Boost the Effectiveness of Your Anti-Anxiety Workout
If you have made a commitment to work on your body, you understand the complexity of the factors involved — self-motivation techniques, time requirements, preparation, nutrition… Your local gym has been possibly overtaken by a promoted paleo philosophy. The marketing efforts of the gym supplement sector have been dominated by the pleasure trap, calorie packing, and the enjoyment of meat, eggs and to a lesser extend, dairy.
The pleasure trap is linked to the rational storage mechanisms of the body. We are literally created to crave calories, so that the body can save them for darker days, just in case. It’s a mechanism that is a vestige of early human evolution, when food supplies were unpredictable and the body needed to pack on calories to survive. The pleasure trap also makes us believe poor nutritional choices are healthful, as we succumb to food addiction.
Obesity is a leading cause of preventable diseases worldwide. The top US killers, heart disease, cancer and diabetes are all diseases of affluence, linked to excess calories and animal protein. Plant-based nutrition is a top driver of health and longevity, as the blue zones (areas of the world with longest, best quality of life) boast Michael Pollan’s tenet:
- Eat real food. 2. Mostly plants. 3. Not too much.
Here is some additional science you need to be aware of:
Plant-based diets support optimal mental health.
Plants are rich in vitamins, minerals and nutrients that enable athletic and mental performance. Properly prepared plants (raw or with the help of water only) boast anti-inflammatory properties. Microbiotic balance is restored. A healthy body mass index is supported, and muscle formation is gently activated. Amino acids that form feel-good neurotransmitters are acquired.
Plant-based diets are great for anxiety in particular.
Plants are rich in magnesium, manganese, vitamins C, D, B1, and B6 and may help to ease anxiety. Make sure to include avocados, nuts, and seeds to acquire adequate amounts of omega-3s. The absence of arachidonic acid (found only in animal products) is a healthful choice for anxiety sufferers. Excess arachidonic acid causes inflammation — a driving factor of anxiety.
Protein deficiency is not a problem in the western world. Too much of it is.
The average American consumes twice the protein needed and half the fiber needed. Plant-based protein is bioavailable and easier to assimilate. It contains all essential amino acids your body needs. Too much protein breeds disease and premature aging, as IGF-1 levels become and stay elevated.
There is nothing you can get from animals that you cannot get better from plants.
All vegetables are complete proteins. Some don’t have the quantities of certain amino acids animal proteins have, but the amount of protein in plants is ideal for humans, given the right amount of food consumed. Your body makes protein best from plants.
Plant-based bodybuilders recover faster.
More and more elite athletes are becoming plant-based, as phytonutrients address the main causes of tissue trauma, oxidative damage and inflammation, better than any artificial supplement. Athletes feel that they have competitive advantage being plant based.
Next: Feel Better, Sleep Better, and Be Better: Top 5 Benefits of Exercise
References:
- https://www.vegetariantimes.com/health-nutrition/mental-health/how-a-plant-based-diet-can-affect-your-mood/
- https://www.doctorsfornutrition.org/post/doug-lisle-pleasure-trap-canberra
- https://www.drfuhrman.com/blog/35/animal-protein-is-linked-to-increased-risk-of-cancer
- https://www.pcrm.org/good-nutrition/food-and-mood
