I remember that day when I was driving through Europe while on vacation, and we missed the exit. I was so exhausted from driving that I literally freaked out. I had an anxiety attack, more so actually a panic attack. I couldn’t do breath, and I couldn’t talk. Nothing could stop that then… I was so scared. I didn’t even know what happened then until I’ve heard someone talking about it and I put all the pieces together.
I have been suffering from anxiety form my early childhood, and I had no clue what it was. I was making myself feel bad and guilty about it. When I discovered what it was, I dove deep into research, because I wanted to feel better.

Anxiety is defined by worry or fear that something terrible will happen on a regular basis. Anxiety disorder is a widespread problem, and it affects people like teenagers and can occur anytime after that. Over 30 million American have been diagnosed with anxiety, panic disorders, and phobias (extreme fear). Another 35 million suffer mild to moderate symptoms. Anxiety disorder affects twice as many women as men.
Anxiety is more than just scary. Anxiety is closely tied to high blood pressure and heart disease.

Anxiety can be either acute, which manifests as panic attacks, or chronic, which is milder. Chronic anxiety- GAD- Generalized Anxiety Disorder manifests by feeling anxiety much of the time, but the intensity is not as high as during a panic attack. Feeling chronically uneasy, worried, and without any real provoking factors are common symptoms. People with Gad can’t relax, then feel apprehensive, they anticipate disaster and are concerned about too much and too frequently. They suffer from insomnia, restlessness, poor concentration, headaches, muscle tension, and irritability, sleep disturbances and high blood pressure. They might suffer from occasional panic attacks too.

Panic disorder- Panic attack- happens when the body’s natural response of “fight or flight” reaction occurs at the wrong time. The body is preparing to deal with an emergency situation, this leads it to produce more adrenaline, unnecessarily. Increased production of adrenalin causes the body to step up its metabolism of fats, carbohydrates, and protein for quick output of energy for immediate use. The heartbeat becomes more rapid, and muscle tension increases. In case of survival all of those symptoms are perfectly normal, but at other times, when we are not in real danger, these same symptoms are not needed and can be very frightening. People with panic attacks are overwhelmed with fear; frequently feel that they are going to die and clear thinking is impossible. Panic attacks are usually unexpected, intense and abrupt.

They last from several minutes up to half an hour, but for the person who is suffering from it feels much longer. People often believe that they are going to have a heart attack or a stroke. They are triggered by stress, but also can be triggered by a response to certain foods, illnesses, gut dysbiosis, vitamin and minerals deficiencies, hormonal imbalances, menopause or drugs. Hypoglycemia and food allergies are common in people who are suffering from panic attacks. Stimulants like coffee and alcohol are one of the common causes too. The attacks occur without a real cause, they are unpredictable therefore even more distressing. Many of those suffering from panic disorders also have social anxiety.

Scientists believe that anxiety is caused by a malfunction in brain chemistry, where the brain sends and receives false “emergency signals”. Hyperactivity in some regions of the brain causes the release of norepinephrine, which causes blood pressure, pulse, and breathing to become more rapid, producing classic symptoms of panic attacks. Anxiety disorders run in families. It is believed that both genetic and learned components play a role.

What causes anxiety?

– Physical condition
– Mental condition
– Trauma to medication side effects

Some medical conditions mimic symptoms of anxiety:

– Asthma
– Diabetes
– Epilepsy
– Thyroid disorders
– Heart conditions
– Hormonal imbalances
– Brain chemistry – the abnormal level of neurotransmitters
– Genetic
– Gut dysbiosis
– Vitamins and minerals deficiencies
– Substance abuse and withdraw symptoms

There are external factors which cause anxiety, like:

– Stress
– Trauma
– Lack of oxygen

Signs and symptoms:

– Fatigue
– Dizziness
– Hot flashes
– Trembling
– Felling of unreality
– Distorted perception of time
– Claustrophobic sensations
– Difficulty concentering
– Hyperventilation
– Irritability
– Sweating
– Neurotransmitters imbalances
– Muscle tension
– Sleeping difficulty
– Restlessness
– Felling overwhelmed
– Feeling nervous
– Increased heart rate
– Feeling worried which is difficult to control and it is interfering with your regular life
– Having a sense of being in danger and panic
– GI problems

Complications:

