Nutrition for Anxiety
Nutrition is a great way to take control of your symptoms more effectively. In the below blog we will mention top nutrition for anxiety and lifestyle tips to develop your own anxiety reduction plan.
What Foods Trigger Anxiety?
When struggling with anxiety food can often become a coping mechanism. You can turn to food for comfort or avoid food so your food relationship can become unbalanced. Any foods that will stimulate your fight or flight response are best to avoid eating. Furthermore avoid processed foods as they are high in sugar and contain harmful gut bacteria. Poor gut health has been linked to anxiety so having a plan to proliferate good bacteria is all important.
How Can I Kill Anxiety Naturally?
Avoid caffeine as it is a stimulant which means it will give you a quick burst of energy, but then it will make you feel anxious and disrupt your sleep. Avoid alcohol and smoking as these will deplete your vitamin B levels which are important for brain function. Avoid fruit juice and all energy or fizzy drinks as they contain aspartame and sugars which disrupt the blood sugar levels which contribute towards diabetes nutritionist and anxiety.
Can Proper Nutrition Reduce Anxiety?
Top nutrition tips are to eat regularly to maintain constant blood sugar levels. Blood sugar drops will make you feel tired, irritable and anxious. Eating regularly and choosing slow release energy foods will help to keep your sugar levels steady. Instead of bigger lunch and dinner try to eat smaller poritions spaced out more regularly. Consume 7 portions of vegetables and 2 fruit per day as they contain minerals, vitamins and fibre we need to keep mentally alert. Expose your skin to sunlight for 20 minutes per day to increase Vitamin D levels which can decrease anxious behaviour.
Foods that Help with Anxiety
Eat more dark, leafy greens like spinach, watercress, dandelion, bok choy and swiss chard as they are rich in magnesium helps with brain function. Consume sunflower seeds, fish and eggs, beans and walnuts, asparagus, almonds, whole grains and liver as there all contain B vitamins which are good for brain function and calming anxiety levels. Furthermore poultry, meat, dark chocolate and buckwheat contain tryptophan which is a precursor to serotonin (happy hormone) which can help improve your mood and sleep. Oily fish is an great source of omega 3 fatty acids as well as walnuts, chia or flaxseeds, which are all beneficial for brain health.
Foods that Help with Anxiety
Eat plenty of gut friendly foods like fermented foods which are rich in probiotics able to moderate the connection between gut and the brain. Increase protein (animal or plant based) as these help you to feel fuller for longer which will help avoid the temptation of unhealthy snacking. Moreover eat healthy fats such as oily fish, poultry, nuts, seeds and avocados as your brain needs fatty acids for healthy functioning. Increase water consumpation to 8 glasses per day (2 litres) little and often. If you are dehydrated this can cause headaches or constipation which won’t help with your mood.
Lifestyle Changes to Reduce Anxiety Levels
Whilst it is important to look at nutrition is it also worth addressing lifestyle factors to reduce your anxiety. Increasing exercise and encouraging healthy sleep patterns. Moreover listening to relaxing music and relaxation techniques are all useful factors to consider. Having a good social support, intellectual stimulation and sleeping patterns will be beneficial. In addition, many patients also experience physical symptoms related to anxiety so considering cranial osteopathy as part of a total anxiety reduction programme would be worthwhile.
Physical activity has also proven to help reduce anxiety. We hold Reformer Pilates in Marylebone which would be of benefit and reduce anxiety tendencies.
What Causes Anxiety?
Anxiety is the feelings we have when we are worried, tense or afraid. Especially about things which are about to happen. Anxiety is a normal response to stress that helps to avoid situations that threaten our sense of security. The perception of threat will engage our fight or flight response (sympathetic nervous system) and will enable us to react quickly to life threatening situations. It will cause physiological and hormonal changes to help fight or flight to safety. Whilst this is a normal response, modern lifestyles involve constant stresses which cause over activation of our sympathetic nervous system. This can lead to an inappropriate response to our daily stressors causing anxiety syndrome instead. Other factors which can cause anxiety are impaired physiological reactions and hormonal imbalances.
Risk Factors
Women are twice as likely to develop an anxiety disorder as men. The greatest age of onset is between 10 and 25. Not having social connections to share problems and issues. Moreover experiencing a traumatic event can contribute towards anxiety. People will anxiety disorders are at an increased risk of developing medical conditions such as high blood pressure, cardiac ischemia and obesity.
What Anxiety can do to your Body?
Anxiety can cause difficulty concentrating, irritability and tense muscles. It can disrupt your sleeping patterns and difficulty overcoming worries. In more severe cases it can cause heart palpitations, chest pain or accelerated heart rate. Moreover, sweating, trembling and shaking. Furthermore, shortness of breath and dizziness You could experience nausea, irritable bowel syndrome, abdominal distress and fainting. Panic attacks, compulsive behaviour and dread of social interactions.
Nutrition Q&A
What drinks calm anxiety?
Drinks containing ginger, maca, green tea and matcha have a calming effect on anxiety.
What fruits are good for anxiety?
Fruit such as blueberries, bananas, peaches, plums and nectarines are good to calm anxiety.
Does yoghurt help to reduce stress and anxiety?
Yes, yoghurt can help reduce stress because it contains healthful bacteria, Lactobaccilus and Bifidobacteria. There is emerging evidence these bacteria and fermented products have positive effects on brain health.
Nutrition for Anxiety Conclusion
A naturopathic Nutritionist will look at your lifestyle, gut health, current eating habits and question how can we reduce your anxiety levels. A nutritionist will develop a personalised nutritional plan that will include small changes which over a period of time will make a big difference to your symptoms. You can Book your initial consultation to have face to face at our Nutrition Centre in London or online. We also offer a complimentary 15 minute online nutritionist to answer any questions and explain the nutrition process. To organise this contact us.
Conditions That Nutrition Can Also Help
Nutrition plans and Consultations Explained
References
MIND (2020) Anxiety and panic attacks
CBT for Anxiety.
Eleonora Sansoni
Eleonora Sansoni is a Nutritional Therapist who graduated from the College of Naturopathic Medicine. She is also an Osteopath, Cranial Osteopath & Pilates Instructor and is passionate about helping people with anxiety.