After the stressful holidays and now entering tax time our lives are never ending with stressful situations. I found this to be very helpful and wanted to share some of my comfort foods.

We think that curling up with that favorite pint of ice cream is a quick fix to help us wind down. But actually it is the reverse. After the intial rush of sweets, the body's insulin response kicks in, causing a sudden blood sugar drop that trigger the release of stress hormones and soon you are feeling worse than before.

But, there are some comfort foods:

1. Berries: Eat them instead of popping in that favorite candy. The carbs in the berry turn to sugar very slowly. You won't have that blood sugar crash. Also a great bonus, they are full of vitamin C, which helps fight a jump in the stress hormone.

2. Guacamole: If you are craving something creaming, this is great. Avocados are loaded with vitamin B's, which stress quickly depletes and which your body needs to maintain nerves and brain cells. Plus their creaminess comes from healthy fat. Scoop up the stuff with whole grain chips, crunching keeps you from gritting you teeth.

3. Mixed Nuts: Just an ounce will help you replace those stress depleted B', walnuts are great for this. Brazil nuts give you a whopping amount of zinc and almonds boost your E vitamins which helps fight cellular damage linked to chronic stress.

4. Oranges: People who take a 1.000 milligram of C before giving a speech have lower levels of cortisol and lower blood pressure than those who don't. You'll get a bunch of C also.

5. Asparagus: Each tender stalk is a source of folic acid, a natural mood lightener.

6. Chai Tea: A warm drink is a super soother, and curling up with a cup of aromatic decaf tea can make the whole stressful day go away.

7. Dark Chocolate: There's really nothing in it that relieves stress, but when only chocolate will do, reach for the dark chocolate, the kind that's at least 70 percent cocoa. You figure if the antioxidant flavonoids in it are potent enough to fight cancer and heart disease, they've got to be able to temper tension's effects.