Eating to help reduce anxiety
We can all feel anxious from time to time. While individuals with anxiety disorders require therapy and/or medication, for individuals with milder cases of anxiety changed to your diet may help.
1. Omega-3
Increase your intake of omega-3 fatty acids found in oily fish. Omega-3 acids protect you against inflammation and have been show to improve your overall mood and ability to cope with stress. Click here for more information. This study shows a 20% reduction in anxiety levels amongst medical students taking omega-3. While this study shows how omega-3 acts as an anti-depressant.
2. Drink chamomile tea. See studies for evidence of how it helps with anxiety.
3. Eat dark chocolate.
There’s actually a chemical reason called anandamide, a neurotransmitter produced in your brain that temporarily blocks feelings of pain and depression. It’s a derivative of the Sanskrit word “bliss,” and one of the great things about chocolate is that it not only produces this compound, it also contains other chemicals that prolong the “feel-good” aspects of anandamide. In addition there is a scientific study which shows that it helps you feel calm – so eat dark chocolate without feeling guilty! See scientific study for evidence.
4. Protein snacks.
If like me you are the king of person who needs snacks between meals, then choose a high protein snack like an organic egg, cheese or macadamia nuts as these will stabilise your blood sugar level which means your energy levels don’t slump and your mood doesn’t either.
5. Eat bananas.
Bananas contain dopamine, a natural reward chemical that boosts your mood. They’re also rich in B vitamins, including vitamin B6, which help soothe your nervous system, and magnesium, another nutrient associated with positive mood.
Related Posts
Holistic holiday first aid kit – part 2
So I am off on holiday to Japan and thinking about what to pack apart from the obvious clothes, toothbrush etc. In part 1 I discussed my two go to solutions. So now I wanted to share some other ideas: Skin MOA, TheGreenBalm can be used to soothe dry itchy skin, calm minor rashes and burns. It contains both tea-tree oil which is a natural anti-bacterial agent and yarrow a herb well know for its skin-healing properties. Sunburn Fushi wild andiroba oil harvested from the tropical rainforests of south and central america has antibacterial and antiinflamatory properties in the oil. Which makes it great for sunburn, repelling bugs and to moisturize dry or damaged hair. A more readily available remedy is aloe vera. Travel Sickness Ginger has long been the go to natural remedy for any type of sickness including travel sickness. Pukka three ginger tea also contains galangal another plant often recommend for motion sickness as well as anti-inflamatory turneric and soothing licqorice root so it may be useful for calming an upset stomach as well as alleviating travel sickness. Bug Bites Zap Ease from Incongnito (www.lessmosquito.com) is a natural mosquito-repellent maker. I haven't tried the product but it is award winning. A few "clicks" of Zap-Ease around the area of a bit "has the effect of localising the posing and inhibiting the histimine release, which causes the itch and the urge to scratch". The device is harmless but not recommended for kids under 2 years old and people with pacemakers.
One for all you amateur athletes
In my lifetime I have seen more and more people become what a friend insightfully called amateur athletes. This is due to the impact of the public health campaign to get to us to recognise the importance of regular exercise to keep us healthy. This has led to more people going to the gym regularly taking part in all forms of sporting competitions. I appreciate I am older than most of the clients who visit out clinic. But when I was growing up it was quite rare for people to go the gym or for adults to take part in sports-based competitions who were not professional athletes. A recent review published by the British Journal of Sports Medicine concludes that sleep is an important determinant of health, wellbeing and performance in collegiate athletes, it is not always a priority for them. In addition sleep allows the body to repair itself which is crutial if you are working towards a fitness goal e.g. a triathalon or marathon or big hockey game etc This made me wonder about the clients we see at the clinic, who are juggling demanding careers, personal fitness goals, busy social lives, families and sometimes living in environments that are not conducive to restorative sleep. So, I wanted to leave you with a question, how much of a priority is sleep in your life? Here is a reminder of some Sleep tips Reference https://bjsm.bmj.com/content/53/12/731.full
How do you look after your bones if you are dairy free?
We all know our bones need calcium and normally we get this from diary. But more and more people are going dairy free for a variety of reasons including following specific diets. The UK's National Osteoporosis Society surveyed 2,000 adults found that one in five of those aged between 18 - 25 had cut diary from their diets. As a result they could be putting their bone health at risk and could end up with osteoporosis in older age, the society has warned. But diary isn't necessary for achieving bone health, says Viva the animal rights group. Instead,
- weight bearing exercise such as walking
- climbing stairs
- dancing
- dark green leafy vegatables
- broccoli
- kale
- spring greens
- cabbage
- pak choi
- dried fruits
- nuts
- seeds
- pulses