Having anxiety can lead to many different physical and mental conditions:

– Insomnia
– Chronic pain
– Social problems
– Isolation
– Substance abuse
– Muscular twitching and stiffness
– Decreased libido
– Digestive problems
– Depression
– Women might experience changes in the menstrual cycle as well they can have increased PMS
– Low quality of life
– Suicide thoughts

Types of anxiety disorders:

– GAD: Generalized anxiety disorder: excessive, unrealistic and persistent worry on an everyday basis
– Panic Disorder: seems to arise out of the blue without any reason
– Social Anxiety Disorder: fear in social situations
– Phobias: anxiety and fears are common, harmless things like flying and etc.
– OCD- Obsessive-compulsive disorder: unwanted and disruptive thought
– PTSD – Post-traumatic stress disorder: as a result of severe trauma or life threating event, like rape, war and etc.

Hormones play a significant role in anxiety.

You can struggle with 3 different hormones related anxiety:

Estrogen-based anxiety. Our body works best when is it in balance. When one of your hormones is out off balance, your is out of balance. When estrogen levels are low, or too high your ratio of progesterone and estrogen is off (this can happen during your premenstrual phase, perimenopause, or menopause) and you can experience anxiety. Estrogen has a calming effect on the brain, and optimal levels of progesterone are also calming.
As women march through their menstrual life, by the time they reach 35, they make lower and lower levels of progesterone and estrogen becomes the dominant hormone and  progesterone is deficient.
When estrogen is a dominating hormone and the hormones are not balanced, this affects the neurotransmitters in the brain and can lead to anxiety, panic attacks, a sense of overwhelming doom. It can cause a host of problems, apprehension, uneasiness, and women feel this way. Irritability, mood swings. This is very common.

Cortisol-based anxiety. Cortisol is the stress hormone l. It raises and falls at an appropriate time during the day. But nowadays most people cortisol is chronically elevated or deficient which is called HPA dysfunction (some call it adrenal fatigue). This can lead to you feeling fatigued, anxious, and depressed.

Insulin-based anxiety. Having stable blood sugar is very important for mood and mental health. What you eat has an impact on how you feel and on your health. Overeating simple carbohydrates (like white pasta, potatoes, chips, bread, and processed sweets), will compromise your mood. These kinds of carbs spike your blood sugar, and your body needs to secrete high doses of insulin in an attempt to lower it. If this is happening on a regular basis overproduction of insulin creates a state of hypoglycemia (low blood sugar). If you experience symptoms like irritability, fatigue, shakiness, fatigue, irritability, you are experiencing hypoglycemia. Hypoglycemia leads to anxiety. Your body will protect your brain and heart from dangerously low blood sugar levels, and pump out more cortisol and, this will directly affect your mental state.

Thyroid
Your thyroid gland governs your body’s metabolism, the production and use of energy. When a person is low thyroid, their brain makes lower levels of a neurotransmitter called GABA, Gamma-aminobutyric acid, GABA, G-A-B-A. That can cause anxiety.

When hormones are not balanced and estrogen is a dominating hormone, this affects the neurotransmitters in the brain and can lead to anxiety, panic attacks, a sense of overwhelming doom. It can cause a host of problems, apprehension, uneasiness, and women feel this way. Irritability, mood swings. This is very common.

What can you do to relieve anxiety?

Change the diet:

Eat real, whole and good quality food should be the focus.
Unrefined foods are nutrient dense, and a lot of nutrients have to be replenished because anxiety is a deficiency of critical nutrients, which are essential for the production of neurotransmitters and hormones. Combination of amino acids from protein, B vitamins, omega-3 fatty acid from seafood, antioxidants from vegetables and fruits, magnesium from dark leafy greens is a key.

Eat anti-inflammatory food. Find out if you are allergic or sensitive to any food. That can be a big trigger for anxiety.

Healing the gut and reducing inflammation is very important for healing anxiety. Levels of inflammation in the gut play a massive role in the health of the brain. Dysbiosis can result in anxiety.

Stabilized blood sugar is essential for anxiety. Reducing sugar intake and refined carbohydrates is very important. It would be best to eliminate gluten. Gluten grains are high in glycemic index, which can create insulin resistance and promote hypoglycemia. Gluten also contains protein that is hard to digest, and it can interfere with the absorption of minerals, and it can cause and gut lining damage, which can cause malabsorption of nutrients. Avoid food that contains sugars, because they contribute to mood swings. Gluten consumption and mood issues are often linked.

