How common is anxiety disorder?

Anxiety and feeling anxious are real problems. People from all walks of life face Anxiety in the most basic of situations. The amount of anxiety varies from person to person, but this can lead to various mental health issues. Whether it’s work stress, coping with social pressures, or facing emotional outbreaks, the cause of panic and anxiety vary in anxiety disorder.

The symptoms associated with anxiety are heart palpitations, trembling, shortness of breath, and generally less control of your body and mind. These symptoms become severe over time if not treated on time. Doctors suggest talking therapy to medication for anxiety disorders and panic disorders.

They also try to understand the leading cause of your anxiety attacks. Studies mainly link anxiety with stress. Stress can be of many natures. It can be physical, mental, emotional, or chemical. Particularly nowadays, people can encounter anything that can cause stress.

Especially in today’s times, when people are exposed to bad lifestyle choices and hectic work schedules, it’s easy for anxiety disorders and stress to seep in quickly. If one deals with heavy stress and anxiety over a long time, it can cause serious health problems like chronic anxiety.

It is crucial to inculcate good eating habits and the right lifestyle choices to reduce stress and combat anxiety. Reducing anxiety is not a quick fix, and it is essential to fight its destructive effects by introducing food that boosts or reduces certain chemicals in the body. These food choices have a calming effect on your body and mind, and therefore they help you relieve stress and hypertension. They have various nutrients that can influence our mood and emotions — both positively and negatively.

Our body has things called neurotransmitters, the body’s chemical messengers. These messengers need love and care that can be given in the form of the proper nutrients and minerals. This helps in bringing a positive impact on our stress levels and calming down our anxious minds.

Here are some of the food recommendations that can help you combat anxiety disorders

Tryptophan-rich foods like turkey

Tryptophan is an amino acid that is said to aid the brain produce feel-good hormones called serotonin. It calms the brain.

Examples – Bananas, Oats, Turkey, Nuts, Soy, Sesame Seeds, Chicken, Nuts and Peanut Butter

Carbs are your best friends

Heavy carbohydrate diets that often known to lift your mood instantly. Carbs build serotonin in the brain. What carbs do is break down slowly in the body; therefore, they release sugar into the bloodstream slowly. This helps the body to feel energized, and the mood lifts.

Go for whole grains like whole-wheat bread or brown rice. Processed carbs like sugar and white bread cause an insulin rush that drops the blood sugar levels. This makes one lethargic.

Foods with omega-3

The fatty acid Omega-3 is responsible for improving cognitive function and mental health. This food category contains alpha-linolenic acid (ALA) and also two fatty acids called eicosapentaenoic acid (EPA) and docosahexaenoic acid (DHA). These fatty acids help release neurotransmitters.

Many studies have shown that people with anxiety disorder symptoms showed less anxious behavior after consuming polyunsaturated fatty acid treatment.

Example – Salmon, tuna, mackerel, sardines, trout, herring, Seaweed and algae, chia seeds, hemp seeds, flaxseeds, walnuts, kidney beans, and soybean oil.

Yummy dark chocolates

Need an excuse to gulp in chocolates. Well, now you have. Dark chocolates are a great way to relieve stress and anxiety, thanks to their high flavanol content. This is a plant compound that helps to improve blood flow and lower mental stress. Other than this, dark chocolates also contain magnesium, copper, zinc, and manganese, all of which are stress-bursting ingredients.

Fruits and vegetables

Eating a mixed bag of fruits and vegetables is always an excellent option to provide the body with all the essential nutrients and minerals. The fruits are packed with antioxidants and water content that helps in fighting depressive symptoms.

Many studies have shown that eating a plant-based diet is of great help. The phytonutrients present in fruits aid reduce inflammation and free radicals in your body.

Similarly, meals that include lots of fresh vegetables help reduce inflammation. People with chronic anxiety as it needs extra nutrients because of health conditions and nutrient-deficits. Try cruciferous vegetables that broccoli, cauliflower, kale, and Brussels sprouts.

Intake lots of vitamin B

The family of B vitamins can help a great deal with anxiety issues. The lack of vitamin B, especially folic acid, thiamine, or vitamin B1 and B12, can cause depression.

Example – Beef, pork, chicken, leafy greens, legumes, oranges and other citrus fruits, rice, nuts, and eggs.

Water helps

Dehydration or lack of water is also associated with anxiety disorder in people. The sensory effect water provides helps to distract the mind while under anxiety attack and aids it in thinking clearly and with perspective. On the other hand, staying hydrated helps to lower cortisol levels.

You can also add chamomile tea to water as it is known to have calming effects.

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