Diet and Anxiety
"Let food be thy medicine, and let thy medicine be food." Hippocrates
A diet high in processed food, sugars, artificial sweeteners, colors and preservatives cause physical stress to the body. The modern diet lacks essential nutrients needed for energy production, hormone balance, neurotransmitter production and signaling. Chronic physical stress through poor nutrition combined with mental/ emotional stress will lead to symptoms of anxiety and depression. Giving your body what it needs through whole foods nutrition for rebuilding strength and vitality.
Stress and Adrenal Function
Your adrenal glands are responsible for secreting hormones in reaction to stress. These hormones prepare the body for danger by activating the "flight or fight response." Poor eating habits, nutritional deficiencies, and chronic stress leads to adrenal gland problems. As they begin to lose their resilience to constant stress, they become hyperresponsive and later fatigued. Anxiety, depression, fatigue, low immunity, and blood sugar problems are just a few of the possible symptoms.
Blood Sugar and Anxiety
A diet high in sugar and simple carbohydrates, tired adrenal glands, and/or a family history of diabetes, can lead to poor blood sugar control. When the body is not able to process sugar effectively, the brain sends out signals indicating it is not getting the sugar it needs. These signals include shakiness, irritability, numbness/tingling in the extremities, fear/panic, and confusion.
Neurotransmitters and Anxiety
Different chemicals in the brain, known as neurotransmitters, that help us respond to stress. When these neurotransmitters are out of balance, the body and mind are not able to cope efficiently. Peace of mind and sense of well-being are significantly diminished. Neurotransmitter levels fluctuate throughout our lives, depending on our diet, lifestyle, and stress levels. Luckily there are ways to test for neurotransmitter imbalances and through diet and supplementation, safely bring the levels back into balance.
Health Tip:
Getting out in the sun everyday is a simple and effective way to boost serotonin levels. Serontonin is a neurotransmitter that effects mood, sleep, and appetite. You need about 15 minutes per day in the sun.
Hormonal Changes
Many women experience anxiety symptoms in relation to fluctuating hormones. Symptoms may occur before menses every month, before the onset of menopause when hormone levels are fluctuating, or at menopause when hormone levels are low. Using herbs and nutrients to regulate hormonal fluctuations can have a tremendous effect on feelings of anxiety and depression. Liver supportive foods and nutrients help the body metabolize hormones and provide relief from anxiety symptoms.
Environmental Toxins
We are exposed to an enormous amount of environmental toxins everyday. Car exhaust, pesticides, herbicides, household cleaners, paints, cigarette smoke, and mold are a just a few common sources of toxins. Everyone has their own toxic load. Toxic load is the point at which environmental toxins cause disruptions in your health. Some people are very sensitive to chemicals and experience symptoms of fatigue, anxiety/depression, frequent colds and infections, muscle aches, sensitivity to smells, skin complaints, and a host of other symptoms.
The Power of Your Thoughts
“Every change in the physiological state is accompanied by an appropriate change in the mental emotional state, conscious or unconscious, and conversely, every change in the mental emotional state, conscious or unconscious, is accompanied by an appropriate change in the physiological state” - Candice Pert, Ph. D. - Molecules of Emotion
You have the power to control how you feel based on what kind of thoughts you are having. A negative thought sends a chemical signal throughout your entire body, affecting your entire physiology. A powerful thought creates positive chemical reactions in your body. The problem arises when your anxiety level has reached a peak and you no longer feel like you have control over your thoughts. Scary, obsessive thoughts are the hallmark of anxiety disorders. It is a vicious cycle of stress and negativity breeding more stress and negativity. The good news is this cycle can be stopped through cognitive behavioral techniques, a diet that raises serotonin levels, herbal and nutritional supplementation.
"The journey of a thousand miles begins with a single step."
Lao Tzu
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