You need not rely on a wing and a prayer to get you through a particularly hectic day.
Did you know that having some yogurt or eating a banana will give you extra pep to see you through any tough (or anxious) moments life tosses at you?
Here's a list of some food stuff, and the situations they'll help you in, that we recommend every girl stock up on. This way you'll be prepared for whatever, wherever, whenever.
The situation: Job interview
What to eat: Yogurt, Amla/lemon juice, green banana, black tea
Why: You're nervous enough, so sipping on say, black tea, will help you recover from stressful situations much faster.
Dietician Sushila Sharangdhar says, "Amla and lemon juice are rich in vitamin C that can reduce levels of stress hormones while strengthening the immune system."
She adds that fruits like green bananas contain tryptophan, which is a precursor of serotonin - an excellent antidepressant.
Yogurt lovers will be happy to know that the vitamin B found in it will help convert carbs into energy that will keep you going.
The situation: The big meeting/exam
What to eat: Walnuts, flax seeds, blueberries, almonds
Why: Sharangdhar says Omega-3 rich foods like walnuts and flax seeds are great for the brain. "They can improve brain activity," she says.
And adding a nut like almond to the mix will boost memory. That's probably jars full of nuts popped up in strategic places at home around exam time.
For the nervous types, there's blueberries. According to research findings at the UK's University of Reading, eating blueberries daily can help you do away with the jitters.
And another study at the university, researchers who kept rats on a blueberry-rich diet for 12 weeks discovered a great increase in memory performance. The results, which were published in the Free Radical Biology and Medicine, suggested that the flavonoids found in the berries effect learning and memory by enhancing existing neuronal (brain cell) connections.
So perhaps that blueberry muffin you have with your cup of java isn't such a bad thing!
The situation: Before a workout
What to eat: Bananas, whole wheat bread, rolled oats, skimmed cow's milk, egg, veggie juice
Why: Your workouts are rather intense and you don't want to distress out your already stressed out body after a long day, so eat well.
Sharangdhar's advice is to eat a bite 45 minutes before you hit the gym, the bread and oats will replenish your stock of carbs; eggs the protein, and the milk will keep the energy flowing.
But Farzana A Tavadia, chief dietician at Talvalkar's gym says, "The best thing you could have is a banana. Have it an hour before your workout. It will give you that extra burst of energy and sustain you through your workout."
The situation: A date
What to eat: Chocolate, ice cream, strawberries, grapes, mangoes, jam sandwiches
Why: It's pretty obvious why chocolate's on the list. Flavonoid-rich dark chocolate, especially, can help bust stress and is also a mood enhancer, say two different studies that were published in The Journal of the American Medical Association.
Tavadia adds, "I'll tell you why we should eat stuff like ice creams strawberries, mangos, jam sandwiches? it's because of the sugar rush! You're nervy, so these foods give you a natural high." And there's the added phytochemical benefit, which means you're getting additional nutrients that also have antioxidant properties.
Enjoy these yummy solutions that will, no doubt, keep you going!