Do you have a go-to comfort food that you think will help you cope with anxiety? Most people would go for cakes, ice cream and more sweets. However, as much as you want to make yourself better with a bowl of ice cream, it really doesn’t help. It’s because of the high sugar content that can disrupt your hormonal balance. These spikes in your blood sugar levels can cause tension and shaking which most likely make anxiety worse.
Antioxidant to be Vibrant
Berries such as strawberries, raspberries, goji berries, are rich in antioxidant. Antioxidants protects your cells from stress thereby reducing anxiety. You can also get antioxidants from other food sources such as green leafy vegetables, nuts, red cabbages, beets and spinach.
Magnesium your Natural Helium
Magnesium rich foods can induce a calm feeling and can significantly help with anxiety. This mineral also helps ensure a good night sleep and ward off depression. Foods rich in magnesium include green leafy vegetables such as spinach and kale, fruits such as figs, banana, avocado and raspberries, seeds and nuts, tofu, and baked beans.
Starchy if you are Cranky
A bowl of brown rice or a boiled sweet potato must be far from your ideal “comfort food” however, these complex carb foods can help you with anxiety. Complex carbohydrates can give you a steady flow of energy and induces serotonin production. Serotonin is a chemical produced in the brain that helps you elevate your mode. Other complex carbs that can help you with anxiety includes oatmeal, yams, multi-grain cereals, whole wheat bread, butternut squash and quinoa.
Dark Chocolate a Needed Luxury
Dark chocolate is probably one of the closest thing in this list that you can consider a “typical” comfort food. Unlike milk chocolate and white chocolate, dark chocolate is rich in flavonoids, a type of antioxidant. Flavonoids help lower blood pressure and facilitates proper flow of blood to your brain and heart. It is recommended that you go for 70% cocoa going over or under may cause negative effects on anxiety, Lower cocoa content means that there is more sugar added which can increase anxiety attacks while a higher cocoa content means a higher concentration of caffeine that can lead to palpitations and tremors that can significantly increase anxiety symptoms.
Zinc Makes you Pink
Oysters are a great source of zinc as well as other saltwater mollusks. It helps you boost your mood and reduces anxiety. If you are not a fan of oysters, you can also get your daily dose of zinc from other food sources such as liver, eggs, cashew, and beef.
Coffee a Blessing and a Curse
Believe it or not, coffee can help you reduce anxiety. However, this varies from one person to the other. The issue with coffee is caffeine. Though it can elevate your mood and energy, too much coffee intake can lead to palpitations and jitters that increases anxiety.
So, there you have it! With all of the anti-anxiety foods listed here, you should be able to whip up a good meal to help you fight anxiety.
