Anxiety is something we connect to the conditions around us. The bad stuff is always “out there.”
But GenuLines looks at how the things around you are impacted by what goes inside you.
Food And Drink And Your Anxiety
If you’re feeling anxiety you might tend to blame your environment. But what you eat and drink can have a big effect on your body’s chemistry.
Some foods and drinks may actually worsen your anxiety. Here are some of the culprits.
Drinks
-Coffee
As you might have expected, the caffeine in coffee can make anxiety worse. It causes constriction of blood vessels and that feeling of the “jitters.”
It can also cause or worsen insomnia. And it inhibits the absorption of Vitamin C, a key nutrient for optimal mind and body function.
-Soft Drinks and Colas
Even caffeine-free, sugar-free soft drinks, can worsen your anxiety. The high-acid content of dark colas produces an acidic environment in the body.
This process sets off a reaction that leaches calcium and magnesium from your bones. Both of these minerals are crucial to proper brain and muscle function.
In fact, reduced calcium and magnesium impedes muscle relaxation.
That increases muscle tension.
So if you choose a clear, caffeine-free, sugar-free soft drink, it won’t worsen your anxiety, right? Wrong!
The artificial sweetener in these drinks, aspartame, may have significant cognitive effects. It may actually worsen the psychological aspect of anxiety.
-Alcohol
Alcohol seems like a good option for anxiety sufferers. But over-consumption can worsen depression and inhibit the absorption of key nutrients.
Foods
-Chocolate
Chocolate is often called the “feel-good” food. But it contains significant caffeine and large amounts of sugar. Next, we’ll take a look at sugar.
-Excessive Sugar
By “excessive,” some nutritionists mean anything over 5 tablespoons of refined sugar daily. While you may think that would be easy, it’s not.
Sugar is in almost everything, and 5 tablespoons is a bit more than 1/4 cup. If you drink several large glasses of sweet iced tea, you can take in close to 1/4 cup of sugar.
And that doesn’t take into account the sugar in your food. This sugar is either hidden (such as in frozen foods) or obvious (such as “frosted” cereals).
So why is sugar a problem? For one thing, the body uses Vitamin B6.
It’s crucial to mood and proper hormone function and metabolizing sugar. But sugar depletes your body of this and other important nutrients.
It can also create high and low moods, and bring on a post-sugar “crash,” or low blood sugar.
-Refined Flour
Refined flour acts much like sugar in the body. And it has none of the essential fatty acids, fiber, and other nutrients that whole grains do.
-Processed Foods
Many processed foods are full of preservatives, artificial flavors, and artificial colors. Some of these can pass through the blood-brain barrier, affecting cognitive function.
Then there’s yellow #5. This is often found in candy, gum, margarine, and other processed foods.
It can disrupt the hormone balance in the body.
Think about what you put into your body. It can go a long way toward keeping you calm.
JohnK 7-21-2020
Overheard: “Anxiety does not empty tomorrow of its sorrows, but only empties today of its strength.” ~Charles Spurgeon
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