Combat Anxiety By Making Healthy Choices
A vital answer to anxiety is making healthy choices about what you eat and drink. Eating healthy is not rocket science. Eating healthy is, however, an intentional activity. You — not anxiety — must choose the types of food and drink best able to fortify and strengthen you physically as you heal from the ravages of anxiety.
Whole Foods — When fueling up for your life, you need to overwhelmingly choose whole foods, not processed foods. Whole foods are those found, generally, on the outside ring of grocery stores.
Healthy Fats — Fats have gotten a bad reputation, but not all fats are bad. There are good fats from sources like fish, flaxseed, and olive oil. Your body was designed to need a small amount of good fat to operate optimally.
Nutritional Supplements — When the body is stressed out physically because of anxiety, nutrients are depleted. A well-rounded multivitamin that includes vitamins, minerals, and amino acids is key to providing the components needed for health.
Real Ingredients — There are people with real sensitivities and allergies to many of the artificial ingredients used in food processing. These sensitivities and allergies can lie under the surface, causing physical problems without revealing their source. Pay attention to the ingredient label on every food you buy and eat.
Increase Water — Water is vital to healthy physical functioning. Our bodies are predominantly composed of water, including our muscles and our brains. We use water to digest our food and absorb nutrients. Water detoxifies the kidneys and liver and helps our bodies eliminate waste.
Decrease Caffeine — A moderate amount of caffeine helps you stay alert. An excessive amount of caffeine helps you stay anxious. In addition, caffeine is a diuretic, which can lead to dehydration.
Healthy Weight — Each person is an individual with a range of what constitutes a healthy weight. Too little weight and the body is stressed. Too much weight and the body is stressed. When you find that middle ground where health is found and disordered eating is absent, you’ve located that healthy weight. Finding that healthy weight, however, isn’t always easy, so I suggest working with a healthcare provider who can become coach and health advocate.
A Sprinkle of Sugar — Sugar is a high-octane, potent, mood-altering fuel. In other words, a little goes a long way. Large amounts spike your blood levels, sending you on a roller-coaster ride of jittery highs and crashing lows.
Chill Out — Food anxieties are very real, with people becoming terrified to eat this or that for overblown or imagined consequences. Don’t let anxiety increase about what you’re eating.
Move Around — Your body was made to engage in physical activity. Getting your body to move is a wonderful way to burn off nervous energy while increasing health, stamina, and strength. Look for ways to increase movement by taking the stairs, going for a walk, working in the garden, or joining your local gym
When you place anxiety in the driver’s seat, your body gets dragged along for the ride. Anxiety is pushing your body harder and harder, degrading your health and the quality of your life. As you work toward containing and controlling your anxiety, don’t forget your body. Adjusting your lifestyle choices toward health can go a long way toward assisting your body to recover from anxiety.
You cannot disconnect your physical health from your emotional health and your spiritual health. When you deplete your body physically and do not give your body the proper fuel it needs to repair itself and run well, your heart, mind, and soul will suffer. When you make positive, healthy changes, your heart, mind, and soul benefit.
Authored by Dr. Gregory Jantz, founder of The Center • A Place of HOPE and author of 36 books. Pioneering whole-person care nearly 30 years ago, Dr. Jantz has dedicated his life’s work to creating possibilities for others, and helping people change their lives for good. The Center • A Place of HOPE, located on the Puget Sound in Edmonds, Washington, creates individualized programs to treat behavioral and mental health issues, including eating disorders, addiction, depression, anxiety and others.
