The Best Food for Calming Anxiety
/Food can nourish and deplete your body. Here is the best food for calming anxiety and nourishing your system.
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The Anxiety and Depression Association of America estimates that 40 million adults in the country are affected by anxiety. The World Health Organization puts the global number of anxiety-sufferers at about 1 in 13 people. Anxiety affects people everywhere.
I’ve discussed many ways to deal with stress and anxiety emotionally (I have many videos discussing these topics here). So today I want to talk about the best foods for calming anxiety.
Yes, food.
Of course food affects your mental state.
I’m going to guess you feel a little different after eating a plate of nachos versus wild salmon and vegetables.
Researchers have found a strong connection between the gut and brain. Some call the gut your second brain.
The lining of your gut houses approximately 95% of your serotonin. Serotonin is a neurotransmitter, responsible for many functions in the body, including overall mood and happiness.
So you can imagine if your gut isn’t happy, you’re not going to feel very happy either.
You know what makes your gut happy? Whole food. You know, the kind I talk about in my 5 principles for healthy eating.
It’s food that looks like food. There’s often no label or words you can’t pronounce. Zucchini is zucchini and that’s different than a deep-fried cheese-covered zucchini chip.
But if you’re really looking at food for calming anxiety specifically, there are some heavy hitters that can help.
Best Foods for Calming Anxiety
Magnesium
Magnesium is a powerful anxiety reducer. In fact, clinical studies in mice have shown more anxious behavior with diets that are low in magnesium.
Magnesium has been shown to help with sleep, stress, and relaxation. Luckily there are many ways to get healthy doses of magnesium from anxiety-reducing food like:
Dark chocolate (click for recipe)
Omega 3s
A study out of Ohio University showed a link between Omega-3 supplementation and reduced anxiety and inflammation in the body.
Omega-3 fatty acids help keep the body calm due to their relationship with dopamine and serotonin. They’re also a great anti-inflammatory and have been shown to improve brain health.
You can get Omega-3s from:
Fatty fish like salmon (click for recipe)
Probiotics
I mentioned the importance of good gut health. Eating the right diet can keep your gut happy and one of the gut’s favorite boosters is probiotics.
Research has shown that eating a lot of fermented food that contain probiotics can reduce anxiety symptoms.
I take a daily probiotic supplement but you can also get some amount from fermented food.
Sauerkraut is a probiotic and gut superstar (click for recipe)
B vitamins
B vitamins are building blocks of a healthy body. B6 in particular has been shown to help make serotonin in the body, which can help regulate anxiety.
Avocados not only contain B vitamins, but they also contain healthy fat that can help reduce anxiety.
Other sources of B6 include:
Beef liver (click for recipe)
Vitamin C
Research has shown that Vitamin C can reduce anxiety levels. There’s also evidence that Vitamin C can help prevent anxiety.
So grab some fresh citrus like oranges and lemons or brightly colored bell peppers to get a dose of Vitamin C and relaxation.
Blueberries will also help keep the blues away with its stash of antioxidants and Vitamin C to protect healthy cells.
Antioxidants
Researchers at State University of New York found that many people experiencing stress and anxiety have lower levels of antioxidants in their bodies.
Want to boost your mood? Try some of these foods for calming anxiety:
Tryptophan
You know how you get super tired after eating Thanksgiving dinner? That may have to do with the quantity of food you eat, but it may also have to do with the tryptophan found in turkey.
Tryptophan is an amino acid needed for serotonin production. Serotonin not only can give you a mood boost, but it can also give you an assist with your sleep. So you can bet a healthy dose of tryptophan helps reduce anxiety levels.
Your food-based tryptophan anxiety reducers include:
Food to Avoid for Anxiety
Just as there’s great food to eat to help reduce anxiety, there’s also food to avoid. Trans-fats have been shown to increase your risk of depression by almost 50%.
You’ll want to steer clear of processed food as well as refined sugar which has been shown to increase anxiety, as well as your waistline.
Keep alcohol and caffeine to a minimum, and make sure you’re drinking enough clean, filtered or spring water.
To further combat anxiety, make sure you follow the general rules for healthy living like moving your body regularly, meditation, and connecting with others.
