Recipes: 4 easy mocktails to beat the stress

Certain foods and drinks aid to bump up our happy hormones termed 'serotonin' and lower the stress hormones 'cortisol and adrenaline'.

By adding them to our meals we may be able to alter the outcome.

Here are some quick mocktails that will help you manage your stress better.

Sun-up Harmony

Ingredients

• 1/2 cup spinach
• 5 strawberries
• 1/2 cup yogurt
• 30 ml water optional
• Handful of sunflower seeds

Method

• Halve Strawberries and roughly chop spinach.
• Add yogurt, water and sunflower seeds. Blend to your desired consistency.
• Serve in a glass.

Benefits

Spinach and strawberries are both rich in magnesium and anti-oxidants.

Yogurt has pro biotic which helps in altering your brain function.

Copper Glory

Ingredients

• 1/3 glass orange Juice
• 1/4 glass apple juice
• 3/4 medium banana
• 1/4 tsp cinnamon

Method

• Use a blender and combine the orange juice, apple juice and banana. Process it until smooth.
• Pour it in a glass and sprinkle the cinnamon powder.
• Add a few ice cubes if you like it chilled.

Benefits

Oranges are rich in vitamin c which help to lower cortisol and blood pressure while banana is rich in potassium and have natural mood enhancers called Tryptophan. 

Apple is rich in iron and cinnamon has medicinal value and lowers blood sugar level.

Frivolous Emerald

This drink can be prepared hot by brewing the mint leaves, green tea honey together by standing them in hot water for two to three minutes. Ingredients

• 3/4 glass cooled green tea
• Few mint leaves
• 1 tsp honey
• 1/4 glass ice slush

Method

• Add a tsp of honey to the green tea and combine well.
• Top it with crushed ice and a sprig of fresh mint.
• Serve.

Benefits

Green tea is rich in polyphenols and helps reducing stress drastically while peppermint has carminative properties and helps ease digestion. 

Brimming Buzz

Ingredients

• 2 tsp apple cider vinegar
• 5 to 7 thin slices of ginger
• 1/2 tsp honey
• Juice of 1/4 lemon
• Sparkling water

Method

• Combine the Apple cider vinegar honey in a glass.
• Top it up with sparkling or tonic water.
• Add ginger and lemon juice.

Benefits

Apple cider vinegar detoxes the body. It helps with insulin sensitivity.

Ginger helps in digestion and adds to the efficacy while lemon adds to the vitamin C element.

Honey releases serotonin adding to the bliss.

The author Sudha Thakur is a health expert specialising in anxiety and stress management.

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