Who doesn't feel stressed out these days? Between worrying about the kids, spouse, significant other, work, families, the weather, politics, and whether or not there's enough clean laundry to last a couple more days; stress just keeps building.

Susan Kleiner, PhD, RD, in her book The Good Mood Diet, lists foods to eat, as well as foods to avoid to decrease stress and improve your overall mood. I bet you turn to at least one of these "don't eat" foods or beverages to try and relieve your stress on a regular basis. Don't do it! While you may think these foods are calming, they actually have the opposite effect. Ban them from your food choices, and you'll see your stress levels fall. Of course, it doesn't hurt to also do some deep breathing exercises and get someone else to do the laundry!

1. Many of us use a glass of wine, bottle of beer, or favorite cocktail to wind down at the end of the day. Bad idea. One glass often becomes two, and two can become three. Before we know it we've consumed enough alcohol to make us feel worse than we started, which doesn't do anything for our stress levels. Kleiner recommends taking two weeks off from alcohol completely, and then re-evaluate your intake. There's a big difference between choosing to have a glass of wine with dinner periodically, to opening the bottle on auto-pilot as soon as soon as you walk in the door.
2. Drink caffeinated beverages before noon only - and then limit them to one or two servings. A serving of coffee is one cup (a 'short' at most coffee shops); one shot of espresso also counts as "one" serving. The reason? Too much caffeine increases our stress levels and irritability. Drink caffeine after noon, and it's a crutch. Cut your caffeine intake and you'll cut your stress levels.
3. Fried foods increase our stress on two levels. First, we usually feel guilty when we order french fries instead of a salad, or a fried chicken sandwich instead of a grilled chicken sandwich. When we feel guilty, stress levels increase. Second, fried foods cause stress in our body on a physical level, because we have to digest all that fat and we aren't getting the healthier vitamins and minerals our body craves. Skip anything fried, and you'll get a double-hit toward decreasig your overall stress levels.
4. Skip high fat snacks in favor of healthier choices. Chips or cookies don't satisfy your hunger or your physical need for healthy nutrients. Your body isn't happy, and your brain is ready to go on strike until you fork over fruit, vegetables, and some lean protein. Low-fat cottage cheese with sliced fruit, or a handful of dried fruit and nuts, or mini carrots with low-fat ranch dressing are tasty, stress-reducing snacks.
5. Finally, avoid anything with refined carbohydrate - that includes added sugars as well as foods that are primarily refined white flour. Cookies, yogurt, muffins, puddings, candies, and beverages like fruit drinks, sports drinks, and flavored waters are packed with sugar and/or refined white flour. Sugar may make you feel great for a couple of minutes, but then your mood crashes. Skip the crash by choosing less processed foods with fewer added sugars. Opt for plain yogurt and add your own fruit. Whip up a smoothie using skim milk and frozen unsweetened fruit. Drink plain water.