The recent spur of the pandemic caused a hefty amount of anxious people to come out. Due to it, all of us have been recommended to stay confined within the comfort of our own homes.
With that comes the fact that many of us do nothing but eat. I know most, if not all of you love to eat. It may be eating at the restaurant, home cooking, or snacks when hanging out with friends on a Saturday afternoon.
Little did we know that there are actually some food groups that cause anxiety to spike? Did you know that you can avoid these foods to lessen anxiety?
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We Are What We Eat
This phase is true in a sense that it can affect our mood. Sharon Zarabi, RD and Bariatric Program Director at the Lenox Hill Hospital explains that our mood and overall behavior can be influenced by the ingredients and the contents we put in our bodies.
We have all felt high or low after eating or drinking. Behavior and mood can be controlled by the ingredients we put in our bodies. What you eat may affect your stress level. On the other hand, Stress may also affect your eating.”
So, the best thing to do is not to treat it – but to prevent it. Here are the foods we should avoid to lessen anxiety.
What Foods to Avoid to Lessen Anxiety and Depression?
Here are some of the most common but the most disregarded foods and beverages we need to avoid so we can also bid farewell to anxiety.
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Coffee
Many foods and drinks contain caffeine; you may be piling on this anxiety-provoking compound without actually realizing it. Did you know that starting your day with a cup of coffee seems fine, but drinking soda, energy drink, and/or chocolate, may be spike your caffeine intake without you realizing it?
Caffeine affects your body in much the same way as a scary event would; it does this by churning out adrenaline. It can also release the stress hormone cortisol which increases heart rate and blood pressure.
Those hormones promote anxiety and make it harder for people who take it to sleep at night. This worsens your anxiety.
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Here are some of the best alternatives to avoid caffeine:
- Decaffeinated coffee;
- Herbal tea;
- Sparkling water
Regular Soda
Not only that sodas are caffeinated, but it also contains sugar. It is one of the top foods to avoid if you are experiencing anxiety.
Caffeine can leave you shaking, while sugar is like a d**g as it can hijack our brain. It escalates our mood at first but in the long term, it worsens our emotional state, and causes inflammation and excess body fat.
According to the 2015-2020 Dietary Guidelines, close to half of the added sugars in Americans’ diets from beverages like soda and fruit drinks, and do not necessarily reach for the diet soda as a substitute as it may cause depression.
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White Bread
White Bread is comprised of processed and contain refined sugar. Not only white bread, but also white rice and white pasta, also contains refined sugar which, in general are a no-no for a healthy diet and can affect your mood and worsens anxiety.
The alternatives for these are complex carbohydrates in whole grains such as oats, brown rice, and sweet potatoes.
Chocolates
Chocolates may also spike your anxiety level; but in moderation, chocolates are well known as ways in relieving your stress.
It’s part of the list because taking more than the recommended wouldn’t be effective in lessening your anxiety.
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As a matter of fact, it may also have a darker side because it also contains sugar and caffeine. If you really want to have sweets, try eating fruits like blueberries, yogurt, and/or peanut butte instead.
Not only will it help you become less anxious, you’ll be strengthening your immune system too! Which will be absolutely effective during this time of the pandemic.
Any Fried Food
Eating French Fries, Fried Chicken, Doughnuts, and the like, may lead to not just anxiety, but also depression. Half of the population of people with depression also have anxiety; as per the Anxiety Depression Association of America.
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Fruit Juice
Most of the Fruit Juices that you buy in the supermarket are usually 10 percent real fruit juice and 90 percent sugar. So, a good tip is to read the content before you buy it.
However, one way of making sure you don’t succumb into that scam is that instead of buying a Fruit Juice product in the supermarket, just buy real fruits likes oranges or bananas; fruits that are high with fiber to keep your sugar level stable.
A*****l
You are hanging out with your friends, drinking a*****l, feeling relaxed and kind of sleepy. Then you decided to go home and get some rest. Out of nowhere, you feel awake.
This is the backfire effect of A*****l, causing you to lose sleep which is a sure recipe for anxiety. It can also result in dehydration. Make sure you drink at least 1 glass of water before going to bed after you consume a*****l – or, an alternative is to not drink at all!
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There are a myriad of different foods and beverages you can avoid to lessen anxiety. In your defense, if you do not have anxiety, it might develop. It’s better to be safe than sorry, especially in the times that we are in now.
