Anxiety can be overpowering. It can disrupt your entire life, mess with your self-esteem, and interfere with your everyday tasks. Medication and therapy are the two ways to deal with anxiety. However, if you are reluctant to take anxiety pills, we can suggest some foods that relieve anxiety.
Many people underestimate the power of their diet. However, the truth is that the foods you eat contribute to your anxiety levels. By choosing the correct food, you can feel better, healthier, and happier.
Foods One Who Suffers from Anxiety Should Avoid
If you are dealing with anxiety, there are some foods you should stay away from. These include alcoholic drinks, high glycemic carbs, caffeine, refined sugar, and of course, deep-fried food items.
Depending on the intensity of your anxiety, you can choose which foods you must avoid. If you are prone to panic attacks, cut out coffee from your diet. Coffee and nicotine tend to increase the heart rate, leading to a panic attack.
However, if you have a generalized anxiety disorder, coffee could do you good. However, remember not to overdose on caffeine.
Foods that Relieve Anxiety
1. Whole Grains
Many individuals cannot tolerate gluten. However, they can largely benefit from whole grain food, such as whole-grain pasta, rice, and bread. Moreover, whole grain foods can also help those with anxiety. Wondering how?
Whole grains come loaded with magnesium. Sometimes, when the body is low on magnesium, you may experience symptoms of anxiety. Moreover, these foods are rich in tryptophan which is converted to serotonin.
This helps calm the nervous system. Whole-grain foods also induce the body with a healthy energy that keeps you full and reduces hunger.
2. Almonds
People take almonds for granted. They do not get the due respect and praise they deserve, even though they are extremely nutritious.
Almonds contain zinc which helps ensure a balanced mood. Moreover, they provide the body with loads of iron and healthy fats. When trying to maintain a healthy diet, make sure to throw in some almonds. If an individual does not have sufficient iron in their body, they will face brain fog. This can cause low energy levels and can also increase anxiety.
3. Blueberries
When talking about foods that relieve anxiety, we cannot forget to mention blueberries. Apart from being absolutely delicious, this fruit is also known as a superfood.
Blueberries are loaded with vitamins, plant nutrients, and antioxidants. Combined, these factors help reduce stress in the body. Many experts believe that peaches also help lower symptoms of anxiety as they have a sedating effect.
4. Maca Root
Maca root is not easily available at grocery stores. In fact, you may have never even heard of this. However, if you can manage to get your hands on maca root powder, you can add it to your list of foods that relieve anxiety.
You can add maca root powder to your morning shake, coffee, or even tea. This powder has more phytonutrients than most fruits and vegetables that you will find in the market. Moreover, it also contains high levels of iron and magnesium.
These two vitamins are great for lowering symptoms of stress and anxiety. Moreover, maca root is a wonderful energy booster!
5. Acai Berries
Acai berries have become extremely popular, especially in lists of foods that relieve anxiety. These berries are superfoods because of the various advantages they provide.
Initially, people believed that acai berries helped with weight loss. However, the truth is that these berries contain phytonutrients. They are come packed with antioxidants, which makes them extremely effective at reducing symptoms of anxiety and stress.
6. Chocolate
We have some good news – chocolate lowers anxiety! Even if you don’t like any of the previously mentioned foods that relieve anxiety, you just cannot say no to chocolate. However, you should note one thing here – not ALL chocolate does this.
Dark chocolate, in particular, made without any sugar or milk, helps people deal with the symptoms of anxiety.
The truth is that when you eat chocolate, it reduces cortisol levels in the body. Cortisol is a stress hormone that is responsible for feelings of anxiety. Some qualities of dark chocolate help boost mood and energy levels.
Why Those Suffering from Anxiety Should Increase their Water Intake
Eating well has more of an impact on anxiety than you could imagine. Even though many people believe that anxiety does not have anything to do with one’s physical health, this is not true. You can try everything, but if you do not eat foods that relieve anxiety, you may never recover.
Drinking water is essential for reducing symptoms of anxiety. There are numerous studies that prove that dehydration can cause stress in the body. Moreover, almost 25 percent of the population is chronically dehydrated. This can lead to higher levels of anxiety.
Moreover, keep in mind that there are lots of other foods that relieve anxiety. You must look for food products that are rich in antioxidants, magnesium, vitamin B12, and zinc. Together, these can help fight symptoms of stress and anxiety in the body.
You can also opt for herbal supplements, such as passionflower or kava. These can also reduce feelings of anxiety.
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