[vc_row][vc_column][vc_column_text]The COVID-19 pandemic brought new light to the importance of caring for your mental health. According to a
2021 survey, 1 in 5 U.S. adults experience a mental health condition every year. Of those struggling with mental health conditions, 19% experience anxiety disorders. There are many different factors in your daily life that can contribute to your overall mental health, including what you eat.
Anxiety can have a variety of physical symptoms, some of which can even affect your
gut. The foods and beverages you consume daily can impact your body in many ways. Some
food or beverages can help with anxiety symptoms and some you may want to avoid or limit. These tips are a great starting point on your mental health journey! Read on to learn which foods to avoid with anxiety, plus foods that help with anxiety.
Beverages & Foods to Avoid With Anxiety
Caffeine
Caffeine itself doesn't cause anxiety, but for some people, too much caffeine can worsen anxiety symptoms. If you find yourself consuming multiple caffeinated beverages each day and you feel they may be impacting your anxiety, try limiting your caffeine intake by cutting back or choosing
decaf beverages.
If you can’t cut out caffeine completely, keep in mind the timing of your beverage and how much you consume. Drink caffeinated beverages in the morning and limit them in the afternoon/evening. Consuming caffeine later in the day may disrupt sleep, which may also impact your mental health.
As for the amount, caffeine can be a safe part of a healthy diet. It is recognized that more than 400 mg of caffeine per day may have a negative impact on health. As a reference, a typical 8-ounce cup of coffee contains about 95 mg of caffeine. Since everyone’s sensitivity to caffeine differs, it is best to determine how much caffeine you can consume without impacting your sleep or anxiety.
Sugar and sweets
Sugar can have an impact on a variety of mental health conditions – anxiety included. Like caffeine, sugar alone does not cause mental health conditions, but too much sugar may worsen symptoms of anxiety and depression. This is because foods and beverages high in sugar can make your blood sugar levels drastically spike and drop, affecting your mood.
Food labels recently started including “added sugar” to help consumers understand sugar content of foods and beverages. A key recommendation from the Dietary Guidelines for Americans 2020-2025 recommends limiting added sugars to less than 10% of your daily calorie intake. What does this mean? If you need 2,000 calories a day, then aim for less than 200 of those calories (50 grams) to come from added sugars. Some health organizations, like the American Heart Association, have even stricter added sugar recommendations. Limiting your added sugar intake more than the Dietary Guidelines for Americans recommendation may have additional benefits. Helpful tip: When you are craving something sweet, consume foods with naturally occurring sugars – like fruit!
Alcohol
While small amounts of alcohol have a relaxing effect for some, others experience a sneaky side effect – anxiety! The more alcohol you consume the more likely you are to develop anxiety symptoms, especially if you already experience anxiety. Anxiety symptoms can also worsen as more alcoholic beverages are had in one sitting. The informal term “hangxiety” has floated around as a name for the experience of anxious feelings hours to even a whole day after drinking alcoholic beverages. Everyone is different with how alcohol affects them. If you experience “hanxiety,” it may benefit you to limit your alcohol intake.
Helpful tips:
- Order a mocktail or nonalcoholic beer
- Suggest activities not based around alcohol: a walk, visit a museum or movie theater
- Choose alcoholic beverages with lower alcohol content
Beverages & Foods that Help With Anxiety
Fruits and vegetables
Fruits and vegetables have a positive influence on your mental health. Research suggests that the more fruits and vegetables you eat, the less your risk for anxiety disorders. It is recommended for adults to get 2-4 cups of vegetables per day and 1.5-2.5 cups of fruit per day depending on your individual needs. While there are some differences in the nutritional value of different types of produce, all forms contain beneficial nutrients.
Helpful tip: Varying the forms of produce consumed is one way to help reach your intake goals. These include:
- Whole/raw produce
- Pre-cut raw produce like salad bags or fruit trays
- Frozen produce
- Canned produce
- 100% juices
Omega-3 fats
Omega-3 fats are a type of unsaturated fat that are liquid at room temperature. Including omega-3 fats in your diet may not prevent anxiety disorder, but for people with anxiety, research suggests that consuming Omega-3 fats could reduce some anxiety symptoms.
Helpful tip: Incorporate these omega-3 containing foods into your weekly routine:
If you find your diet is limited in these foods, talk to your healthcare provider about an omega-3 supplement.
Water
Stay hydrated! Dehydration can increase your risk for anxiety and depression symptoms. While water is the best choice, all fluids count towards your hydration goals, including fluids in foods like fresh fruits, vegetables, soup, yogurt and ice cream. To increase your water intake, experiment with different flavoring options:
- Flavor water naturally with lemons, cucumber or oranges
- Drink sparkling water in place of regular soda
- Dilute sports drinks or juices with water
Helpful tip: Fill up a water bottle and keep it next to you the whole day. Seeing the water bottle is an easy reminder to drink water throughout the day!
Make an appointment with a registered dietitian nutritionist to make individualized goals for managing anxiety symptoms through your diet. While these suggestions can help alleviate some anxiety symptoms, treating anxiety may likely take more than just changes to your diet. Talk to your healthcare provider about a treatment plan to best meet your mental health needs.[/vc_column_text][/vc_column][/vc_row][vc_row][vc_column][vc_text_separator title="Featured Products" border_width="2"][vc_row_inner equal_height="yes" content_placement="middle" gap="35"][vc_column_inner width="1/3"][vc_single_image image="167151" img_size="full" alignment="center" onclick="custom_link" img_link_target="_blank" css=".vc_custom_1685622296688{padding-right: 7% !important;padding-left: 7% !important;}" link="https://www.vitacost.com/olly-ultra-strength-brain-softgels"][/vc_column_inner][vc_column_inner width="1/3"][vc_single_image image="167149" img_size="full" alignment="center" onclick="custom_link" img_link_target="_blank" css=".vc_custom_1685622309830{padding-right: 7% !important;padding-left: 7% !important;}" link="https://www.vitacost.com/freshe-can-tuna"][/vc_column_inner][vc_column_inner width="1/3"][vc_single_image image="167150" img_size="full" alignment="center" onclick="custom_link" img_link_target="_blank" css=".vc_custom_1685622328270{padding-right: 7% !important;padding-left: 7% !important;}" link="https://www.vitacost.com/graza-drizzle-extra-virgin-olive-oil"][/vc_column_inner][/vc_row_inner][/vc_column][/vc_row]
