‘Stress Busting’ is ‘Big Business’ earning pharmaceutical companies and therapists considerable coin every year but a quiet revolution of recipe touting tension tamers are encouraging people to consider food as an alternative fix!
For centuries culinary remedy has been embraced by cultures around the world more often to treat digestive ailments or boost general wellbeing. In recent times studies examining the effect food has on our feelings indicate nutritions broader benefit on both mind and body.
Using natures resources to recipe a remedy for managing our moods can be both therapeutic in practice and according to many nutritionalists a culinary way to combat stress.
To follow is a recipe incorporating methods of tension relief and mood enhancing ingredients…
Positive Pizza
Kneading dough offers an outlet for pent up frustration, strangle that stress as you squeeze, pummel and roll your way to relief!
Maca is a nutritious vegetable cultivated on ancient terraces in the Junin plateau of Peru’s central highlands at around 14,000 feet above sea level. Also known as an Adaptogen, Maca is a food that boosts the body’s ability to deal with stress and disease.
Broccoli is chock-full of stress-relieving B vitamins and has the added benefit of containing folic acid, which is also part of the B vitamin family. Folic acid helps relieve stress, anxiety, panic, and even depression.
Coconut Oil is a healthy source of cholesterol needed for proper function of serotonin receptors in the brain. Low cholesterol levels are linked to aggressive and violent behaviour, depression and suicidal tendencies. Cholesterol is also a primary ingredient for our ‘repair & recovery’ hormones that allow us to recover after a day of hard work and other hormones that maintain steady blood sugar levels (energy levels), proper mineral balance and blood pressure. Coconut oil also supports healthy thyroid function.
Base Ingredients:
250ml water
2 tbsp ground flax seed
1 tbsp maca powder (for fair trade organic maca visit Loving Earth)
2 cups steamed broccoli
1 tsp onion powder
1 tsp crushed garlic
1 tsp coconut oil (for fair trade organic coconut oil visit Niulife)
Method:
Stage One- Place the water and ground flax into a bowl and let stand for approximately 1minute, it should absorb the water and turn into a gel. Next add the broccoli and herbs then puree using a hand held or Vitamix blender. Once you have a lump free batter gradually incorporate the maca powder until you form a dough.
Stage Two- As this pizza uses no yeast the cooking method requires a different approach. Heat a lightly oiled fry pan and add the dough, cooking for approximately 1-2 minutes or until golden before flipping and repeating on the other side.
Stage Three- Add toppings and place pizza under a grill or into a pre-heated oven (450° F) for 1-2 minutes or until toppings are evenly cooked (ie. cheese has melted).
Topping Options:
Wakame (dried seaweed) has anxiety-fighting properties. It is packed with stress-relieving magnesium, as well as pantothenic acid and vitamin B2 (riboflavin).
Cottage Cheese is a good source of vitamins B2 and B12.
Wild Game Meats are mineral rich and supply fat-soluble vitamins A and D which are catalysts for the assimilation of protein (aminos) and minerals. Vitamin D, whose only food source is animal fat, can fight fatigue, depression and SAD (seasonal affective disorder).
‘Veg Alternative’ Beans lentils contain the B-vitamin, Folate as do chickpeas and black-eyed peas.
Bell Peppers have very high content of vitamin A, C and E (all anti-oxidants) that help to effectively neutralise free radicals. They also contain the whole range of vitamin B (B1, B2, B3, B5, B6 and B9) and the minerals potassium, manganese, thiamine, molybdenum, tryptophan, copper, cobalt and zinc.
Arugula, a peppery, nutty-tasting herb, and good source of folate.
Basil calms your nerves by helping your body resist stress and increasing physical endurance.
Tomato which is rich in the anti-oxidant lycopene.
Say, ‘Bon Appetite’ as you Bust them Blues!
