Diet, Lifestyle and Anxiety

Anxiety – the mental beast many of us cannot tame.

Or we feel like we do – only for it to creep up on us later and attack us by surprise.

It may be hard to for us to admit, but anxiety is a mental health problem. And NO having some anxiety is not a bad thing – but when it becomes crippling or interferes with your life it becomes a “mental health issue”

The answer for all of us is different. Just as our minds respond to different stimuli our bodies respond differently as well. Where one person can completely overhear the ringing of a phone or the alarm clock going off another one can feel the anxiety of either one of these and are quick to make the sound stop.

So not all these points I am going to share with you today are going to be your answer.. heck.. the answer does not lie in the diet. It lies in your head. You will never get past it if you cannot control your thoughts and actions. But beyond that there are some things you can do to help lessen the severity of an anxiety attack or a period of depression.

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Alcohol

Stop drinking it.

I know, I know. Easier said than done.

Why? Why is it so hard to say no to alcohol? And why should you anyway? When you drink the worries subside. You no longer care and you giggle and find the courage to look anxiety in the face and give it the middle finger, allowing you to smile, feeling victorious.

Alcohol is funny in that way. Everyone’s favorite weekend, weekday, mid-morning brunch companion. Sitting there waiting for everyone to sip until the room is filled with laughter and pink cheeks.

Not only is alcohol in large quantities (which is more than one drink for women and two for men, by the way) detrimental to your health (please don’t make me explain how it damages your liver, kidneys, brain, etc…) but it also changes the levels of serotonin and other neurotransmitters in the brain – causing you to feel MORE ANXIOUS for hours or days after the depressant wears off.

20% of people suffering from anxiety disorder have alcohol dependence. 

It’s a vicious cycle – you drink to unwind, and you in turn make your anxiety worse, leading you to more drinking.

Whether or not you think you have a problem, or if you only drink once in a while – why don’t you try avoiding alcohol all together for a few months and see what happens to your sanity?

I also recently read a study about binge drinking, it stated that you suffer from brain damage for up to six weeks after a binge.

So if you’re hesitant to give up the drinks – I urge you to try it for 8 weeks. Giving your brain time to heal back to normal and then more time to see how it feels without the alcohol.

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Exercise:

Okay, so this isn’t actually diet related but it needs to be addressed.

Exercise can be a powerful antidote when it comes to anxiety. It is the most underused drug in the world… but also the most abused.

I have not only gone through it myself but I have also watched friends get more anxiety from missing a workout or being unable to workout than the working out itself is helping. In no world should we be so obsessed with movement that we cannot relax, travel without worry or fear or missing workouts, spend our workday with that same fear – or worse, cause overuse injuries in which never actually get to heal because of the anxiety and/or inability to rest.

That being said – moving your body produces endorphins, chemicals in the brain that act as natural painkillers. These endorphins relieve stress and make the body feel more alert, energetic and allows for better concentration and cognitive function.

It only takes 5 minutes of aerobic exercise to start to see the effects. 

One hour of vigorous exercise was shown to decrease the likelihood of depression and/or anxiety disorders by 25%.

For those who already suffer from full blown depression and/or anxiety – using exercise as treatment can be just as effective as medication. One session of intense exercise can alleviate symptoms for several hours – keeping a regular schedule can deaden the symptoms over time.

As I stated earlier – we all react differently – it’s been shown that not everyone reacts positively to intense exercise for depression and anxiety.  And as I stated earlier as well -some people may find themselves abusing it, which over time becomes not only it’s own issue but a new form of anxiety.

The best thing for you to do is to try out different exercises and find the ones you love – give them time and keep a schedule. Even if they don’t improve your mood the way you wish, your body is still reaping a plethora of benefits – and you may find that exercise in conjunction with medication works better than medication alone.

Stay physically active.

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Hydration

I thought it would be good to go into this post-exercise since hydration is key in keeping you in top physical condition, it is also key in helping prevent anxiety attacks.

Hydration does not prevent anxiety itself, however, dehydration has been found to be a trigger for an attack.

Water makes up about 60 – 70 percent of our body, it carries hormones and nutrients to their destinations. When we aren’t giving our body enough water it can slow down causing many bodily dysfunctions.

