7 foods that fight anxiety

~Shelby~ · Post by **~Shelby~** » Mon Oct 27, 2008 4:54 pm

as seen on yahoo! health

7 Foods That Fight Anxiety

Bills arriving in heaps? Gas prices sky-rocketing? Summer love turned sour? Regardless of the cause, there's a counter-intuitiveness to the goodies we turn to for comfort. Take the classic-curling up with a pint of ice cream. It's a total backfire. Why? Sweets are insidious: After the initial rush, the body's insulin response kicks in, causing a sudden blood sugar drop that triggers the release of stress hormones. Soon you're feeling more jangled than you were before you inhaled that whole container of Chunky Monkey. And alcohol, of course, is a wolfish stimulant in calm sheep's clothing.
But true comfort foods do exist.

1. Berries, any berries
Eat them one by one instead of M&Ms when the pressure's on. For those tough times when tension tightens your jaw, try rolling a frozen berry around in your mouth. And then another, and another. Since the carbs in berries turn to sugar very slowly, you won't have a blood sugar crash. The bonus: They're a good source of vitamin C, which helps fight a jump in the stress hormone cortisol.

2. Guacamole
If you're craving something creamy, look no further. Avocados are loaded with B vitamins, which stress quickly depletes and which your body needs to maintain nerves and brain cells. Plus their creaminess comes from healthy fat. Scoop up the stuff with whole-grain baked chips-crunching keeps you from gritting your teeth.

3. Mixed nuts
Just an ounce will help replace those stress-depleted Bs (walnuts), give you a whopping amount of zinc (Brazil nuts)-it's also drained by high anxiety-and boost your E (almonds), which helps fight cellular damage linked to chronic stress. Buy nuts in the shell and think of it as multi-tasking: With every squeeze of the nutcracker, you're releasing a little bit of tension.

4. Oranges
People who take a 1,000 mg of C before giving a speech have lower levels of cortisol and lower blood pressure than those who don't. So lean back, take a deep breath, and concentrate on peeling a large orange. The 5-minute mindfulness break will ease your mind and you'll get a bunch of C as well.

5. Asparagus
Each tender stalk is a source of folic acid, a natural mood-lightener. Dip the spears in fat-free yogurt or sour cream for a hit of calcium with each bite.

6. Chai tea
A warm drink is a super soother, and curling up with a cup of aromatic decaf chai tea (Tazo makes ready-to-brew bags) can make the whole evil day go away.

7. Dark chocolate
Okay, there's nothing in it that relieves stress, but when only chocolate will do, reach for the dark, sultry kind that's at least 70% cocoa. You figure if the antioxidant flavonoids in it are potent enough to fight cancer and heart disease, they've got to be able to temper tension's effects.

sfargom · Post by **sfargom** » Tue Oct 28, 2008 12:47 pm

I agree to all of these as being substitutes to having the junk foods loaded with sugar. Or, there's also nothing wrong with taking vitamins or supplements because they can also be beneficial to our diets for reducing our stress and anxiety (whether its interior-caused by ourselves, or exterior-caused by some thing or someone). God Bless! Keep the faith in what works for you!
~Jason

Emptykisses129 · Post by **Emptykisses129** » Fri Jan 23, 2009 9:25 am

I agree with foods changing the way your mind and body respond to different things. I've recently cut out all junk and started a much healthier diet. With my image issues, hunger was never an issue. I'd skip meals all the time; not to lose weight or because I feared food...I just felt that I didnt need it, I had plenty of extra on me.

Ive finally, after many many many years, have decided to go back to 3 sensible meals a day and hitting the gym daily. Its made my self image improve slightly, I have a lot more energy and negative thoughts dont seem to pop in my head as often.

Id say give it a try, anything can help!

calmseeker · Post by **calmseeker** » Fri Mar 13, 2009 2:02 pm

Thanks for the tips they are very helpful! I believe that eating the right foods will only help us in dealing with anxiety and depression. Thanks again

Shifrah · Post by **Shifrah** » Fri Mar 13, 2009 6:27 pm

A few weeks ago I gave up chocolate as I found it addicting and there are many chemicals including caffeine and theobromine which negatively effect the nervous system. So I would say, for me at least, that chocolate actually exacerbates anxiety.

Craw · Post by **Craw** » Wed Mar 18, 2009 4:21 am

Ooo, glad I saw this. I love all those foods listed and it reminds me how poorly I've been eating lately. It's asparagus season so time to go buy some. It's always avocado season (yummy yum yum) and hey, who needs an excuse to eat some chocolate?

Paige4152 · Post by **Paige4152** » Sat May 23, 2009 2:41 pm

Great tips, Shelby! The tea is especially soothing - something warm to sip slows me down. Thank you for posting.

Arwen · Post by **Arwen** » Fri Jun 05, 2009 11:24 am

Those were great tips! Very interesting about the C-vitamin - I have used it as an antidote for food reactions in the form of anxiety and pounding heart for years, but had no idea they lowered cortisol!

Thank you for the great info!

beokay · Post by **beokay** » Wed Jun 17, 2009 12:45 pm

Good food tips! I have cut out caffein and sugar mostly. It's helped control my weight as well as my anxiety. Takes time to notice, but I noticed big time cutting out coffee/caffein!!

stephanie beth gurland · Post by **stephanie beth gurland** » Tue Jul 21, 2009 3:21 pm

Hi:

Thank you for that helpful info. How is everybody's blood pressure doing? I walk
everyday and drnk lots of water and try to avoid sugar, just maybe two butterscotches
candies at nght for a dry throat. But I am definitely going to put those foods on my shopping list. I hope everyne is dong well and
goodnight. Stephanie