If you’re having a stressful day, you’re probably thinking of your favourite comfort which is probably something like chocolate, cookies or ice cream.  You might get an initial rush from this type of food, but you will soon start to feel tired and sluggish as fatty foods are known to sap energy.

There are foods that you can eat that will help you fight stress and keep your energy level at a peak.  Here are some suggestions for treats that will not only taste good, but they are also chock-full of nutrients that have proven effective in fighting stress.

Carbohydrates – such as bagels or crackers, increase your level of serotonin, a brain chemical that affects mood.  It should only take 30 to 45 grams of carbs to raise your serotonin level enough to produce a calming effect.

Calcium supplements can help women cut their PMS-related tension and irritability by nearly half.  1,200 milligrams of calcium is the recommended dosage and will not only help them reduce stress, but will be good for their bone health. Yogurt, broccoli and canned salmon are good sources of calcium as well.

Magnesium is an important mineral for keeping you calm and can also make you less sensitive to noise pollution.  Sunflower seeds or walnuts are good ways to add magnesium to your diet.

Iron deficiencies tend to make us feel tired, irritable and more prone to stress.  Iron is important in the production of red blood cells which transport oxygen to your body’s cells.

Vitamin C helps the body produce adrenaline which, in turn, can help you fight stress.  Oranges, strawberries and kiwi fruit are all good sources of Vitamin C.

Vitamin E can boost your immune system.  Avocados and peanuts or peanut butter are good sources of Vitamin E.

So, the next time you’re feeling stressed out, reach for one of the foods suggested above instead of a chocolate bar or soft drink.  It will make a difference.

If you and your partner are failing to communicate, then your relationship is really in danger of falling apart.  You need to get your partner to agree to sit down with you and have an honest conversation about what is going wrong in your relationship.

This should not turn into a personal attack on each other, but make sure you talk openly and honestly about the issues that you both have and let your partner know that you want to work with them to strengthen the relationship.

Work together to identify the root problems that you both feel could be damaging your relationship.  You can start by brainstorming and writing everything that comes to mind on a piece of paper.  Then pick out the ones that you both feel have the most impact.  This then will give you a starting point and hopefully you can get things back on track.

Do you feel angry a lot of the time – is your temper shorter than usual?  What is it that is making you unhappy? Is it your relationship or is it something different?

Does everything your partner does annnoy you?  Can he never do anything right even although he is actually doing nothing wrong?  Feeling stressed and unhappy can really have a negative effect on your relationship and is one of the most common reasons for relationships to fail.

If you recognise that you are more negative than normal then perhaps you can also recognise what is making you feel this way.

Stress and it’s cause needs to be dealt with to allow you to make rash and sensible choices about life and relationships.  If you are depressed or stressed you will not be thinking straight.  Once you truly identify the cause of your stress and only then can you make decisions on how you are going to make the changes that your life needs to get you back on course.

If it is your relationship that is the cause of your stress and depression then you need to change it.  If that means leaving then this is what you must do.  If it is other factors then you must talk to your partner and explain how you feel and what makes you feel this way and then perhaps you can work together as a couple to deal with the issue and make the changes.  Then you might just be able to come out the other side soemthing and together

It could be that you are still in love with your partner but there are external factors that are putting stress on you both and having a very negative effect on your relationship.  If you have spent all day arguing about money it can be very hard to go to bed and find comfort in each other.  The last thing you feel like is sex.  The whole situation can become a vicious circle you argue all day and then there is no sex in the relationship so in turn that becomes another thing you argue about.

Having a baby is another thing that can put an immense amount of pressure on you both as a couple.  You’ve just become a mum and your body has just been through something quite traumatic and your hormones are all over the place and your other half can’t understand why, after being up`6 times during the night you don’t feel like having a wild early morning sex session.

Talking is the best policy but sometimes it just feels that there is no way you can talk to each other without it turning into a full blown row but you have to try.  You both need to sit down and try to talk – maybe go somewhere for dinner where you can’t argue and you will both be forced to keep calm and cool.  Try to reach a compromise by both getting your feelings out in the open and decide how you can both work ‘together’ to try and make things change.