Anti-Anxiety Tips for a Calm Mind
Anxiety seems like a scary word and when you’re experiencing it, it can leave you feeling overwhelmed and spiralling. Today, I’m sharing some tips you can begin implementing to stop the chaos in your mind and help you gain more control over your mood.
Balance Blood Sugar for a Balanced Mind
One common denominator in anxiety is unbalanced blood sugar. When our blood sugar is unstable, this puts our body into fight-or-flight, affecting hormones like insulin, cortisol, epinephrine and norepinephrine that kick our stress response into high gear. This is a natural response, but we shouldn’t stay in this state for long. Keeping blood sugars level throughout the day will help keep stress in check and calm you down.
Ways to do this:
Cut out sugar and refined carbohydrates - this can seem daunting and overwhelming and that’s why I’ve created my 21-Day Sugar Detox Program for Immunity!
Include protein, fat and fibre in each meal
Stick to 3 mindful meals a day
Reduce stress with mindfulness techniques
Sleep 8 hours
Avoid caffeine and alcohol
Lower Anxiety with Nutrition
We can support our mental health and brain function with nutrition in 2 ways: food and supplementation (concentrated nutrition!)
Anti-Anxiety Foods:
Avocado contains fat and fibre to stabilize blood sugar and support brain health
Organic eggs for brain-enhancing fats & B vitamins like choline
Nuts like almonds and walnuts for magnesium
Sauerkraut for gut-nourishing probiotics
Grass-fed meats for amino acids that support the brain
Brain-supportive nutrients:
Magnesium Threonate - great for reducing anxiety due to its ability to cross the blood brain barrier
Probiotics support the production of neurotransmitters and hormones in the gut for a balanced mind
B complex for stress and relaxation
Ashwaganda and rhodiola- anti-anxiety adaptogens that help calm the nervous system and adrenals
Valerian helps promote GABA to relax the brain
Phosphatidylserine - important for adrenal function and mood neurotransmitters
Focus on Gut Health to Calm Anxiety
Your gut is called the “second brain” for good reason! If you’re struggling with anxiety, your main focus should be getting your gut functioning better. Our gut produces neurotransmitters, hormones and nutrients that help keep our brain chemistry balanced and body at ease. Additionally, inflammation in the gut leads to inflammation and chaos in the brain. Eating anti-inflammatory foods, removing sugar, reducing stress and balancing the microbes in your gut are all essential for a healthy mind.
Support Your HPA-Axis
The HPA-axis includes a group of glands that produce a variety of hormones, including stress and sex hormones. If your HPA-axis is thrown off, this will dramatically increase your stress response - hello anxiety! Learn more here.
Ways to do this:
Everything listed above!!
Sleep by 10pm - if this is challenging, investigate why
Eat a nutrient-rich diet
Eliminate caffeine
Calming supplements like magnesium, ashwaganda, B6 and Serenagen, which contains the herb schisandra
Create a Routine and Mindset That Supports You
We can’t expect to have a balanced day if we’re letting life throw us around. Get grounded in the morning and incorporate tools that will help you stay more balanced during the day, like a few minutes of meditation, listening to calming music or deep breathing. Set aside time to prepare healthy meals and exercise. Lastly, pay attention to your thoughts, because that’s often where the anxiety starts! Your unconscious, pre-programmed beliefs can make or break your mindset and health.
If you’re struggling with your mood, you may consider adrenal testing. Visit our services page for more details on how we can help.
Asher Kleiber
Registered Holistic Nutritionist
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