Total Mind Connection’s Weblog

We’re moving into the holiday season but those people who experience anxiety and panic attacks can have a hard time enjoying it. In reality, panic attacks can be a terrifying event. A person who experiences the sudden onset of symptoms such as heart palpitations, tightening of the chest, sweating or chills along with the sensation of not being able to swallow or breathe can feel as though their world is coming to an end. This truly is the Granddaddy of being stressed out. The person who suffers from anxiety and panic attacks often develops a cyclic pattern, feeling anxious most of the time and living in fear of their next panic attack.

If you are experiencing anxiety or panic attacks or their symptoms, be sure to consult with your physician to determine what medications and/or therapies may be helpful in managing your condition. While it is true that there are a number of factors that play into these disorders, including genetics, allergies and trauma-related events, research shows that  what you put into your body can make a huge difference. Just changing your diet may provide you with significant benefits in reducing the magnitude of your anxiety and the number of panic attacks you suffer. You might be surprised at how much diet matters.

In some cases, food allergies have been discovered to be a major contributor in triggering anxiety and panic attacks. To find out if your diet is affecting you, discuss what you’re eating with your physician or a dietitian.

Try to eliminate processed and refined foods from your regular diet. Processed foods include chemical additives that can intensify anxiety. Eat as much whole foods as possible. Try switching to organic meats from animals that have not been fed growth hormones. Reduce or eliminate sweets. They cause spikes in your blood sugar that can lead to that racing sensation which is often a forerunner to anxiety and the dreaded panic attacks.

When you go the grocery store, check the food labels for the inclusion of MSG. Many people are very sensitive to this product. MSG can negatively affect your nervous system and can give you a stressed out feeling and often results with headaches.

Watch your salt intake. You use a salt substitute or herbal ’salt’. This is good medicine for your heart and helps keep your blood pressure in line. These basic changes in diet can produce substantial results.

Since many disorders can be caused by a lack of vitamins and minerals, ask your doctor to check for vitamin deficiencies. Deficiencies of certain nutrients can definitely aggravate your condition. Calcium and magnesium, in a balanced ratio, can play a major role in reducing both anxiety and panic attacks. Deficiencies in these nutrients can produce many of the symptoms you experience. The same is true for the B complex vitamins, which affect proper functioning of the nervous system. B complex vitamins also have a direct effect on your degree of stress and energy. It has been found that deficiencies in the B complex group can even result in depression!

Not only does it matter what you eat, but how you eat. Anxious, stressed out people commonly eat too fast. Give your digestive system a break. Chew your food well and slow down. If you don’t chew your food well enough, you’re indirectly contributing to stress, because your body won’t be able to properly absorb your food’s nutrients.

If you’re an avid coffee lover, try to confine yourself to just one or two cups a day. Better yet, convert to decaf coffee or tea. The caffeine can increase your susceptibility to both increased anxiety and the resulting panic attacks.

To reduce your anxiety and panic attacks try making these changes in your diet. Work with your physician and or a dietician to come up with an eating strategy that relieves stress and see if you don’t start feeling better soon.