Eat healthy fats. They support hormone production and a properly functioning brain.

Eating quality protein (lean meat like turkey, chicken) are essential. Quality protein, which assists better brain function. They are building blocks, and they will support you throughout the day. A protein stabilizes blood sugar, reduces the amount of food consumed and lessens the appetite. The protein contains amino acids, and the protein you eat directly affects the level of amino acids in your blood and brain, which affects levels of neurotransmitters, and it plays a crucial role in the mood. Eat animal protein as well as plant protein like legumes, nuts, hemp, chia seeds, sprouts and organic, fermented and sprouted soy product. Supplementation with pea, whey powder ( if you are not allergic to dairy) would be advised especially for vegetarians and vegans. It would be best if all the meat were grass-fed and organic, because it contains more vitamins and minerals, like CLAs (conjugated oleic acid), vitamin E, and glutathione, Vitamin B. Red meat is rich in selenium, zinc, and iron which are essential for mood regulation. For a lot of people with anxiety disorder deficiency, vitamin B6 and zinc play an important role. Red meat can be a good source of those nutrients – eat it in moderation. Protein intake should be at least 20 g of protein 3 oz. with each meal and then some protein with snacks.
Poultry is an excellent source of amino acids, like tryptophan, vitamins B, selenium and omega-3 fatty acids, which play an essential role in anxiety. Egg yolk is rich in choline (a component of lecithin, a group of substances in the yolk that helps with fat digestion), which is essential in brain health.

Eating three meals a day and two snacks is recommended so we can prevent sugar spikes and cravings and being “hangry”, which can lead to anxiety. Breakfast has to be nutrient-dense, high-quality protein, such as eggs with high-quality fats like avocado and some butter along with dark leafy greens.

Eating a lot of vegetables and fruits are essential in our diet, and they also have an impact on mood. They provide lots of minerals and vitamins along with antioxidants. Many of then play an important role in our emotional well-being.

Eating good fats are essential because they are a key for the nervous system, physiological process, and hormonal balance. Mediterranean diet is recognized for helping anxiety. Fat also helps the body absorb carotenoids. Add coconut milk, flax seed oil, hemp seed oil, and coconut butter, olive oil, coconut oil and avocado oil to your diet. Eating more healthy fat will help stabilize blood sugar levels.

Avoid caffeine and alcohol – they deplete vitamins B your natural tranquilizer. Caffeine makes you anxious, and it is a stimulant. It elevates the heart rate and raises blood sugar. Alcohol increases the feeling of anxiety, can cause hypoglycemia and causes nutritional deficiencies. Alcohol consumption affects the metabolism of tryptophan – the precursor of serotonin, leading to lowered levels of serotonin.

Eating food rich in fiber. Fiber helps stabilize blood sugar, which protects you from mood swings and helps keep you regular, which is also crucial for mood swings. Eat dark green leafy vegetables, artichokes, broccoli, and legumes.

A relatively high amount of cruciferous vegetables is recommended because they contain sulfur, which helps with liver detoxification and methylation.

Drink enough water and herbal teas with adaptogens such as licorice, lemon-ginger, Rhodiola, Ashwagandha, mint, and chamomile. Drink at least 64 oz. daily. Also drink other beverages like coconut juice, vegetable juice, and water with lemon.

Higher levels of omega-3 foods like hemp seeds, walnuts, chia seeds, cold-water fish are recommended. Seafood is the most abundant source of chromium, selenium, iodine, zinc, and copper – vital elements for healthy blood sugar metabolism and is beneficial for mood disorders. Seafood also contains vitamin D, A, and B12. Eating oysters, clams and crabs would be helpful. Eating seafood helps to reduce inflammation. Fish has long been known as a brain food that corrects sugar cravings from excess consumption of bread, pasta, and cookies. Limit omega-6 foods because of inflammatory properties. Make sure that you eat wild caught fish. Do eat some oily fish too, such as sardines, Alaskan salmon, and sablefish because they are an excellent source of omega-3 fatty acids.

