Are You Feeding Your Anxiety?
January 21st, 2010
By Becki A. Hein, MS, LPC, Anxiety Topic Expert Contributor
Click here to contact Becki and/or see her GoodTherapy.org Profile
Breathing deeply, relaxing your muscles, and staying in the present moment are some of the most common, most effective ways to manage anxiety. But did you know that changing your eating habits can also help you feel more calm and balanced? There are certain foods and substances which tend to trigger stress and anxiety in the body, and in fact, there are several foods that can even trigger a panic attack.
Caffeine, sugar, and alcohol all increase lactic acid levels in the bloodstream. Recent studies show that a high accumulation of lactic acid in the body can increase anxiety and cause panic attacks. Caffeine also blocks adenosine, which is a chemical found in the body. Adenosine is a neurotransmitter which is believed to play a role in suppressing arousal and promoting sleep. Without adenosine, the pituitary gland produces adrenaline and the increase in adrenaline can either cause or increase symptoms of anxiety. In addition to increasing lactic acid levels in the blood, sugar intake causes a release of insulin which decreases blood glucose, resulting in mood swings and agitation. Alcohol use also causes fluctuations in blood sugar levels leading to increased anxiety and agitation.
Seasonings used in cooking can also cause symptoms of stress on the body. Salt depletes potassium in the body. Potassium is important to the proper functioning of the nervous system. Salt also raises blood pressure, which strains the heart and arteries. MSG can irritate the nervous system causing headaches, tingling, numbness, and chest pains.
Artificial food additives, preservatives, and processed foods can also trigger reactions in people who are sensitive to them. Aspartame, an artificial sweetener, is neurotoxic, and should be avoided. Processed foods, those made with refined ingredients such as white flour, white sugar, and white rice, can cause a vitamin B1 (thiamine) deficiency, which can lead to symptoms of anxiety and emotional instability. Refined and processed foods are usually stripped of much of their magnesium as well, and magnesium deficiency may be a factor in symptoms of panic.
People who suffer from panic disorder should avoid skipping meals. Hypoglycemia, or low blood sugar, can cause the body to release adrenaline in order to prevent fainting, which can trigger a panic attack in susceptible individuals. It helps to eat small meals every three to four hours throughout the day rather than only two or three large meals. It is also important to stay well hydrated.
Food allergies can also be a factor in anxiety and panic disorder for some people. It may help to try eliminating different foods (i.e., wheat, dairy) for two weeks at a time to determine whether a food allergy is aggravating anxiety symptoms.
Certain eating habits can induce symptoms of anxiety. Eating too fast, not chewing food enough (15-20 times per mouthful), eating too much, and drinking too much fluid with a meal can all interfere with digestions and the assimilation of food into the body.
A deficiency in several key nutrients can cause symptoms of anxiety. B complex vitamins are important for healthy nervous system functioning and in helping the body to relax and recharge. Symptoms of B complex deficiency include fatigue, irritability, nervousness, and insomnia. Magnesium is needed for muscle relaxation, healthy heart muscle, and healthy blood vessels. A deficiency of magnesium can cause agitation, anxiety, confusion, cold hands and feet, insomnia, and restlessness. Calcium is used by the body for maintenance of electrolyte balance, muscle contractions, and nerve transmission. Calcium deficiency can cause agitation, depression, heart palpitations, insomnia, and irritability. Although vitamin supplements can help keep B complex, magnesium, and calcium at healthy levels, it is especially helpful to get these nutrients through eating fresh fruits and vegetables, adequate protein, and simple carbohydrates.
Managing anxiety involves changing behavior on several levels. In addition to learning to breathe properly, relax, and use cognitive skills to stop anxious thinking, it is important to keep your body physically healthy. Watching what you put into your body can go a long way in keeping it clean, healthy, and calmly functioning.
©Copyright 2010 by Becki Hein, MS, LPC, therapist in Mckinney, TX. All Rights Reserved.
-
Find the Right Therapist
-
6 Comments | Click here to leave a comment.
Comments
You are exactly on target! People come to me all the time for anxiety. I ask them how much coffee or colas do you drink? How much chocolate or candy? In treating anxiety one must look at the whole picture which includes diet, relaxation techniques and breathing exercises. I like as you walk..the first 4 steps inhale…the next 4 steps hold your breath..the next 8 steps
exhale. Breathing and diet are bery important components to anxiety reduction.
As an armchair nutritionist I am so glad to see all of this in print! These are things I have been telling my friends and family for years! You have to be so mindful of the things that you feed your body. Not only can they play the devil with your overall physical health but they also determine your mindset and how stable your are mentally and spiritually. For years people have thought I was nuts spouting all of this out but I know from my own experiences just how true this really is. Thank you so much for sharing this wonderful information with all of us, and I am definitely going to make sure that everyone I have been talking to has the chance to read it too.
wow…i never imagined that diet patterns can influence anxiety levels in an individual. i thought it was the other way around…if a person is anxious,he or she tends to dat fast and a much larger quantity.
most of us use the above-mentioned food items with little thought of anything other than the calories. I did not know that certain foods could actually promote stress and panic attacks. I will now spread the word to my friends and try to be careful about my diet in the future.
even more reason for schools to do better with what they feed our kids everyday! just think of how much school performance could improve if they would ever get around to giving our kids healthy nutritious lunches all of the time.
Thanks for your comments! You all make really good points. Anxiety really is influenced by more than just our racing thoughts! When you consider diet and exercise as well, you help calm yourself so much better.
Leave a Reply
By commenting on this blog you acknowledge acceptance of this Blog's Terms and Conditions of Use.