Thursday, July 23, 2009

Your Diet Could Be Making Your Anxiety Worse

By Gordon Dalwood

Is that your fourth cup of coffee for the day? Then that explains your run-away anxieties over small matters that others take on as normal life events - moving house, having a baby, credit card bills, and the eternal battle with the bulge. Anxiety can be triggered by poor eating habits and excessive coffee and alcohol intake. If you are guilty of the two bad habits, it is time now to change your lifestyle.

There are many different things which can cause anxiety and trigger attacks, but your diet and other lifestyle factors make a big difference. By limiting your intake of alcohol and caffeine, you can keep your anxiety levels lower and reduce anxiety attacks. Since caffeine is a stimulant, consuming excessive amounts of caffeine can worsen anxiety problems.

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 of course a depressant. Again, there is elation at first, followed by a fatigued, often anxious state. You should reduce or eliminate your alcohol intake if you want to reduce the frequency and severity of your anxiety attacks. It's fine to have a drink or two on occasion, but if alcohol tends to cause you to become more anxious, then it should be avoided altogether. Make sure to drink enough water every day; dehydration causes your moods to destabilize and can also set off anxiety or panic attacks.

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.

You should also incorporate tryptophan-rich foods into your diet. This amino acid is necessary for the production of melatonin and serotonin, which regulate moods and help you get restful sleep. Foods which are good sources of tryptophan include nuts, bananas, oats, dairy products, soy-based foods and poultry.

Fiber is also an important part of a healthy diet which helps to fight anxiety. Getting plenty of fiber in your diet keeps your blood sugar levels properly regulated. Women going through menopause should make sure to get plenty of calcium to alleviate fatigue, depression and irritability. You may want to avoid foods which seem to trigger mood swings in many people, including eggs, dairy products, shellfish, wheat, nuts and corn.

Limit salt intake because the body already produces sodium and potassium and eating salty foods increases the sodium levels in the body. Too much salt causes water retention and impacts on high blood pressure; worse, it makes one moody; so avoid junk foods; these have high sodium content. If you are into artificial sugars, avoid then. Some of these aggravate panic attack symptoms.

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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