Anxiety Fighting Foods

Sometimes, we just want to kick that silly anxiety and stress away. Did you know that some foods can help you do that?

What helps our Anxiety:

Before we get started on the foods, we need to get a basic understanding of our body functions and some vitamins and nutrients which help it.

Serotonin -The main chemical that affect our moods, appetite and sleep. Whenever we’re in a low mood, we can probably expect our serotonin to be at a lower level. Serotonin has a calming effect on your body and of course, that would usually relieve anxiety and nervousness.

Tryptophan – Found in food that can become serotonin and elevate bad mood.

GABA (Gamma-Aminobutryic Acid) – These things help your brain communicate and send messages to each other. If we’re anxious, perhaps our brains aren’t sending the correct signals.

Magnesium and Calcium – Powerful minerals that can relax muscles.

Folic Acid – An amazing thing with the power to relieve stress, anxiety and panic.

Pantothenic acid (Vitamin B5) – Plays a big part with anxiety and stress because it deals with the health of your adrenal glands.

The Foods rich in these Nutrients:

Now that we know what helps our anxiety, time to get onto the list of food rich in the above mentioned nutrients.

Longans – Considered a brain nourishing food and one of the top superfoods in China. It is able to counter anxiety and insomnia because of the calming effects it has on the body.

Whole Grains – Studies have actually shown that true whole grains with its complex carbohydrates have a high amount of magnesium and tryptohphan that can fight anxiety.

Oatmeal – Another complex carbohydrate food with the power to increase serotonin levels.

Leafy Greens (Spinach, Lettuce, Kale, etc) – Contain a lot of magnesium.

Broccoli – Has plenty of B vitamins, as well as folic acid which can help moods.

Fish – The Omega 3 fatty acids in fish can also increase serotonin.

Seaweed – Get a hold of that sushi! It’s very rich in vitamin B2, magnesium and pantothenic acid, everything you need to fight anxiety and stress.

Milk – The nutrients and calcium can have a calming effect on your muscles and body, which can also help you sleep better. (Important: Do not drink milk if you are lactose intolerant, it will make anxiety worse. Often, lactose intolerant makes you nauseous after drinking milk or having any diary).

Almonds – The zinc and vitamin B12 in there are keys to balancing moods.

Ginger – Ginger does the most amazing wonders to your stomach and releves nausea almost instantly. If anxiety is related to upset stomach, this will help a great deal.

Acai berries and Blueberries – Oh, the ever powerful berries full of plant nutrients and antioxidant which have great ways of relieving stress!

Foods high in Tryptophan: Pumpkin seeds, soy beans, chicken, turkey, cod.

Food high in GABA: Kimchee, oolong tea, kefir