Food for nerves and stress?

[Brydon2018]

I have always suffered from high levels of anxiety and can be a bit hyper. Apart from avoiding Caffeine etc., are there any specific dietary suggestions that might help with this? I am reluctant to go onto anti-depressants or other artificial methods.

[Zest]

Hi Brydon2018 ,

This is an interesting article about foods that might be helpful:

healthline.com/nutrition/6-...

Zest

[Hidden]

Hi Brydon2018, magnesium is a natural muscle relaxant and because of magnesium depletion of the soil many people are magnesium deficient so I would check out taking chelated magnesium and exercise is an amazing stress buster.

Also it's how 'we' deal with stress that is very important and everyone suffers from stress in one way or another so welcome to the human race...😊

calmclinic.com/anxiety/drug...

[Brydon2018 in reply to Hidden]

Many thanks for that ... I think I'll invest in some Magnesium.

[andyswarbs]

Perhaps I am wrong in your case, whenever I think of anxiety I think of sugar highs and lows, high blood pressure and acidosis. Sugar rushes can be reduced by eating complex carbs rather than refined ones: so stay clear of white breads as an example. Blood pressure and acidosis I think of animal fats, so staying clear of dairy, meat & fish should help there.

The key is to have enough steady energy burning in your body so it is stable. So it is not just about what you eat but ensuring you get a good stream of carbs to keep those energy levels up. I am not talking about snacks here, rather planning meals ahead so you don't go short. So for example a lunch of just a couple of apples won't help sustain you through the afternoon and you could find anxiety kicking in late in the afternoon.

[BadHare]

Ask your GP to check you over for hyperthyroidism, which is often caused by an autoimmune condition that affects the thyroid, & can be caused by wheat or other allergies. Show this to your GP if more than a few of the signs seem familiar: thyroiduk.org.uk/tuk/about_...

Quite a few of my past posts are related to gut health, which is essential for good nutrient absorption & general wellbeing. There's a lot of current research linking beneficial gut bacteria to good physical & mental health. & bad bacteria to poor physical & mental health. The 2kg of bacteria we have living in our guts can be beneficial when we promote the growth of positive bacteria with a diet high in fibre & unprocessed foods known as prebiotics, & natural probiotics that help defend us from the effects of bad bacteria & pathogens caused by processed food & sugar. I drink fermented kefir every day as a probiotic, & several people on here make sauerkraut. Home made of both is best for developing a beneficial range of healthy happy tummy beasts as shop bought has far fewer micro-organisms!

A walk in the woods is good for mental health, if you have some natural space nearby. There are some natural antidepressants such as St John's wort, & 5-HTP (hydrotryptophan from griffonia seed extract). It's also good to make sure your nutrient levels are good, but don't go buying a multi-vitamin & mineral tablets as they're useless. Make sure you have adequate intake of vitamin D3 (cholecalciferol), B12, folate & all B vitamins in general, but please don't take those fizzy B's as they contain toxic artificial sweeteners & chemical colouring. Minerals such as iron & magnesium may also help your mood. Iron is best taken away from calcium & tannins, & with vitamin C to improve absorption. Magnesium is best taken in chelated form at bedtime on an empty stomach with water, or as a transdermal spray, though these can sting sensitive skin. Make sure you check for any other food & drink interactions with supplements & vice versa as some nutrients can cancel out others or prevent absorption.

[Michalbaner]

you would definitely benefit from setting up a daily meditation habit. I can't tell how much that has influenced my life when it comes to stress reduction.

There are few studies on diet and stress but generally the closer to wholefood plant based diet, the beter.

[Brydon2018 in reply to Michalbaner]

That really does interest me ... in fact I am investigating various meditation methods ... great minds think alike! Thanks for your message.

[podsart]

Some good suggestions here. I am similar to you; I found that meditation, exercise, therapy, and klonopin for when the anxiety reaches a super peak, when nothing else helps-is the best approach I found