Foods To Avoid When You Have Anxiety
If you have anxiety, you might be familiar with a couple of tools to ease your everyday life, such as therapy or meditation. But, did you know that food also plays a key role in anxiety disorders?
Trading sugars, carbs, and processed food for healthy choices can make a huge difference. According to nutritionists, certain foods can contribute to anxiety or trigger such feelings by producing blood sugar spikes.
And while we all need glucose to move and function, these spikes of energy -sugar that circulates in your bloodstream- take off artificially fast and drop even faster, altering the whole nervous system.
But it’s not just sugar. There are specific foods that can trigger the same response:
Alcohol: alcoholic beverages can often help with social anxiety. But consuming alcohol frequently for too long can worsen the illness.
Alcohol changes levels of serotonin and other neurotransmitters in the brain. Actually, many people report feeling more anxious after the effect wears off.
Processed meats and prepared meals: these foods are packed with salt, sugar, and many chemical compounds. They have little to no fiber and are associated with inflammation, a condition that can disturb the gut microbiome.
And your gut microbiome intervenes in almost every process in your body! It is a complex combination of bacteria that has been shown to play a crucial role in gut-brain connection.
White bread: white bread is made of highly processed flour, a simple ingredient that quickly turns to blood sugar after you eat it. To avoid more sugar alerting your body, try whole grain instead.
Energy drinks: these beverages are not only highly-processed and packed with sugar, but often they contain sky-high caffeine levels. In fact, they are linked to cardiovascular issues. Avoid them to prevent anxiety!
Junk food: junk foods, such as pizza, fried chicken, burgers, and fries, have low nutritional value and are difficult for the body to digest.
When the body can’t process food properly, excess gas, acid reflux, and other gastrointestinal complaints can produce symptoms that trigger anxiety.
In a nutshell, eat right to feel better! Help your body to prevent and ease anxiety by eating more fresh fruits and veggies.
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