Anxiety has become extremely popular today, and anxiety medications multiply the issues. However, you may be able to eliminate your anxiety from the source – your food!
Anxiety is an extremely common mental illness in America, with about 18.1 million diagnosed cases today. Including undiagnosed cases, It is estimated that there are around 30 million people suffering from anxiety disorders. Anxiety drugs like alprazolam (Xanax) or diazepam (Valium) are extremely addictive and harsh on your body. Many people believe that anxiety disorders are a mental curse that’s impossible to solve. However, meditation and yoga are excellent natural remedies to cope, but you might solve all your anxiety issues by changing your diet.
Your diet has everything to do with the way you feel. A poor diet is awful for your body in so many different ways, and it might even be causing your anxiety disorder. A balanced diet made of whole foods can lead to great health, but a poor diet can make you feel depressed and anxious all the time. Here are the foods you need to avoid to relieve your anxiety.
Sugar
Sugar is pretty much bad for all parts of your body, even your mind. Sugar is prevalent in processed foods, alcoholic and non-alcoholic beverages, and all fast food. It has the ability to raise blood glucose and makes the brain not operate correctly. Diets high in sugar have been linked to anxiety and even depression.
Artificial Sweeteners
You might be able to say that artificial sweeteners are just as bad as their rival, sugar. You might think they are healthier options than sugar, but this is indeed wrong. Calorie free artificial sweeteners block the production of serotonin, a well known ‘feel good’ chemical in your brain. This easily results in moodiness, anxiety, and insomnia.
Alcohol
It’s no shock that alcohol can cause a major increase in anxiety. It is a depressant of the central nervous system, which controls and processes emotions. CNS depressants are known to result in depression and anxiety.
Fast Food
We are all guilty of eating too much fast food. It’s so convenient that we often forget that it’s poison to our bodies. A simple occasional fast food treat isn’t necessarily going to cause your anxiety, but eating fast food on a regular basis can seriously increase your risk for anxiety disorders. There have been multiple studies that confirmed a fast food link to anxiety disorders and depression.
Trans Fats
Trans fats are notoriously found in fast food and most of our massively processed supermarket foods. They cause your arteries to clog and lead to cardiovascular issues farther down the road.
Wheat Bran
Wheat Bran is full of phytic acid and anti-nutrients that bind to minerals in the gut. Zinc has a heavy influence on your mood and deficiency can cause you to suffer from anxiety. This goes for foods like almonds and beans, although soaking them can reduce their phytic acid levels.
Canned Soups
Canned soups are horrible for your mood, no matter how many people believe Campbell’s chicken noodle soup is a feel good food! They are super high in sodium and Bisphenol A (BPA) lines the can and poisons the soup. Both of these have been linked to high anxiety in multiple different studies. BPA can unbalance your mood stabilizing neurotransmitters.
Coffee and Caffeine
Coffee might serve as the perfect wake-me-up for some people, but other people experience increased anxiety. Caffeinated drinks have been shown to inhibit levels of serotonin to the brain, causing depression or anxiety. Anxiety is a major side effect of suppressed serotonin.