There occasionally comes a time when you need food to mend a broken heart. I know, I’ve been there in the past, and I’m sure most people have at least once in their life. Certain foods seem to help me through this time in my life, so I thought I’d share my favorites. The following list of 10 foods for the heart-broken just might help you when you need it most.
10. Fried Chicken
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Who doesn’t feel better after devouring a couple of crispy thighs of fried chicken? The best part is that most towns have places where you can get these at a drive up window. Excellent! I usually use the recipe that mom always used, which was, of course, passed down from my great grandmother to my grandmother first. So, you know it’s a good one! This might be one of the messiest foods for the heart-broken, but it sure is satisfying.
9. Mashed Potatoes
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These are best homemade with lots of butter and milk added to them, in order to make them fluffier. I like to melt some cheese on mine, but then I add cheese to pretty much everything I cook! For some reason, it seems to make it taste better to me. Mashed potatoes are a great ‘Feel Good’ food. I think it’s because many people associate them with being a kid, when things were happy and carefree. These are good just by themselves. You don’t have to go all out and make a full meal if you don’t want to. Just grab your bowl of mashed potatoes and put in your favorite CD of happy-go-lucky music. This food to mend a broken heart combo should cheer you up in no time.
8. Mac and Cheese
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I’m not talking about a simple box of mac and cheese, but mac and cheese with all the bells and whistles. This is the kind that uses chicken broth instead of water, heavy cream instead of milk, and real grated cheeses. Throwing in some garlic bits and even some minced onions won’t hurt either. A little butter in the whole mix and bake it. It’s thick, hearty, yummy, and just makes you feel good all over. You can bake it for 20 minutes or so, which will give you a bit of time to take a shower and feel refreshed while you enjoy your mac and cheese.
7. French Toast with Nutmeg
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French toast always makes me feel good, no matter what time of day it is. Who says you have to only have it for breakfast?! Adding the nutmeg will help to relieve stress and stimulate the brain. Stress relief is always a good thing to find. You can top the French toast with whipped cream and the fruit of your choice, if you want to spice things up a bit.
6. Foods With Omega-3 Fatty Acids
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The brain feeds off of Omega-3, which is why they always call fish ‘Brain Food’. Walnuts and flax seed also contain these fatty acids. Neurotransmitters in the brain use fatty acids for nourishment, it helps them to keep firing and functioning normally. This food to mend a broken heart is a great way to keep depression from setting in. Some people don’t like fish and some people don’t like walnuts. Eating a little of whichever one you can tolerate more will be better than none. If you happen to have some flax seed on hand, take a spoon full of this, put it in your mouth and wash it down with water. It feels so weird, with these little things floating around in your mouth, but there’s no taste and it’s an instant dose of Omega-3.
5. Hot Cup of Tea
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It’s amazing at what a difference a little cup of hot tea can make. Rooibos tea is probably on of the best liquid foods for the heart-broken. There’s no caffeine in it, so you don’t have to worry about it making you stay up all night. It soothes the nerves and will help with insomnia at the same time. This tea does take a bit longer to steep, about ten minutes or so, which will give you a little bit of time to change into something comfy. Then you can pop in a movie filled with comedy and sip your tea. I love adding Agave Nectar to mine instead of sugar. It just seems to make it taste a bit more wholesome and comforting.
4. Vitamin B Filled Foods
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Vitamin B is well-known for enhancing a person’s mood. I know I take a B-Complex vitamin, just to keep from being tired and cranky during various times of the month. There are plenty of foods that have a variety of vitamin B in them as well. If you aren’t into leafy green veggies, try a banana and a glass of milk or orange juice. Chicken also has B vitamins and many cereals are supplemented with them too. This is often why a big bowl of cereal with bananas chopped up on it, covered in milk, and a glass of OJ on the side is such an excellent way to start the day. Vitamin B! Just remember this though: nicotine, sugar, and alcohol all destroy vitamin B.
3. Turkey Sandwich
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You know how turkey makes you feel on Thanksgiving, right? Full, warm, satisfied, and happy. This isn’t just because you’ve stuffed yourself with excellent helpings of food, there is actually a chemical in turkey that makes you feel relaxed. It’s called tryptophan and it is usually why everyone ends up napping so much on Thanksgiving. This chemical can also be found in eggs, peanuts, milk, and soy products. It might make you feel tons better by devouring a big turkey sandwich and washing it down with a glass of milk. If you’re lactose intolerant, you can try a glass of soy milk instead with and of these foods for the heart-broken.
2. Decadent Dessert
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Unless you want to take time to bake this dessert, it might be best to treat yourself to a rich dessert at your favorite restaurant. Coffee shops are well-known for having some truly amazing desserts, that are so rich you can only eat a sliver at a time. Get whichever one you love the most or one that looks simply divine! I know I tend to migrate towards the pieces of torte with layers and layers of various types of chocolate and cream when I’m feeling down.
1. Chocolate
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There have actually been studies performed on chocolate and the effects it has on the human brain. Chocolate is able to mimic something within the body, a type of natural amphetamine. Dark chocolate is especially good for this. It can reduce blood pressure and lessen the chance of you having a heart attack or some other heart issues. After a broken heart, it often feels like you can use all the help you can get to keep it from feeling worse, so heart protecting chocolate might be the best food to mend a broken heart!
This is just a list of foods for the heart-broken that I seem to fall back on from time to time. Do you have one or two that you can add to the list? I’d love to hear them!
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SOURCE: ALLWOMENTALK.COM
