Eat for Wellness: Anti-Anxiety Diet

By:
Sue Gilbert

Does the deadline seem more manageable when you're armed with a bag of cookies? It's true that food soothes. But when life's stresses add up to an anxiety attack, you don't need the food that you eat to make you more anxious. Here's how the Anti-Anxiety Diet can help you choose the right foods to stay calm — even when you're faced with stressful situations:

• Complex carbs act as tranquilizers by increasing your amount of serotonin, the neurotransmitter that calms, in your brain. This meal plan contains lots of fruits and whole-grain foods to increase your complex carb intake.

• Tryptophan — a precursor to seratonin — has a calming effect on the body. This meal plan includes turkey and milk choices, both of which contain tryptophan.

• Caffeine can make you jittery and anxious. This diet substitutes a cup of calming herbal tea, such as St. John's Wort or chamomile, for your morning java.

• Chronic dehydration — however slight — can cause feelings of anxiety. That's why this diet includes plenty of water, often with some lemon or lime added to liven it up.

• Frequent, small meals can help keep blood-sugar levels even. This diet offers a variety of healthy snacks to reduce the jitters that can accompany low blood sugar. Start eating the breakfasts, lunches, dinners and snacks that will help reduce your anxiety.

BREAKFAST
option one
whole-wheat English muffin topped with natural peanut butter
calcium-fortified orange juice
chamomile tea
multivitamin and mineral supplement

option two
whole wheat banana soy muffin with added raisins and walnuts (raisins are high in B6, and walnuts in omega-3)
½ cup fat-free cottage cheese
decaf coffee
multivitamin and mineral supplement

option three
oatmeal with bananas
calcium-fortified orange juice
St. John 's Wort tea

LUNCH
option one
whole-wheat pita pizza topped with low-fat cheese, tomato sauce and fresh-sliced veggies
fresh orange sections
soda water with lime

option two
pita pocket sandwich filled with turkey, tomatoes, lettuce and sprouts
fruit salad with banana, pineapple and oranges
skim milk

option three
three bean salad on greens
whole-wheat tortilla
chamomile tea

DINNER
option one
quick turkey tetrazzini
mixed green salad
pot of peppermint tea

option two
pork tenderloin roast
½ acorn squash with butter and brown sugar
banana bread pudding
spring water with lemon

option three
thai tofu stir-fry
brown basmati rice
fruit salad
decaf green tea

SNACKS (choose two a day)
mixed dried fruit and nuts
6 ounces fat free yogurt topped with fresh berries and chopped walnuts
whole-wheat crackers with almond butter
small corn tortilla filled with hummus and sprouts

Healthy Dos and Don'ts

Do:
• Take a multivitamin supplement that includes B and B6. Even undetectable malnutrition can lead to feelings of anxiety
• Exercise daily. The endorphins produced make you feel relaxed, plus exercise reduces muscle tension and blood pressure
• Drink plenty of water or other fluids like herb tea

Don't:
• Consume alcohol. Sure, a glass of wine before a big date takes the edge off, but the calming effect of alcohol is short-lived. Once it has worn off, there is a likelihood that your level of anxiety will actually increase
• Consume caffeine, which can be found in tea, coffee, many sodas, chocolate, and some energy/sports drinks and foods

Reviewed on: July 14, 2006