You are what you eat. A phrase repeated to many people as they are growing up. It is true that the food one eats greatly contributes to their physical and psychological makeup. It is no less true in the case of anxiety.

People eat food to satisfy nutritional requirements, stabilize blood sugar, normal brain and organ function. It is important that, especially considering a diagnosis of anxiety, that a person eats appropriately to avoid making their condition worse.

A person with anxiety has to adopt eating habits to help stabilize blood sugar. One of the symptoms of anxiety is a poor appetite, and not eating at regular intervals can cause hypoglycemia. Mild hypoglycemia makes a person feel hungry or nauseous. It also makes a person nervous or jittery and leads to increased heart beat, sweatiness, and cooling of skin. Moderate hypoglycemia produces more severe anxious-like symptoms, leaving a person impatient, nervous, and confused. Moderate hypoglycemia can also blur a person’s vision and make them clumsy.

In cases of moderate to severe bouts of anxiety, people have been known to have strong sugar cravings. This may be in response to hypoglycemic tendencies in such conditions.

In order to stabilize blood sugar, it is important that a person with anxiety eat person at regular and frequent intervals. Rather than eating three strict meals a day, a day composed of five or six meals is better (which can be like three bigger meals with three smaller meals inbetween).

There are guidelines a person with anxiety should follow in forming their diet:

• Increase your intake of carbohydrates (starches such as whole grains), which are thought to increase the amount of serotonin in your brain, which has a calming effect. Limit refined sugars in diet


• Drink plenty of water. Even mild dehydration can affect your mood.


• Limit or avoid alcohol and caffeine. Many people reach for a drink to calm their nerves, but a glass of diluted 100% fruit juice is a better drink choice in stressful situations.


• Do not excess 1gram of salt per day. Avoid MSG.


• Pay attention to food sensitivities. In some people, certain foods or food additives can cause adverse reactions, including moodiness — which can lead to irritability or anxiety.


• Eat some foods that contain tryptophan. Tryptophan helps your brain produce chemicals that improve mood and have a relaxing effect. Milk, bananas, oats, soy, poultry, cheese, nuts, peanut butter and sesame seeds are good sources of tryptophan.


• Instead include high-quality carbohydrates, such as vegetables, fruit, beans, peas, lentils, brown and wild rice and oatmeal.


• Incorporate soluble fiber to potentially lessen blood sugar-related mood swings. Soluble fibers include oats, brown rice, barley, apples, pears, strawberries, oranges, sweet potatoes, carrots, peas and beans.


• Consume protein with meals and snacks (whenever possible): The addition of protein to a meal will help slow the absorption of carbohydrate in the blood, helping you feel upbeat and productive for hours after eating. Smart protein choices include poultry, seafood and fish, veal, pork tenderloin, tofu, eggs and low-fat yogurt.

There are also specific nutrients that shouldn’t be ignored:

OMEGA-3 FATS

Omega-3 fats are particularly present in the brain and many studies have shown the ability of omega-3 fats to be mood lifting and possibly alleviating depression. Foods rich in omega-3 fats include: oily fish (salmon, mackerel and sardines), ground flaxseeds, canola oil, walnuts and omega-3 fortified eggs.

FOLIC ACID AND VITAMIN B12

Both folic acid and B12 seem to be important for mood as well. Studies have shown that low blood levels of these vitamins are sometimes related to depression, although no one is exactly sure why. Some scientists believe that these vitamins are used by the body to create seratonin. Foods rich in folate: fortified whole-grain breakfast cereals, lentils, black-eyed peas, soybeans, oatmeal, mustard greens, beets, broccoli, sunflower seeds, wheat germ and oranges. Foods rich in vitamin B12: shellfish (clams, oysters, crab), wild salmon (fresh or canned), fortified whole-grain breakfast cereal, lean beef, cottage cheese, low-fat yogurt, milk (skim, skim plus, 1% reduced-fat) and eggs.

VITAMIN D

In the past few years, research has suggested that vitamin D might help relieve mood disorders because it seems to increase the amounts of serotonin in the body. Foods rich in vitamin D: fish with bones, fat free and low-fat milk, fortified soy milk and egg yolks. Because vitamin D-rich foods are so limited, it’s often beneficial to take a daily multivitamin which provides 400 IU.

CALCIUM

Calcium works with maintenance of electrolyte balance, muscle contractions, nerve transmission, regulation of cell division, hormone secretion and bone and teeth formation. A deficiency can cause: agitation, depression, heart palpitations, insomnia, and irritability. Calcium-rich sources are dairy foods like yogurt, milk, and certain types of cheeses.

MAGNESIUM

Magnesium aids with muscle relaxation, maintenance of the heart muscle, neuromuscular transmission and widening of the blood vessels. A deficiency of magnesium can cause agitation, anxiety, behavioral disturbances, confusion, cold hands and feet, depression, insomnia, and restlessness. Foods high in magnesium include halibut, artichokes, barley, oat bran, wheat flour, almonds, and black beans.


Committing oneself to balanced meals can go a long way in relieving anxiety.