Eating food rich in probiotics like yogurt, kombucha sauerkraut, kimchi or kefir is very important too. Fermented food: raw sauerkraut, kimchi, brined pickles, yogurt, kefir. These all improve digestive function and can reduce inflammation. Probiotics enhance gut-brain communication and help with inflammation. They have a direct influence on microbial- produced neurochemicals – like GABA. Bifidobacteria increases BDNF. Lacto-fermented foods are essential for support of gut-brain communication. Fermented food can magnify protein quality and bioavalibity of mood-regulating B vitamins, magnesium and zinc. Helps preserve polyphenolic and vitamin C content of the plant which has a greater antioxidant and anti-inflammatory effect.
Herbal bitters will help stimulate liver function and digestion. Dandelion, ginger, Oregon grape root and artichoke leaf would be great.

Eating Vitamin B-rich food is vital for brain health and balanced mood. Folate – dark leafy greens and organ meats, eggs, nuts, beans.

Booster food: like bone broths provide amino acid (glycine and proline) and minerals. Sea vegetables will provide extra minerals and vitamins. Oregano oil or spice helps with serotonin production. Nuts and seeds provide magnesium, omega- 3s and good fat along with fiber.

Improved nutrition, changes in lifestyle, stress reduction, supplements and exercise should be a part of a natural approach to help with the anxiety problem. Diet changes are the most important and one of the most effective ways to help anxiety disorder. Dietary changes will provide a strong foundation for optimal brain chemistry.

A major, unrecognized cause of anxiety and panic attacks is accumulation of toxins in body tissues, including the nervous system! Detoxification is a powerful tool to help recover from PTSD, anxiety and depression. Detoxification is a cleansing or purification process. Detoxification help eliminate bodily waste: toxins that affect mental well-being and cognitive function.

I designed a Thriving Hormones Detox for you so you can accomplish balance in your body, have balanced hormones and relive form anxiety.

Seaweed Salad Detox Recipe

1 cup of dry arame or hijiki seaweed
3 scallions
1 carrot
5 radishesh
½ of an English cucumber
1 cup of broccoli florets
1/4 cup brocolli sprouts

Dressing

¼ cup toasted sesame oil
¼ cup apple cider vinegar
1 tablespoon coconut aminos
2 cloves of minced garlic
1 inch of minced fresh ginger
Dash of black pepper

Directions

1. Soak the seaweed in water for 15 minutes until they are soft.
2. Dice the cumumber, radish, scallions, carrots, peapods, broccoli, and sprouts into small (equal size) pieces.
3. Mix all of the dressing ingredients and whisk until well combined.
Combine the vegetable mixture with the seaweed and pour the dressing over it. Mix and allow to marinate for a few hours. Eat and enjoy!

NUTRITIONAL SUPPPORT

VITAMIN B6
Vitamin B6 is a water-soluble vitamin. It is involved in the synthesis of tryptophan to serotonin, which is a relaxing neurotransmitter (chemical messengers). Tryptophan is a neurotransmitter, which plays a role in mood regulation and mental stability. Vitamin B6 makes serotonin and norepinephrine. They help to transfer signals into the brain.
Sources of vitamin B: grass-fed organic meat, chicken, fish, walnuts, sunflower seeds, alfalfa sprouts, and carrots. The daily dose recommend for anxiety is 50 -100 mg capsule of pyridoxal-5-phosphate (P-5-P) ( because is better absorbed) with magnesium with meals.

MAGNESIUM
Magnesium is an essential mineral in the human body. It is required by over 300 enzymes to function. It is vital for the prevention of cardiovascular disease, headaches, helps keep blood pressure stable, plays a critical role in insulin regulation and is helpful in the prevention of type 2 diabetes.

Magnesium is an anti-stress mineral, and it is a calming and relaxing mineral. It nourishes the nervous system and prevents nervousness and irritability. Low magnesium intake has been liked to anxiety disorders.
Recommended Daily Allowance is 350 to 400 milligrams per day. For therapeutic use for anxiety take 800 mg because people are deficient in it (cut back if you get loose stool). Take it with 1,600 mg of calcium, because is best to take twice as much calcium as magnesium. Magnesium promotes restful sleep. Be sure to take a chelated form, such as glycinate, taurate, succinate, citrate, or malate.
Magnesium rich food: seaweeds, dark green leafy vegetables, pumpkin seeds, flaxseeds, cocoa, almonds, and beans.