You can also experience a drop in blood pressure, causing dizziness and your heart rate speeds up to counteract this drop in pressure. You can also experience abdominal distress as our body produces less digestive juices which can lead to gas, bloating and constipation as well as nausea and loss of appetite.

You can also experience tiredness and headaches as the brain is unable to function properly. All of these sound familiar? They probably do because they’re also common symptoms of anxiety.

Stay hydrated… especially if you start exercising more (yay!) but also consider…

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Caffeine

Ahhh… caffeine, the great morning stimulant.

Not only can caffeine keep you alert and stimulated, but it also has some suggested health benefits (coffee itself is a powerful antioxidant) but it also a legal ergogenic aid.

Again… in large quantities the stimulation effects can start to trigger anxiety. And if taken in enough it can actually dehydrate you… causing more anxiety.

I don’t necessarily think that we should all suddenly cut out caffeine, unless you’re getting it from energy drinks, a little goes a long way. But find your threshold.

The FDA recommends  no more than 400 mg a day, equaling about 3 – 4 cups of normal coffee at home. If you are going to Starbucks or other coffee shop, remember that it’s about one “Grande” or medium sized coffee.

I would start with looking through any and all supplements you currently take to see if there is added caffeine to them. ESPECIALLY pre-workouts, sneaky little things. Then I would cut back on the coffee consumption – switch to another warm drink, maybe tea? The warmth can illicit a calming response without the over stimulation. Just watch out because many of our favorite marketed teas also contain high amounts of caffeine. Here are some common teas and their caffeine contents per 8 oz serving:

1. Black tea – 40 – 70 mg
2. Green tea – 35 – 45 mg
3. Oolong tea – 35 – 55 mg
4. Herbal teas – no caffeine at all

Swap out or cut back. Just control your caffeine stimulus.

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Carbohydrates:

SUGAR – always the  bad guy.

Guess what causes anxiety – too many carbs. BUT! before you’re too quick to the draw and immediately shun all things carbs…

Guess what else causes anxiety…

TOO LITTLE CARBS.

Well, well, well… what do we have here… sounds like a conundrum.

Why do we work so hard to balance our brain chemistry but we seem to never want to eat a balanced diet? I’ve never understood ourselves.

Carbohydrates actually do calm us down.

It’s been proven that people with less serotonin in the brain actually seek out fast absorbing carbohydrates more so than their regular serotonin counterparts.

Why?

Carbohydrates make you feel good. They light up the brains pleasure centers and indirectly increase serotonin levels.

Why do you think comfort foods are so carb heavy?

It’s a good thing to know and a good thing to have on hand. But it all comes down to what you really end up munching on.

If you’re reaching for chips, desserts, chocolate, bagels, breads, cereals, anything processed… you’re not helping. The simpilier the carbohydrate the higher the high and the faster the crash and burn… again spiraling us back into hunger and anxiety.

People can and do medicate with food… but in this case it’s not helping.

What should you do?

Choose a complex carbohydrate at every meal. Snack on fruits and vegetables, include them and high fiber grains throughout your day. The slower they break down, the better and more prolonged the feel good center is lit up and the lighter the crash (if any).

Don’t avoid carbs, use them to your advantage.

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Probiotics

My favorite.

When I think about the gut bacteria I often think about that naked little alien in Men In Black… you know, the one who controlled the body who tells them the galaxy is on Orions belt.

That’s what probiotics do! They hold all the answers to life’s greatest questions but tell us in code.

So we have to cultivate and feed them, and one of the best ways to make sure you’re getting the best one for your mental health is to take a supplement. The problem is is that you just can’t take the supplement every once in a while for a little while and stop taking it… you have to take it daily for an extended amount of time.

Why? We are born with certain bacteria that are acclimated to our systems. When you bring in outside bacteria they are often killed off by the PH of the gastric juices – and without family and friends around to grow, they die off.

It has been shown that an entire colony can be wiped out 6 days after stopping a probiotic supplement. So YES, you should take one, but don’t expect it to work if you aren’t cultivating and feeding it.

