Anxiety Diet: Foods That May Trigger Anxiety or Worsen the Symptoms

Try to avoid eating the below mentioned foods and choose healthy alternatives for them.

According to US NIH, around 40 million in the U.S. suffer from anxiety disorder and the symptoms tend to get worse at times. Different people may suffer from different levels of anxiety and may experience different symptoms as well. there are a few patients who do not feel any change when exposed to common triggers.

If you live with chronic stress or anxiety, you might need help through different tools like therapy, mindfulness, exercise, and anti-anxiety medication that make your life easier. But there are times when you also need to avoid certain foods and habits to avoid worsening of your condition.

There are foods that trigger any hormone or symptoms like jitter feels or restlessness that may make you feel anxious thus here is a list of foods you can avoid.

Alcohol

There are times when people end up using alcohol to fight their social anxiety but you should be aware that it can work the opposite, making you more anxious. It may calm your nerves for the time being but it negatively affects the sleep and hydration levels of a person which triggers anxiety.

Alcohol affects the levels of serotonin and the neurotransmitters in the brain, worsening anxiety. And when the alcohol wears off, you may feel even more anxious. The best thing to do is to drink in moderation or try consuming non-alcoholic beer, mocktails, sparkling water, etc.

Caffeine 

According to the National Coffee Association, 62 percent of the people in the U.S. drink coffee regularly and on average they consume 3 cups per day but even the sound of it makes it clear that it causes more harm than it does any good, especially for anxiety patients.

High levels of caffeine can cause increased anxiety and nervousness, affecting the production of the feel-good chemical serotonin in the body, which gives rise to a depressed mood. It is better to consume low doses of caffeine. According to the Food and Drug Administration (FDA), an adult can generally consume up to 400 milligrams of caffeine daily without dangerous or negative effects.

Added Sugars 

A sad news for the sweet lovers. Sugar is not only bad for your blood sugar levels and weight management but it also affects you negatively in terms of your mental health as it is a contributor to overall anxiety.

Added sugars result in a spike in blood sugar levels and then a sudden fall which also affects energy levels. When the blood sugar levels drop, the energy drops, your mood sours, and your anxiety levels can spike.

The body releases insulin to absorb the excess glucose and stabilize blood sugar levels, thus a sugar rush makes the body work too hard to get back to normal, causing sudden highs and lows.

Large amounts of processed sugar can trigger feelings of worry, irritability, and sadness. Thus, you can avoid or minimize the consumption of desserts and condiments like ketchup, certain salad dressings, pasta sauces, and breakfast cereal.

Refined Carbs 

 Refined carbs have always been put in a bad light since they increase the risk of serious health conditions like diabetes, heart disease, and obesity. Refined carbohydrates are foods that have been stripped of much of their fiber and micronutrients.

Research proves that the consumption of refined grains is related to both anxiety and depression in women. Moreover, a diet high in refined carbs can result in obesity thus giving rise to feelings of anxiety and depressive-like behaviors when exposed to stress.

Common examples of foods with refined carbs include white rice, white bread, white pasta, sodas, breakfast cereals, etc.