Symptoms of anxiety appear to be increasing in the population throughout all age groups. Dietary changes can help to naturally reduce anxiety symptoms and decrease chronic negative emotional states.
Benjamin Franklin had 13 life virtues, and one of them was “temperance” He was quoted as saying “eat not to dullness, drink not to elevation”, which is still sound advice today.DR. CHAD LARSON
In episode 42 of his Keep It Real video series, Dr. Larson discusses:
There are five natural strategies that you can implement to decrease anxiety and chronic negative emotional states they are:
- Breathing exercises
- Decrease exposure to artificial blue light
- Improve your sleep patterns
- Make dietary changes
- Spend more time in nature
All of the strategies discussed in this episode, and others related to the five anxiety reducing strategies, have scientific validation that they help to reduce symptoms of anxiety
Check out these 5 small dietary changes that can have a big impact on your feelings of anxiety and chronic negative emotional states below.
Dietary Tip #1 to reduce anxiety is to eat a breakfast that includes protein
Breakfast is literally breaking the fast that you have put your body through overnight. Your blood sugar drops first thing in the morning, which is why eating breakfast can help to support your blood sugar levels and even them out. Breakfast including protein is especially important for individuals with adrenal hormone issues. If your cortisol is insufficient in the morning, then you aren’t going to have the proper amount needed to boost your glucose. Eating protein for breakfast supplies you with a steady stream that won’t leave you craving sugar all day. If you start your morning with a doughnut and coffee, your blood sugar is going to spike, followed by a crash, which will induce feelings of anxiety
Tip #2 is not to drink too much caffeine
Too much caffeine can make you feel jittery and raise your heart rate. For some people, that can produce symptoms similar to anxiety. Drinking too much caffeine throughout the day can also negatively impact your sleep, as can drinking caffeine too close to bedtime. Reducing the amount of restorative sleep you get at night, too much caffeine consumption will leave you waking the next morning with a restorative sleep deficit, which can lead to a negative emotional state.
Tip #3 is to get plenty of water according to your needs
Mild dehydration can make you feel “uncomfortable” and edgy, which can manifest itself by symptoms of anxiety and irritability
Tip #4 is to limit your consumption of alcohol
Alcohol has a calming effect in low doses, but if you drink too much, it can make you irritable and edgy, which can bring on feelings of anxiety. Drinking too much alcohol, especially before bed, can also interrupt your ability to get quality sleep. Benjamin Franklin had 13 life virtues, and one of them was “temperance”
He was quoted as saying “eat not to dullness, drink not to elevation”, which is still sound advice today.
Dietary Tip #5 to reduce anxiety is to avoid food sensitivities
If you have food sensitivities, they can cause your immune system to react abnormally, which can lead to inflammation. Inflammation can negatively affect your production of neurotransmitters, which can cause symptoms of anxiety. Other additives like MSG (Monosodium Glutamate) and food coloring and additives can affect conditions like ADHD, which has crossover symptoms of anxiety. Avoid food sensitivities when you know you have them to reduce negative effects like anxiety and negative emotional states. Small dietary changes can have a huge impact on reducing feelings of anxiety and decrease chronic negative emotional states.
