Diet Tips to Help Eliminate Anxiety and Stress

Even though many people suggest that it takes major life changes to eliminate anxiety and stress, there are plenty of small things we can do to lighten the load and to limit the effects of stress on our bodies and minds. Even something as seemingly minor as our diet can have positive consequences for how we approach and process the world around us. The simple act of chewing a carrot stick, for example, may help to eliminate anxiety and stress. Chewing something crunchy is just one example of how our food choices might be able to eliminate anxiety and stress.  The real key to using your diet in this way is to pay attention to the nutrients (and chemicals) you’re introducing into your body.  Some of the things found in modern “foods” do little to actually nurture our health and can compound the effects of stress. Follow these five simple diet tips to help eliminate anxiety and stress in your everyday life.

1. Stay hydrated.

The human body requires a large amount of water to run at its full potential.  When we are deprived of that water, we can get a bit discombobulated, both physically and mentally.  It is estimated that as many as 75% of Americans are chronically dehydrated.  That means that most of us rarely, if ever, get the recommended amount of water required.  The results include a slower metabolism, overeating, and daytime fatigue.  When you put it in those terms, it’s easy to see how just getting a few more glasses of water a day can improve health factors to eliminate anxiety and stress.

2. Keep your balance.

Most people don’t realize that our bodies are intended to be alkaline, with a few notable exceptions like the stomach where it makes sense for acid to reside.  Keeping in the proper alkaline range can be really difficult, however, as the typical American diet is made up of acidic foods.  From meat to dairy to soda pop and coffee, most of the things we Americans most like to eat actually drop the pH level of our bodies and make it lean more toward acid than is healthy.  Again, when our bodies are not running at tip-top condition, we are less able to handle the stress and anxiety that plagues us every day. The answer to this problem is to cut back on acidic foods and increase the alkaline ones.  The best source of alkaline foods?  Mother Nature.  Try getting plenty of produce, especially raw veggies and (raw) nuts to keep your pH balance in the right zone.

3. Cut it out.

As if we haven’t already covered enough reasons to cut out soda pop and coffee (we need more water, they’re acidic, etc.), there’s another really important reason to consider it.  Caffeine actually increases anxiety levels in the body.  For some people, this seems counterintuitive.  That’s because many of us have grown dependent on the stimulant aspect of caffeine and believe that we just can’t function without it.  When we do try to “kick the habit” we are even faced with withdrawal symptoms that lead us to believe we really do need those caffeine boosts. Really, though, the symptoms will go away within a few days, and the overall result is that your body will thank you.  Many people are completely surprised to discover that removing caffeine is a great way to help eliminate anxiety and stress because they’ve come to think of it in just the opposite way.  In reality, though, it’s a very healthy choice.

4. High fiber foods are the way to go.

Stress and anxiety do all kinds of yucky things to the body, and one of the yuckiest is what it can do to the digestive system.  Those suffering from high levels of stress and anxiety often also have to deal with digestive issues such as constipation, cramping, gas, and bloating.  Obviously, these are all going to compound a stressful situation, thus creating a cyclic effect. Fiber helps to keep things moving through the digestive tract, rather than allowing them to get backed up, thus polluting your body and making you feel even worse.  Most adults should be getting about 25 grams of fiber a day, and the majority of us are getting less than half that.  A simple way to add more fiber is to each fruit instead of drinking juice.  If you’re following the above advice and adding alkaline foods such a veggies and nuts to your diet, you’ll find that fiber is an added bonus.

5. Make a list.

If you’re really interested in using your diet to help eliminate anxiety and stress, then a great way to start is by making a list of the things you want to add to your diet.  Fortunately, you’ll find that as you add more good things, that naturally leaves less room for the not-so-good things.  Rather than focusing on what you can’t have, you can focus on what you’ll be adding. Your list should include whole grains.  Not only are they higher in fiber than other grain products, but they also help the brain create serotonin, and that makes us feel good from the inside out.  In order to get the various nutrients that are most valuable when you want to eliminate anxiety and stress, add colorful green, orange, and yellow vegetables to your list, too.

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