The Healthiest Election Day Food and Drink Ideas

© (iStockPhoto) Turkey helps produce the feel-good hormone serotonin, which you may need on Election Day.

Add these 10 products to your diet and feel the stress melt away. Election Day has finally come – and I don't think it would be wrong to say that most of us are so over the craziness that has accompanied this election over the past year. We are ready to move on. However, today is not going to be easy. This election has caused major anxiety, actually leading more individuals to seek counseling or to increase their visits to their existing therapists. Those anxieties will likely only be elevated today as we wait for the results.

Fortunately, food and drink can help – and that's a nonpartisan claim. No matter who or what boils your blood today, try calming yourself by including these 10 potentially stress-relieving items to your diet:

1. Asparagus

Low levels of folic acid have been linked to depression. But you only need to eat four stalks of asparagus to acquire 22 percent of the recommended daily allowance of this mood-enhancing nutrient. Toss some into an omelet, dip a few blanched stalks into hummus or roast some in olive oil for dinner.

2. Avocado

Diets rich in monounsaturated fats are associated with lower blood pressure, and avocados are packed with them. Have some avocado toast for breakfast or add some slices to a salad or sandwich at lunch.

 42 Foods That Fight High Blood Pressure 3. Blueberries


The antioxidants, especially vitamin C, found in blueberries may improve your body's response to stress by repairing and protecting your cells from free radicals. Mix the berries into a morning bowl of oats, toss them into yogurt as a snack or simply enjoy them alone.

4. Salmon

Salmon is one of the best sources of omega-3 fatty acids, which are known to have anti-inflammatory properties and may counteract the negative effects of stress hormones. Have poached salmon over greens for lunch or grilled at dinner. Or, try smoked salmon with avocado on whole-grain toast for a delicious and soothing morning meal.

5. Spinach

Research has shown that magnesium, a nutrient found in spinach and other leafy greens, may help decrease depression, fatigue or irritability. In other words, it can have a comforting effect. Saute spinach with garlic and oil for dinner, enjoy it at lunch as part of a mixed green salad or scramble it with eggs for breakfast.

6. Turkey

Turkey isn't just for Thanksgiving. Packed with the amino acid tryptophan, which is found in protein-containing foods, the meat helps produce serotonin (aka the "feel-good hormone"). Grab a turkey sandwich for lunch or try some turkey lettuce wraps as a midday snack.

• Raves for rituals

  
  © (iStockPhoto) Turkey helps produce the feel-good hormone serotonin, which you may need on Election Day.
  
  Small changes to the way you start and end your days can confer big mind and body benefits. As a U.S. Army veteran, Chad McDonald is a firm believer in the power of rituals. Whether it’s making his bed every morning or stretching for a few minutes each night, “predictability is comforting,” says McDonald, founder of SOLACE New York, a CrossFit Studio. It also can be good for you, with research suggesting rituals can relieve stress, free up head space for tough decisions and even encourage you to savor your food. And of course, healthy actions taken each day can add up to a healthy life more than can major changes with no staying power. "If you can't sustain healthy habits," McDonald says, "then they're really no good anyhow." But where to begin?
  

• Sunrise, sunset

  
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  You (hopefully) brush your teeth each morning and evening – rather than midday and midnight, for instance – for good reason: “Rituals are great to do at sun up and sun down because your body likes cues,” says Susan Albers, a clinical psychologist at the Cleveland Clinic who specializes in eating and body image issues, weight loss and mindfulness. When adopting a new healthy habit, then, tie it to an already established routine – or an “anchor ritual” – like brushing your teeth, Albers suggests. A bonus? “These rituals can help you to sleep better at night and wake up faster in the morning,” she says. Here, Albers and other experts share the health habits they follow and recommend to clients:
  

• 1. They stretch.

  
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  McDonald spends many of his days in an office and his evenings in a gym. His “nightcap?” A 10- to 20-minute stretching session guided by ROMWOD, a website geared toward the CrossFit community that aims to increase range of motion and boost post-workout recovery, among other benefits. Not only does stretching decrease your risk of injury and improve your athletic performance since “strength and flexibility produce power,” but it’s also “a huge stress reliever” before hitting the sack, McDonald finds.
  

• 2. They move.

  
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  For Meg Carlough Kudrick, a yoga instructor and co-founder of House of Jai Yoga in New York City, stretching is a morning ritual. “Most, if not all, animals stretch at least a little before they start their days,” she points out. Us humans should take note: Whether by stretching, doing a few pushups or walking to the bus stop, morning movement is great for the muscles and mind alike, experts say. Plus, it assures you get at least some physical activity that day. As Jim White, an exercise physiologist and registered dietitian with studios in Virginia, puts it: “Do the most important things first.”
  

