Food for anxiety

bearnbu89 wrote: »

hi ! I have been dealing with severe depression and anxiety attacks for ten years . I'm deciding to put the pills down and use food as my remedy . I've been doing my research but I'm still unaware of exactly how to do this . Does anyone else have any ideas or similar stories ?

Depressed guy here: The only thing that fixes my depression is working out.

Food is a minor part of it -- keeping my blood sugar relatively stable (low-carb/high protein and fat - like what gets prescribed to diabetics) keeps my mood in check. But it's really the regular strenuous activity that keep me from getting depressed.

Good luck!

Food cannot solve everything. In fact it can make things worse sometimes. I suffer from a mild form of anxiety and have recovered from depression (with medications) a few years ago. I find exercise helps both my anxiety and any returning depression, that consuming high carb comfort foods such as bananas, oatmeal, potatoes..etc keeps me stable. I tried low carb and it increased my anxiety and brought back the depression.

My advice for you is to consult with your doctor. Don't stop taking your medications without his/her consent. Tell them you wish to try managing your condition, under their supervision, without medications. Have their number around at all times in case you have a relapse. A few things to consider:
- Extreme changes can adversely affect anxiety
- A low calorie diet triggers the release of cortisol and contributes to anxiety
- Things like intermittent fasting can trigger anxiety
- Any diets that present an extreme change or extremely limits your choices can trigger anxiety

In short, consult with your doctor, and if you decide to experiment with food under their supervision, have the smallest deficit possible (half a pound a week), and add whole foods to your diet to get the best nutrition possible full of vitamins, minerals and essential fats, but don't deny yourself the things you love.

bearnbu89 wrote: »

hi ! I have been dealing with severe depression and anxiety attacks for ten years . I'm deciding to put the pills down and use food as my remedy . I've been doing my research but I'm still unaware of exactly how to do this . Does anyone else have any ideas or similar stories ?

I regularly taper off Wellbutrin in the spring with no ill effects, but that's my reaction to that particular drug and may not be true for you.

If you are a long time regular user of benzos, you'll want to consult with your doctor for sure about the best way to taper off. See https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Benzodiazepine_withdrawal_syndrome

That said, this article has foods for anxiety and their associated studies: http://www.huffingtonpost.com/2014/02/23/best-foods-for-anxiety_n_4810919.html

Regular yoga and cardio has been more helpful for me in reducing anxiety and depression, and also prompts me to make better food choices.

Are you getting enough B vitamins and essential fatty acids?

Modern medicine is a miracle really, for many mental health issues. My maternal grandmother died young in a mental institution from a mental illness that is readily treated by medication today. Have you considered staying with your medication while trying these other methods?

Other than food, have you thought of looking at sleep patterns and meditation; specifically mindful meditation? A particular meditation technique has been proven to be effective in reducing anxiety.

Sleep disturbances: http://www.sciencedirect.com/science/article/pii/S0301051101000904

An article about mindfulness:
http://discovermagazine.com/2013/nov/14-defense-free-will

When I negotiated with my medical team about reducing/eliminating medications, I did it with data. I diarized what I was doing and measured the results. With the weight of evidence, I was eventually eliminated off all medications (diabetes, cholesterol, high blood pressure). If the symptoms ever come back, I'll go back on the medications.

If you are in to this sort of thing, you might try this app for tracking mood.
http://www.inexika.com/imood

Stick to the medications. Dropping them off can give you zaps and other terrible side effects. I have not been treated for anxiety or depression but find it has lessened with Vitamin D and Fish Oil. If you are curious as how food may help get a blood panel of deficiencies and discuss with your doctor what you can do to lessen your meds.

Supplement with Vitamin D, B-Complex, and Magnesium.

Eat plant foods.

Exercise

Fresh air

Remove anxiety triggers. Nothing will cure you until you address the root of your depression. The above mentioned can only help your symptoms.

For me, working out made my anxiety worse. I went to the gym 6-7 days a week and it turned into OCD. Plus exercise depletes magnesium. I know a lot of people with anxiety/depression will bankroll it into excessive exercise and that is not healthy IMO. Just a warning... take it easy with the exercise. My favorite thing to do was take long walks at the park or nature trail.