Thursday, July 23, 2009

Your Diet Could Be Making Your Anxiety Worse

By Gordon Dalwood

Are you pouring your fifth cup of coffee already? If so, it's not too surprising that you anxieties are getting the best of you and the things which cause most people only a little stress like moving, starting a new job, having a child and so on are causing you total paralysis. A poor diet and excessive consumption of caffeine and alcohol can trigger anxiety attacks and exacerbate existing anxiety issues. You can reduce your anxiety by making some simple lifestyle changes.

Anxiety can be caused by any number of things, including your diet and lifestyle habits. Keeping your coffee intake and drinking light to moderate can go a long way towards keeping your anxiety under control. Caffeine, after all is a stimulant - and if you're a heavy coffee drinker, you may be fueling your anxiety.

Too much coffee or alcohol causes a biochemical imbalance in the body. Too many cups of coffee and alcohol jolt the nervous system into a tizzy. You become over alert and when the effect of the drug-like effect of methylxanthines (a stimulant) wears down, you are plunged into a nervous state, which sometimes can bring on panic attacks. Try going through the day without coffee, you will be less tired and emotionally calm.

Alcohol is a depressant rather than a stimulant, but has the same sort of effects as caffeine - elation, then anxiety and fatigue. Cut back on alcohol and you can make your anxiety attacks less frequent and milder. There's no harm in having a drink or two sometimes, but if it seems to trigger your anxiety attacks, then give it up. You should also make sure to drink plenty of water, since dehydration can make your moods unstable and increase your anxiety level.

Eating smaller levels can also keep your anxiety under control. This keeps your blood sugar level steady; start with breakfast since this kicks off your metabolism for the day. Choose a healthy diet with lots of fresh vegetables, fruits and whole grains. A healthy diet boosts your serotonin levels, which gives you a sense of well-being and calm.

Foods which contain high levels of the amino acid tryptophan should be added to your diet. Tryptophan helps you produce serotonin and melatonin, which help you have stable moods and get higher quality sleep. Dairy products, oats, nuts, bananas, poultry and soy are all good sources.

Fiber rich food also adds to a sense of well-being because this regulates the sugar levels in the body. Women who are menopausing should take more calcium rich foods to reduce irritability, fatigue, and depression. Do you have adverse reactions to some food? Avoid food that makes you irritable and moody. Nuts, wheat, corn, eggs, dairy, and shellfish should be avoided if you experience mood swings after eating any of these.

Salt is also something you should take in moderation. Since your body naturally produces sodium, too high of a dietary intake of sodium leads to high blood pressure and water retention as well as mood swings. Avoid junk food, fast food and other foods which contain excessive amounts of sodium. Curtail or eliminate artificial sweeteners and refined sugars as these can also increase your anxiety level and even worsen panic attacks.

Diet is an important factor when treating anxiety attacks but it is best to seek medical advice especially if you are experiencing severe panic attacks.

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