FAT
The human body needs good fats such as omega-6s, omega 3-s, and omega-9s for proper functioning. Good fat is helpful with hormone regulation; helps reduce inflammation and pain, as well as regulating blood pressure and heart rate. Good fats and oils are crucial in the diet, and they are essential in getting Candida under control. Fats increase the body’s ability to take nutrients from the foods eaten along with providing the most efficient source of energy. Fats are the building blocks for cell membranes and a variety of hormones. Good fats are carriers of crucial fat-soluble vitamins A, D, E and K and they are responsible for the conversion of carotene to vitamin A, for mineral absorption. They are also crucial in assimilation and utilization of vitamin D.Your brain is made of fat, and when you get enough healthy fat, your brain is content. Omega 3’s are necessary for proper brain function.

GABA
GABA – gamma-aminobutyric acid plays a vital role in anxiety, and it occurs naturally in your brain. It is the most crucial calming neurotransmitter, and it is also an amino acid. It is associated with anxiety, stress, agitation and poor sleep when their levels are low. Having enough GABA, you will feel stress-free and relaxed. Vitamin B6 is necessary for GABA synthesis, and magnesium is essential for GABA synthesis. Take GABA between meals. Recommend daily dose taken  a sublingually is 350 mg of GABA, 1-2 times daily.

TRYPTOPHAN
Tryptophan is a protein building block and essential amino acid, which is converted to serotonin, the neurotransmitter that helps with anxiety symptoms. It provides mood regulation, and it helps with stress. An insufficient level of tryptophan increases anxiety symptoms. Vitamin B6, vitamin C, and magnesium are necessary for conversion of tryptophan to serotonin in the brain. It helps with calming thoughts, and it helps improve mood.
It is found in plant and animals proteins. It is found in beans, eggs, turkey, nuts, and chicken. Recommend dose is 500 mg capsule a day.

CHROMIUM
Chromium plays a vital role in controlling blood sugar. It increases the action of insulin – which is a hormone that regulates the transfer of glucose from the bloodstream to cells where it is used for energy. It acts like an Insulin Potentiator. Chromium makes the body insulin production go further and helps improve insulin efficiency, which essentially helps lower blood sugar levels. When we have a sufficient amount of chromium in our body less insulin is required. We also have a small amount of chromium in the blood, which helps insulin and glucose metabolism. In GTF – glucose tolerance factor chromium is the active factor and helps insulin to be more sufficient. Insulin without chromium cannot do its job. It also helps increase levels of the neurotransmitter serotonin as well as it helps with depression – including increased appetite and weight gain. It improves anxiety symptoms because they are related to low serotonin.
Taking Chromium picolinate is best for increased absorption. Recommend dose is  – 400-600 mg capsule daily. Food rich in chromium: broccoli, green beans, tomatoes and romaine lettuce.

VALERIAN ROOT
Valerian root is a native plant to Asia and Europe. The steam and dried root is used for medicinal purposes. It has sedative properties, therefore, can help with anxiety and insomnia. Studies have found that is effective in lessening symptoms of anxiety. It can bind to GABA receptors and increase GABA release. It activates glutamic acid – an enzyme involved in the synthesis of GABA . Take a dose of 400-900 mg daily.

ST. JOHN’s WORTH
St. John’s Wort is native to Asia, North and South America and Europe and it is known to relieve mild to moderate depression, anxiety and PMS. In high doses can help in severe depression. It has the similar effect as a standard antidepressant drug. Promotes the feeling of control and stability as well as improves mood.
Recommended dose is 300 mg three times a day.

RHODIOLA
Rhodiola it is an adaptogenic herb, which means that it increases resistance to stress without disturbing the normal biological function of the body. It reduces the breakdown of serotonin, norepinephrine, and dopamine. It grows in Asia and Europe, and it has been used for thousands of years for medicinal purposes.
Best to use in relatively short periods of time. For 2 % standardized rosavin, take 180-300 mg of Rhodiola daily.

People who are suffering from anxiety have to make lifestyle changes. A healthy diet plus appropriate nutritional supplementation is a huge benefit, which reduces overall anxiety and decreasing frequency of panic attacks.

Your Wellness Warrior

Angie

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