So you’ve decided to tackle your anxiety and create a care plan to take control of it once and for all. The only problem is, where do you start? The information out there is overwhelming, and everyone has their own opinion. There’s so much information on ways to change your diet and exercise, or how to create a sleep routine, what therapies are best, and don’t get me started on the conflicting information about medications and supplements! It’s all enough to push the easy button and stay in the world of anxiousness.
Creating a Care Plan for Anxiety
Creating a care plan for anxiety can be overwhelming for sure, but it is definitely possible if you take a step back and tackle one thing at a time. When working with clients that suffer from anxiety (and trust me, that’s most of us!), of course I’m going to look at diet, and how your gut is functioning, but also, I’ll address how you handle stress. Stress will always be there, but are you allowing it to cause dis-stress or dis-ease in your body? Another very important piece to the puzzle is your spiritual life. You never know how much you need God until you learn how to receive His peace.
Foods that May Worsen Anxiety and What to Eat Instead
Ok, addressing your gut health, stress management, and receiving God’s peace are all very important in creating a care plan for anxiety. They may be more important for you than for your friend that struggles with anxiety as well. That’s why I love what I do, because I can help you find your biggest root causes and individualize your journey. But that’s not what today’s article is about…it’s about your diet and what foods you may be eating that worsen your anxiety.
Three Foods that Worsen Your Anxiety
There are lots of foods that can create more anxiety. These are the top foods and habits I see that make a big difference.
Coffee or caffeine
I get it, sometimes you’re up at 2am just thinking and you can’t get back to sleep. That hit of caffeine from your coffee in the morning hits just right. But then what? It leaves you jittery and yawning, needing more caffeine to wake you up again. The stimulating hit to the adrenal glands can be too much for some people and may even cause an anxiety attack.
Sugary breakfasts
I see sugary breakfasts all too often. Breakfast has become a glorified dessert. If it’s not boxed cereal, it’s a pastry or a packaged bar. Even when you think you’re doing good by just having oatmeal, if it’s not balanced with the right additions, it too will cause blood sugar swings that can lead to worsening anxiety.
Skipping meals
Speaking of blood sugar swings, skipping meals will not give your body the needed fuel to keep your blood sugar in check and balanced throughout the day. Blood sugar highs and lows can create a feeling of jitteriness, which in turn can make you feel anxious.
What to Eat Instead
It’s really hard to remove coffee or caffeine cold turkey. Your body may rebel, and you’ll feel more tired and may have headaches for a few days. If you know you are addicted to coffee or caffeine, this is when I recommend weaning the caffeine. Remove it slowly over several weeks to give your body a little time for adjusting.
Replace the morning ritual of coffee with alternatives like warm lemon water, teas or coffee alternatives. My favorites are matcha tea and I also like the adaptogenic blends like this one.
Having sugary breakfasts and skipping meals go hand in hand with this one topic because most of the time it is breakfast that is skipped. I can’t stress enough the importance of a balanced breakfast. Our bodies use food as fuel. If you are not putting fuel in, there will not be resources available for energy and to feel good during the day. Your blood sugar will not be stable, and your body will be playing catch-up all day. The same thing happens with sugary breakfasts. When you have a sugar rush, your body has to get the sugar out of your blood, creating more energy demand that you didn’t get from your breakfast.
The best thing to have for breakfast is a balanced meal providing not only carbohydrates but also protein and fat. The ideal breakfast would include complex carbohydrates loaded with fiber and about one-third of your protein needs. This will keep your blood sugar level without spiking and provide you with sustained energy.
Let’s Connect!
I love hearing from you all! Respond with your anxiety care plan tricks and tips!
