I'm sure you must be familiar with the feeling of having a nice day ruined because of anxiety. It is perfectly normal to feel nervous or stressed-out when the situation calls for it. Insomnia, being unable to breathe deeply, upset stomach, and sudden panic are some other symptoms of anxiety. Sometimes, these symptoms can be overwhelming and stop you from living your life to the fullest.
5 Foods that Help Fight Anxiety
While anxiety is usually understood to be a disorder of the mind, diet also has a role to play. Eating
healthy and keeping yourself well-hydrated are two of the most basic components of keeping your
mind and body free from stress. Recognizing which foods contribute to anxiety and cutting them out from
your diet can help make a difference.
In addition, you can also consume foods that promote a good mood and reduce stress. Below is a list
of five foods that are known to help lessen anxiety.
Dark Chocolate
Pure dark chocolate minus added sugars and milk makes for a great treat for those prone to anxiety.
Chocolate reduces 'the stress hormone' cortisol in your body and also contains mood-boosting
compounds.
Do you know that not only does chocolate benefits your mental health but also your skin and hair? Wondering how?
Check this: Benefits of Dark Chocolate for Skin and Hair
This light beverage is famous for its weight-loss properties, but few know that it also has anti-anxiety
and relaxing effects. Green tea contains L-theanine, an amino acid that is linked to reduced levels
of cortisol and increased production of dopamine and serotonin
– neurochemicals that calm your brain.
Probiotic Yogurt
Research into anxiety suggests that there is a connection between gut health and brain health.
So, to keep your gut healthy, it is advisable to include probiotic foods like yogurt into your daily diet.
The healthy bacteria in yogurt lessens nerve-damaging neurotoxins in the body, thus promoting better
brain function.
Fatty Fish
Fish like Salmon is great for heart health, but did you know that it also improves your brain health?
It contains vitamin D, omega-3, and other essential fatty acids that make your brain healthy and
regulate dopamine and serotonin in your body. Try adding grilled salmon to your dinners at least
twice a week.
Citrus Fruits
Studies have linked a deficiency of Vitamin C to increased anxiety levels because of the link between
Vitamin C and the regulation of cortisol in the body.
If you are not already including citrus fruits like
oranges, lemons, and grapefruits in your diet, take this chance to do it now.
What to Avoid If You Have Anxiety
It's not enough to just include anxiety-reducing foods in your diet. You also need to recognize the foods
that are contributing to anxiety and cut them out.
Here is what to avoid:
Sugary Foods and carbs
If you have a sweet tooth and suffer from anxiety, there might be a correlation between the two.
Sugar and carbs spike the glucose levels in your body, which raises your adrenaline levels,
resulting in unexplained anxiety. Cutting back on consumption of sugary foods and carbs like bread
and rice can stabilize your mood.
Caffeine
If you are a working professional, the chances are that you depend on either tea or coffee to get
yourself out of bed in the morning. The reason caffeine wakes you up is that it stimulates the nervous
system. On the flip side, this stimulation can also increase blood pressure and cause anxiety.
Try cutting out caffeine from your diet slowly and see if it makes a difference.
Dairy Products
A lot of us don't even realize we are lactose-intolerant until something goes terribly wrong with our
bodies. If you have anxiety, try avoiding dairy for a week and see if it makes a difference to your mood.
Dairy is difficult to break down and digest for some people. It causes inflammation in the body,
triggering the immune and nervous systems into high gear and contributing to anxiety.
Other Tips to Prevent Anxiety
Beyond changing your diet, you can adopt the following tips and techniques in your daily routine to
keep your mind calm and mood steady.
Tip 1: Get Moving
At this point, it's almost a cliché to emphasize the importance of exercising when it comes to mental
health. But few get into the science behind it. Exercise stimulates the release of endorphins – also
known as the calming neurochemical. This in turn reduces the levels of cortisol in the body, resulting
in reduced anxiety.
Tip 2: Learn Breathing Exercises
The shortness of breath you experience during anxiety can lead to panic attacks. To fight this, dedicate
yourself to learning and practising deep breathing techniques and
exercises.
These techniques supply increased levels of oxygen to your panicked brain to help it calm
down quickly.
The above diet and lifestyle tips, when used together, can help you manage mild anxiety in your daily
life. However, sometimes anxiety is too severe to be dealt with on your own. If this sounds like you,
please consider visiting a psychologist or a therapist and following a professional treatment plan.
Author's Bio
This is a Guest Post by Swati Sharma who is a beauty and skincare enthusiast. She loves to create content around it and presently is a blogger at 365 Gorgeous, a beauty and skincare blog dedicated to keeping you gorgeous, always. When not writing, you would often find her sipping a cuppa and reading non-fiction books.
"I'm taking my blog to the next level with Blogchatter's #MyFriendAlexa"
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