Look for Lactobacillus (L.) rhamnosus , this strain has the most potential as alleviating signs and symptoms of anxiety

Plus probiotic send all sorts of messages to all sorts of places in the body, they fight inflammation, they’re the first line of defense against outside viruses and bacteria, they litereally make up our immune system.

Find a strong probiotic including the not only strain Lactobacillus (L.) rhamnosus, but a plethora of other strains too and take it daily. Check the label to make sure it’s not expired (the closer the date the more dead bacteria you’re swallowing) and make sure if it needs to be refrigerated it is (not a bad idea to put the shelf stable ones in a cool environment as well)

I would like to make a note that as rates of depression are on the rise so are hormone and antibiotic use in our food and to treat common illnesses that actually AREN’T killed by the antibiotic- I bet we can find a correlation with the over-antibiotic use… and it will probably go back and forth for years proven and unproven… but let’s stay on the safe side and just:

1. Avoid antibiotics for a cold – that’s a VIRUS, killing off your gut bacteria may actually make it worse
2. Eat more organic – NO not all organic is great for you either, they still use approved pesticides and other things we probably have no idea about… but avoid hormones, antibiotic meats and pesticides if possible (just live on a farm, ok?)
3. Immediately take probiotics after taking antibiotics.. yes they have their place, but you need to rebound before another infection can arise.

But the most important part to remember is to take them and keep taking them. Oh, and feed them. Love them, they are your little garden.

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MULTIVITAMIN (MVI) and Vitamin D and fish oil

These are the three pills (besides probiotics) that I ALWAYS recommend.

Taking an MVI is not a bad practice to be doing daily… and no not 100,000% of your B vitamins. That’s not healthy (cue future cancer links to vitaminosis). But a good MVI is like an upside-down umbrella – catching any deficiencies you may have.

Find a well rounded MVI including some heavy metals, a small amount of water and fat soluble vitamins – and ensure it doesn’t include too much more than the RDI% – I don’t necessarily agree with the RDI’s all the time but I also will never agree to taking 1,000% more than the RDI states.

Anxiety can be triggered by imbalances of vitamins and minerals in the body. If something is not functioning as it should it will illicit a response in the brain akin to anxiety.

IVitamin D has a very clear and well studied link to depression and anxiety – it may not be a bad idea to have a blood test done to see if you have low levels. My recommendation is to keep it in the 50 – 60 range, after 60 it no longer has a positive effect on mood, sports performance or strengthening bones – so it’s a waste of a supplement, plus we don’t know the ill-effects of too much vitamin D either.

1,000 – 2,000 IU’s daily for people with normal vitamin D levels

Speak to a doctor or dietitian if you have low levels.

Take the Vitamin D supplement with a fish oil (if you take them) and/or a higher fat meal. As it is fat soluble it will be best absorbed that way. Which brings me to Fish oils – I can tell you right now with 90% certainty that you, yes, you reading this, are not getting enough. Do you take fish oil daily? Do you eat fatty fish 3 or more times a week? Do you partake in foods that cause inflammation on a regular basis (simple carbs, high processed foods, alcohol?)

You’re deficient.

Recent studies suggest that taking (or eating!) a good source of Omega 3’s can reduce symptoms of anxiety – and also works well in conjunction with medications for depression. Anywhere from 200 – 2,200 mg a day can be enough to see changes in 8 – 12 weeks of consistent use.   I’d honestly stay on the upper end and even take upwards of 3,000, and look for supplements with more EPA than DHA.

Even if it doesn’t help your anxiety – you can reduce inflammation, correct imbalances and protect your bones with these three supplements.

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THE TAKEAWAY

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1. Avoid alcohol
2. Exercise regularly and do it with a smile
3. limit caffeine intake
4. Stay hydrated
5. Eat your carbohydrates but choose the right ones
6. Take a probiotic with Lactobacilus (L.) rhamnous in it
7. Take a MVI and/or Vitamin D and fish oil
8. Smile – it can change your brain chemistry

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Please be aware that you can adopt all of these points into your life and still suffer. Some people have depression/anxiety that stems from a deeper place than environmental issues. Please seek help and learn how to control your thoughts – but I urge you to still take care of your body – it’s the only one you have.