• 3. They hydrate.

  
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  The moment White’s alarm goes off in the morning, he reaches for his bedside 16-ounce bottle of water and chugs the whole thing. “It’s just a great jumpstart” to reaching the 64 to 96 ounces of water he aims to drink each day. As for evening hydration, pros reach for soothing drinks like chamomile tea over boozy drinks like wine. Just like a big nighttime meal, White says, alcohol "can put you to sleep, but it can affect your sleep in the night."
  

• 4. They moisturize.

  
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  If you want to wake up with beautiful skin, go to bed with clean, well-moisturized skin, says Dr. Chris Adigun, a dermatologist in Chapel Hill, North Carolina. “During the night, the skin has a chance to repair itself, the swelling of your extremities goes down and the stretch from that swelling goes away, giving the skin a break,” she says, making bedtime the best time to lotion up. Your nighttime rituals can also affect your likelihood of greeting the next day with puffy eyes or a swollen face. To avoid that, try adding a pillow under your head, cutting down on salt in the evenings and covering eyes with cold compresses like cool, caffeinated tea bags, Adigun suggests.
  

• 5. They're grateful.

  
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  Gracing White’s bathroom mirror isn’t a photo of his dream body, but rather the word “gratitude.” Looking at it first thing each morning reminds him to recognize whatever it is he’s thankful for that day, “rather than starting off bitter or stressed,” he says, as a scroll through emails or a look at the news might do. Such a simple routine is backed by research linking consistent practices of gratitude with everything from a stronger immune system to fewer feelings of isolation to improved body image to better sleep. “The benefits of saying a genuine ‘thank you’ are a well-hidden secret,” Albers says.
  

• 6. They smile.

  
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  While you're looking at that mirror, turn off your critical mind and flash yourself "a little Buddha smile" instead, Albers suggests. Just as with laughter yoga, which reduces stress, stretches muscles and boosts oxygen flow to muscles, smiling releases feel-good chemicals such as endorphins and serotonin – even if that smile is fake. "This will transform your mood and feelings about yourself," Albers says. Inspired? Go ahead and strike a superhero pose, too – research suggests doing so for just two minutes can boost your confidence. “What a great payoff,” Albers says.
  

• 7. They meditate.

  
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  Albers calls it the 5-5-5 plan: Five minutes to relieve your email or social media itch, five minutes to put your phone away and five minutes to meditate. These 15 minutes "move you into wind-down mode,” she says. Other health pros also endorse a brief pre-sleep meditation session. White, for one, uses an app called Headspace to guide him, while Kudrik recites a mantra that translates to "I am that." "It helps remind me that all of the busyness of my mind is temporary, and in recognizing that, I can let it go and rest," she says.
  

• 8. They tune out.

  
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  If there's one thing healthy pros don't do in the moments sandwiching sleep, it's staring at a smartphone or other screen. Upon rising, natural light wins out since "it's often much brighter than artificial light and is a powerful signal to the brain to wake up," says Dr. Michael Grandner, a psychiatry instructor at the University of Pennsylvania who studies sleep. At night, even watching TV isn't helpful since it just hits your mind's pause button, rather than its relaxation one, Grandner adds. "The key," he says, "is to not spend too much time awake in bed.” If you do, you can rest assured you’ll wake up on the wrong side tomorrow.
  

7. Oatmeal

According to research, high-fiber carbohydrates can also help the brain make serotonin. And because fiber digests more slowly than simple sugars, it won't cause a spike in blood sugars that can cause you to become irritable. Enjoy your favorite version of oats for breakfast, or consider using some as "bread" crumbs to coat some baked chicken cutlets.

8. Chocolate

Today might be one of those days where you really want to grab a piece of chocolate. So go for it! The antioxidants in cocoa may trigger the walls of your blood vessels to relax and help to lower your blood pressure. Just remember to keep your serving size small; for example, a single square or two. The last thing you want is to overeat the chocolate and feel stressed about that too!

9. Tea

Tea is one of those drinks that's been shown to have a calming effect, but it isn't quite clear yet which properties of the tea are exactly responsible for it. Some, though, believe it's strictly the ritual of making and drinking the tea that's calming. In any event, start boiling the water or head out and buy yourself a cup.

10. Alcohol

Alcohol is known to be a central nervous system depressant; therefore, it may lower your blood pressure and take the edge off your tension. I, for one, will be drinking an ice-cold martini tonight as I watch the results. I suggest you do the same, or enjoy whatever your drink of choice is. However, don't drink too much: No matter what happens, we still have work in the morning.

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