Posted by tallwaters1962 on May 9, 2006, at 11:12:11 [reposted on May 15, 2006, at 8:11:57 | original URL]
Anti-Anxiety Diet
Does the deadline seem more manageable when you're armed with a bag of cookies? It's true that food soothes. But when life's stresses add up to an anxiety attack, you don't need the food that you eat to make you more anxious. Here's how the Anti-Anxiety Diet can help you choose the right foods to stay calm -- even when you're faced with stressful situations:
* Complex carbs act as tranquilizers by increasing your amount of serotonin, the neurotransmitter that calms, in your brain. This meal plan contains lots of fruits and whole-wheat foods to increase your complex carb intake.
* Tryptophan -- a precursor to seratonin -- has a calming effect on the body. This meal plan includes turkey and milk choices, both of which contain tryptophan.
* Caffeine can make you jittery and anxious. This diet substitutes a cup of calming herbal tea, such as St. John's Wort or chamomile, for your morning java.
* Chronic dehydration -- however slight -- can cause feelings of anxiety. That's why this diet includes plenty of water, often with some lemon or lime added to liven it up.
* Frequent, small meals can help keep blood-sugar levels even. This diet offers a variety of healthy snacks to reduce the jitters that can accompany low blood sugar.BREAKFAST
option one
whole-wheat English muffin topped with natural peanut butter
calcium-fortified orange juice
chamomile tea multivitamin and mineral supplement
option two
whole wheat banana soy muffin with added raisins and walnuts (raisins are high in B6, and walnuts in omega-3)
1/2 cup fat-free cottage cheese
decaf coffee multivitamin and mineral supplement
option three
oatmeal with bananas
calcium-fortified orange juice St. John's Wort tea
LUNCHoption one
whole-wheat pita pizza topped with low-fat cheese, tomato sauce and fresh-sliced veggies
fresh orange sections soda water with lime
option two
pita pocket sandwich filled with turkey, tomatoes, lettuce and sprouts
fruit salad with banana, pineapple and oranges skim milk
option three
three bean salad on greens
whole-wheat tortilla chamomile tea
DINNERoption one
quick turkey tetrazzini
mixed green salad pot of peppermint tea
option two
pork tenderloin roast
1/2 acorn squash with butter and brown sugar
banana bread pudding spring water with lemon
option three
thai tofu stir-fry
brown basmati rice
fruit salad decaf green tea
SNACKSadvertisement
(choose two a day)mixed dried fruit and nuts
6 ounces fat free yogurt topped with fresh berries and chopped walnuts
whole-wheat crackers with almond butter small corn tortilla filled with hummus and sprouts
Healthy Dos and Don'tsDo:
* Take a multivitamin supplement that includes B and B6. Even undetectable malnutrition can lead to feelings of anxiety
* Exercise daily. The endorphins produced make you feel relaxed, plus exercise reduces muscle tension and blood pressure
* Drink plenty of water or other fluids like herb teaDon't:
* Consume alcohol. Sure, a glass of wine before a big date takes the edge off, but the calming effect of alcohol is short-lived. Once it has worn off, there is a likelihood that your level of anxiety will actually increase
* Consume caffeine
poster:tallwaters1962
thread:644201
URL: http://www.dr-bob.org/babble/alter/20060428/msgs/644201.html