Diet
The way we eat and live can have either a positive or negative impact on not only our physical health but our mental health to.
I prefer to eat a very simple, clean and mostly plant based diet. I find that when I don't keep my diet clean, and I overload on junk and processed foods, I do not feel my best.
I prefer to eat a very simple, clean and mostly plant based diet. I find that when I don't keep my diet clean, and I overload on junk and processed foods, I do not feel my best.
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Now, please don't let plant-based stop you dead in your tracks!
I am not saying you need to eat like me at all. We all have foods that we eat and don't eat, or foods that we like and dislike. The key word that I want you to focus on here is 'Wholefoods' meaning that we should all be eating a diet rich in fresh, unprocessed or unrefined foods... more simply meaning fresh fruits and vegetables. So many people struggle to eat fruit and vegetables, and it can be hard to keep your diet clean when we have so many modern convenience foods so easily available. I think we can all agree though that fresh fruit and vegetables are the most nutritious and healthiest for our bodies. Every health professional, nutritionist, doctor, weight loss guru, you name them, they may have different ideas and approaches, but everyone one of us can agree on one thing: we should all be eating much more fresh fruit and vegetables! |
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People with Anxiety Disorders should preferably stay away from refined sugars.
The reasons are simple: Firstly, in order to metabolize a refined carbohydrate, the body needs Vitamins to do that, particularly, Vitamin B complex.
However, because a refined food product has had all it's nutrient content stripped, there is little to no vitamins to help it metabolize, so it ends up taking vitamins from your body!
Vitamin B complex, in particular, are our anti stress vitamins!
Secondly, as I'm sure you all know by now, refined carbohydrates drastically alter the blood sugar levels by raising them to extremities, only to have a surge of insulin bring it right back down again, resulting in symptoms such as headaches, moodiness and anxiety.
Therefore, if you can base you eating plan around fresh fruit and vegetables and make the majority of your diet eating these foods, and trying to eat freshly prepared fruit and veggies alongside your main meals, then you're already more than halfway there!
Mary-Ann Shearer, a nutritionist who I admire a lot recommends eating 75-80% fresh fruits and vegetables.
The reasons are simple: Firstly, in order to metabolize a refined carbohydrate, the body needs Vitamins to do that, particularly, Vitamin B complex.
However, because a refined food product has had all it's nutrient content stripped, there is little to no vitamins to help it metabolize, so it ends up taking vitamins from your body!
Vitamin B complex, in particular, are our anti stress vitamins!
Secondly, as I'm sure you all know by now, refined carbohydrates drastically alter the blood sugar levels by raising them to extremities, only to have a surge of insulin bring it right back down again, resulting in symptoms such as headaches, moodiness and anxiety.
Therefore, if you can base you eating plan around fresh fruit and vegetables and make the majority of your diet eating these foods, and trying to eat freshly prepared fruit and veggies alongside your main meals, then you're already more than halfway there!
Mary-Ann Shearer, a nutritionist who I admire a lot recommends eating 75-80% fresh fruits and vegetables.
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A very short example of something I would eat is below:
Breakfast: Protein shake with berries/banana Snack: Fruit (but very seldom do I snack is the morning) Lunch: Salad or homemade soup or avocado on rice cakes Snack: Apple with almond butter Dinner: Chickpea curry with a portion of rice and side of broccoli Why don't I recommend animal foods? For the pure and simple reason being that animal foods are too acidic. The human body thrives on alkalinity. Our blood pH needs to be kept at about 7.35. When we eat something that is too acidic, things such as animal products and heated fats and vinegar, then minerals like calcium and magnesium need to be leached from our bodily reserves in order to neutralise the blood else we will die. |
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It is very important to note that calcium and magnesium are anti-stress minerals and play a key role in helping our mental well-being.
Another interesting point which I wish to note is that cancer thrives in acidic environments but dies in alkaline environments... Hmmm....definitely food for thought?!
The key vitamins and minerals that people with anxiety should be loading up on include:
I find it quite helpful to use an app such as Cronometer to help me track what I eat during the day to make sure I get enough vitamins and minerals.
*Added Helpful Tip* If you have a sweet tooth, and find that you crave chocolates, sweets and other refined sugars, then a very helpful tip from Mary-Ann Shearer is to eat a piece of fruit beforehand. What this does, is it satisfies the bodies' craving for sugar, but instead of getting it from an unhealthy and refined source, you are getting it from a healthy food that won't spike your blood sugar.
I don't have a sweet tooth, but on the odd occasion when I have felt like something sweet, I have given this method a try, using medjool dates, and it really does work well!
Another interesting point which I wish to note is that cancer thrives in acidic environments but dies in alkaline environments... Hmmm....definitely food for thought?!
The key vitamins and minerals that people with anxiety should be loading up on include:
- Vitamin B complex: These are our anti stress vitamins.
- Calcium: This is an anti-stress mineral.
- Magnesium: This is another anti stress mineral.
- Vitamin D: Helps calcium absorb.
I find it quite helpful to use an app such as Cronometer to help me track what I eat during the day to make sure I get enough vitamins and minerals.
*Added Helpful Tip* If you have a sweet tooth, and find that you crave chocolates, sweets and other refined sugars, then a very helpful tip from Mary-Ann Shearer is to eat a piece of fruit beforehand. What this does, is it satisfies the bodies' craving for sugar, but instead of getting it from an unhealthy and refined source, you are getting it from a healthy food that won't spike your blood sugar.
I don't have a sweet tooth, but on the odd occasion when I have felt like something sweet, I have given this method a try, using medjool dates, and it really does work well!