How Baking Can Relieve Stress and Anxiety
Baking zucchini bread with fresh produce from the garden is stress relieving and healthy eating. For years women and men have known the secret to baking away anxiety. There is something very calming and focusing about calculating portions, measuring methodically and stirring away your cares. Stress and anxiety are chemical reactions to mind and body aggravations. Whether its work frustration, money woes, needy children under foot, or relationships out of whack, baking is the road to sanity. A chicken pot pie is a wonderful stress reducer. With a store bought crust, sliced chicken, your favorite vegetables and a simple crust your brain focused for thirty minutes and now dinner is ready.
Baking bread is perhaps the most satisfying way to reduce anxiety. Curing the yeast, mixing the ingredients to a delicious pumpernickel loaf engages so many of the senses. Touching, smelling, tasting and listening to the whirling noise of the bread maker will carry you away. Another old-school calming food is Tapioca. This old fashioned pudding requires focused attention stirring at the stove until it reaches a consistent roiling boil.
If you are concerned about gaining weight, no worries. Bake cookies and cakes, cupcakes and pies for elderly neighbors. Staff at work are always hungry and hate what they have for lunch. Bringing your goodies to work with also decrease that work stress. Baking and having a small taste once in a while will keep your waistline in check.
The best part about baking is that those little receptors in the brain respond to the success of a pie well done. Our brains love the smell of home, the taste of youth and the safety of flour, sugar and eggs, cooking up all sorts of endorphins to calm the soul and ease your stress. Get ready to relax and bake.