. Pausing, relaxing and resetting is in high demand. It is no surprise people are seeking out mental health retreats.

Vacations do little to nothing to reset. Wellness retreats, on the other hand, are purposed for just that. They offer therapeutic relief along with nature immersion, movement and community involvement. Changes can truly last for years following an intentional retreat.

This article will provide insight into the power of retreats. We will review the impact of retreats on participants and the reasons they work. We will explore how depression life coaching complements retreats. We will also explore negative thinking and how it consists of retreats. This article is intended to put the pieces of the “mental reset” puzzle together so that you can enjoy infinite renewal.

Mood Foods: 10 Foods That May Help Boost Your Mood Naturally

When we think about our mood, we usually look outside of ourselves for the answer. We look to the external.

Maybe you're stressed about work. Maybe there's tension in a relationship, you're worried about finances, you're overwhelmed by family responsibilities, or you're simply having one of those days when everything feels a little harder than usual. And, of course, all of those things matter.

Our mood is influenced by what is happening around us, how we're thinking about ourselves, how we're sleeping, how much stress we're carrying, and how we're feeling about our health and our lives as a whole. But there's another piece of the puzzle that we don't always think about:

What we eat can influence how we feel.

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30 High-Protein, Low-Carb Meals That Are Satisfying & Budget Friendly

Eating high-protein and lower-carb doesn't have to mean giving up the foods you love or living on salads and grilled chicken. The goal is to create meals that are satisfying, nutrient-dense, and easy to fit into real life.

For many people, increasing protein while being more intentional about carbohydrates can help meals feel more satisfying and make it easier to manage hunger throughout the day. The key is to focus on what you can add—protein, vegetables, healthy fats, and fiber—rather than simply focusing on what you need to take away.

And remember, lower-carb doesn't have to mean no-carb. Foods like berries, beans, lentils, vegetables, and whole grains can still be part of a healthy eating pattern. Your individual nutritional needs, preferences, activity level, and health goals matter, so use these recipes as a starting point and customize them for you.

August 13, 2026

The Power of Unplugging: How Time Away Can Refresh Your Mind and Body

In the modern age, it can be difficult to step away from the hustle and bustle of day-to-day life. Your phone can be waiting for you to respond before you finish your breakfast, and the stress of work can follow you home. With social media, spending time outside of work can turn into a comparison of your life to others'. While being more connected than ever before, the constant stimuli of the modern age can lead to a busy, cluttered mind and leave us feeling restless. The only solution is to power down and take a break from the screens that surround us.

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