Stressed Out? Try This Mood Boosting Pistachio Oatmeal Protein Bowl

Reach for this pistachio oatmeal protein bowl instead of junk food next time your stressed. Read on to see why!

What did I do when I was stressed out 3-4 years ago? I’d smoke a cigarette or two, and reach for “comfort foods”: sweets or carbs. 

Definitely not balanced.

Now that I’ve come a long way in my wellness journey, I manage stress with meditation, yoga, perception practices and dedicated time to be alone and in silence. The problem with stress is that we are constantly coming across it no matter how big or small the stress may be. Small forms of stress like sitting in traffic to significant forms of stress like financial setbacks or work deadlines all have an effect on our body. 

Simply put, when we’re stressed, we release cortisol. When we release cortisol, a whole orchestra of activities happen in our body. It increases inflammation, in can suppress our immune system, it upsets our stomach and it’s a cause of weight gain (especially in the belly area). 

There are many ways that we can deal with stress by forming specific lifestyle habits. Meditation, perception, movement and more. But today I want to highlight foods that we can eat **instead of the junk** that can help our body’s internal stress fighting defenses. 

I stopped by Living Healthy Chicago to share specific types of foods that help us combat stress along with a delicious stress busting overnight oatmeal recipe. If you want to learn even more about foods that fight stress, you can check out my slideshow I put together about these specific foods here

pistachio oatmeal protein bowl

Stress Busting Recipe: Pistachio Oatmeal Protein Bowl

This recipe is packed with mood boosting ingredients like oatmeal, pistachios and bananas. 

Oatmeal is what I love to eat at night as a dessert if I had a long day. Why? Oatmeal may help us produce serotonin, a feel good hormone. Not to mention that the sweet flavor of my oatmeal recipe makes for a perfect late night healthy dessert! I always make sure to use steel cut oatmeal since it’s higher in fiber.

Another main ingredient to my stress busting oatmeal bowl is pistachios. Pistachios are one of my favorite nuts that I like to munch on because of their heart health benefits. A study that was published in Journal of the American Heart Association showed that consuming 3 ounces of pistachios per day lowered blood pressure in participants! I also add bananas to my pistachio protein bowl since bananas contain potassium which is another great nutrient that helps regulate blood pressure. 

So next time you’re feeling blue, try this pistachio oatmeal protein bowl.

Pistachio Oatmeal Protein Bowl

Ingredients:

  • 1 cup cooked rolled oats
  • 3 dates pitted and chopped
  • 1 banana chopped
  • 1/4 cup shelled pistachios – raw and unroasted/unsalted
  • 1 tbsp chia seeds
  • 1 tsp hemp seeds
  • 2 cups unsweetened almond milk
  • 2 tbsp maple syrup

Directions:

  1. Cook your oatmeal according to package instructions
  2.  In a mason jar, add the banana, chia seeds, hemp seeds, maple syrup and almond milk
  3.  Chop the dates and add the dates and pistachios to the jar
  4.  Mix all together and eat immediately or store in fridge overnight to take to work the next day!

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