Foods That Help Lower Anxiety

When you are feeling anxious or suffering from anxiety, you want to do as much as possible to find a solution. Reducing the anxiety you feel can help reduce stress levels and help you get a better (more sustainable) balance within your life. Starting to look at the food that you eat and consume could be one positive step you take. However, it is important to look at where your anxiety comes from before changing your whole diet.

First, You Must Understand Your Levels of Anxiety

By taking an anxiety test, you can quickly see what is causing you to be anxious and how much anxiety you suffer. There are different levels of anxiety, and you may find that your levels alter depending on what you are experiencing at work or in your home life. When you understand what triggers bouts of anxiety or long-term anxiety, you can start being more proactive. The more knowledge and awareness you can gain at this early stage, then the more help and assistance you should be able to get. After establishing the root cause of anxiety, it is time to start focusing on foods and diet to help you lower anxiety levels.

Oatmeal

A bowl of oatmeal in the morning can help you gain the energy you need for the day ahead. The average bowl contains B6, iron, and magnesium, all of which help you start your day the right way. Oatmeal can give you a great start to the day – in many more ways than you initially realized. In oatmeal, you can find a series of complex carbohydrates. These can impact the serotonin levels in your body, which are commonly linked to anxiety. When you consume food such as oatmeal daily, it has a calming effect.

Brazil Nuts

Brazil nuts are healthy, to begin with, and they are also known to have a calming effect on those who consume them. This is because brazil nuts contain selenium, and this has been shown to reduce inflammation. Inflammation is commonly linked to rising levels of anxiety and depression. It is important to remember that moderation is important when consuming brazil nuts to ensure you keep selenium figures acceptable. Just a few nuts every day (or every so often) can help you stay calmer and more relaxed.

Introducing One New Food At a Time

Many other foods and items, such as turmeric, and chamomile tea, can help reduce stress and anxiety levels. Finding the one or two that work best for you is the most important part of the process. Introducing just one new food or item into your diet at any given time is essential, and see how it works for at least two weeks to tell if it makes a difference. If you try and introduce several things at once, you are going to struggle to monitor the results. So, make a note of the foods you are trying and see how you feel after consuming them. Monitor the items for a few weeks, then compare a like-for-like with other items to see what suits you best.