I know it all too well when someone is anxious, the sweating and restlessness makes you feel out of place. Anxiety is part of you and you cannot seem to get rid of it no matter how many times you Google, ‘how to get rid of anxiety’.
This is an all too familiar circumstance or situation for most people. Regardless of whatever type of anxiety it is, you know it’s there but you cannot wish it away. Anxiety is a burden for most people whether they are blue, alien or green.
I have faced this anxiety since my younger years; I was that quiet kid in class. It didn’t get any better as I progressed with my education, but I tried to sort of reduce it. I tried deep breathing to calm myself down and it did work.
But according to Anxiety and Depression Association of America (ADAA), anxiety disorders are highly treatable, yet only 36.9% of those suffering receive treatment.
I tried other new stuff and the food I was eating became an interest of mine. Was I sabotaging myself by eating the wrong types of foods? As they say in fitness, 80% of the battle is won in the kitchen. Therefore in regards to anxiety I was losing the battle in the kitchen.
According to a nutritional research, a healthy diet is protective and an unhealthy diet is a risk factor for depression and anxiety.
I researched and found that most foods I was consuming were all bad for my anxiety. I made changes and this is what I found out on best foods to combat anxiety. They include:
1. Avocados
The benefits of taking an avocado has always been outlined and advertised from every corner of the earth. This green in color fruit can be a saving grace for your anxiety.
Why avocados are so crucial for anxiety is because of the nutrients and vitamins it has. This nutrients and vitamins are great for your anxiety.
Avocado nutrients include potassium, lutein and folate but in the case of anxiety the B vitamins are available here. These B vitamins are for your brain and knowing that people with anxiety overthink a lot in a situation.
For example, you are in a grocery store buying some fruits. Your brain is telling you that people are judging you for buying a whole bag of avocados. This leads you to being restless and anxious.
The B vitamins in avocados are meant to alleviate this anxiety issues. By taking care of your brain you’re taking care of your anxiety, these vitamins are a sort of a stress reliever.
According to Clean Program, all the B vitamins are helpful, but specifically, B5, B6, B9 (folic acid), and B12 are natural remedies for anxiety, and can help regulate mood.
2. Broccoli
This is a vegetable you’ve got to try if reducing your anxiety is what you want. Why is this so? Magnesium is the answer and key.
Magnesium is essential for anxiety and stress yet it’s the second most common nutritional deficiency in developed countries. Over the past 50 years, magnesium intake has plummeted while rates of anxiety have skyrocketed.
Broccoli is rich is magnesium which is a mineral content in this vegetable. What magnesium does is that it has a calming or relaxation effect on you. It’s probably the most powerful stress reliever therefore ones anxiety is greatly reduced.
A study in France of 264 patients with generalized anxiety disorder found that a statistically significant number of men and women reported improvements on a magnesium regimen.
3. Yogurt
A fermented food like yogurt is ideal for your anxiety. Yes it is surprising but what this fermented foods have is bacteria that are both healthy and helpful.
In regards to anxiety this fermented yogurt has bacteria that have a positive effect on your brain. Therefore anxiety that is social anxiety can be reduced by consuming yogurt. Yoghurt and other fermented food have probiotic which is a live bacterium that’s good for you in terms of health.
Studies have shown that when people take probiotics (good bacteria), their anxiety levels, perception of stress, and mental outlook improve, compared with people who did not take probiotics.
4. Salmon
Wild salmon is the ideal type of fish to consume if anxiety is what you need reduced. Salmon has omega-3 fatty acids which is great for the brain health.
This omega-3 fatty acids decrease inflammation as well as limit cortisol levels. Cortisol is linked with stress and if it’s kept in check then anxiety is reduced.
According to JAMA Network Open, omega-3 fatty acid may help ease anxiety symptoms in people diagnosed with a range of physical and mental problems. Researchers found that people who took high doses of omega-3s (up to 2000mg a day) seemed to have the most reduction in anxiety symptoms.
5. Eggs
With eggs you’ve the egg yolk which has vitamin D, and a deficiency in this vitamin to the body has been linked to mood disorders like anxiety.
Early research suggests that vitamin D plays a role in cognitive health. Therefore taking vitamin D helps improve cognitive function.
Also according to researchers cognitive functions were affected in people with higher levels of anxiety because it was associated with slower information processing speed, decreased verbal learning, and decreased working memory.
Also eggs are full of protein meaning that amino acids like tryptophan are available therefore helping on the production of serotonin.
According to a study published in The Journal of Clinical Psychiatry, people with low concentration of tryptophan in their blood were more apt to developing major depression, anxiety and mood disorders. This makes sense when you understand that a deficiency of the brain chemical serotonin is one of the main causes of depression and anxiety. Sufficient levels of tryptophan in the body can reduce depression and anxiety.
6. Citrus fruits
What you are getting from this citrus fruits like oranges is the vitamin C. What this vitamin does is regulate cortisol thereby minimizing anxiety levels.
According to Mayo Clinic, there is a link between vitamin C and mood. People who have vitamin C deficiency often feel fatigued or depressed. Studies of hospitalized patients – who often have lower than normal vitamin C levels – have found that their mood improved after they received vitamin C.
Also a study of high school students indicated that vitamin C lowered anxiety levels, and other studies have shown mood-elevating effects from taking vitamin C.
7. Peanuts
Why peanuts are great for your anxiety is the fact that they contain vitamin E which is vital for combating anxiety.
According to a study by the Department of Agricultural Chemistry at the Meiji University, Kawasaki, Kanagawa, Japan found that a deficiency in vitamin E increased anxiety in both juvenile and adult rats. In a 2009 study, the researchers discovered that they could induce anxiety behavior in rats by making them deficient in vitamin E.
Also research has shown that vitamin E has anti-inflammatory effects that can combat depression.
You can take the peanuts raw, boiled or roasted. You can even experiment with different recipes like orange and avocado salad with peanut-hoisin dressing. This should rattle your taste buds.
Conclusion
It is sometimes okay to feel anxious in one or two occasions, it means you are a normal human being. But majority of the time this anxiety is never-ending, you are restless and having difficulty concentrating.
Your anxiety is at an all-time high, reducing it is what you got to do and what you eat might be the solution. The various types of foods outlined can have tremendous effect on you as long as you know these core principles.
First you got to be eating magnesium rich, omega-3 and anti-inflammatory foods. This is the gist of this article and foods outlined.
Add these foods to your diet and daily routine and there is a guarantee of seeing improvement in your anxiety. You might not experience muscle tension when you are in a crowded area or street. Eat the right anti-anxiety foods for a better you.
Author Bio: Michael Kamenya is a freelance writer, with a burning desire to help and educate people on the importance of good health and food through writing. I share my knowledge and what has worked for me in terms of health. More of my writing can be found at https://hubpages.com/@michaelkamenya: A site where I highlight what I know and how I have benefited from that knowledge. Plus you can connect with me via LinkedIn at https://linkedin.com/in/michael-karango