Ingredifind - Food To Help Calm Your Anxious Mind by Monica Price

Anxiety is a complicated mental health disorder that requires a multitude of approaches to manage it effectively. Along with medication and therapy, the foods you eat may help support your mental health, reduce symptoms of anxiety, and promote better brain health.

Overcoming anxiety without medications involves making lifestyle changes, and that includes changing your diet. There are foods that will help cure anxiety and foods that will contribute to anxiety, and by choosing the right foods, you can drastically cut down on the amount of anxiety you experience and help to improve your mood. Here are some of my top foods to eat, and what to avoid.

Whole grain foods

Whole grain pasta, rice and bread have several powerful benefits for those with anxiety. Anything whole grain is rich in magnesium — and magnesium deficiency may lead to anxiety. It also contains tryptophan, which becomes serotonin — a calming neurotransmitter. Whole grains create healthy energy while reducing hunger — both important for anxiety.

Seaweed

Seaweed has many of the same benefits as whole grains. Not only is it rich in nutrients — it also has a high magnesium content, and kelp and other seaweed have a high tryptophan content. Seaweed is a good alternative to whole grains for those that are gluten sensitive.

Fish

Fish such as salmon, mackerel, sardines, trout and herring are high in Omega 3s. They are incredibly important and are a type of fatty acids that have a strong relationship to cognitive function and mental health. Many studies have shown that by adding fatty fish to your diet can help to improve your anxiety and also depression.

Dark chocolate

Swap your milk chocolate for dark! Research has found that dark chocolate or cocoa may improve your mood as it is a rich source of polyphenols, especially flavonoids. Chocolate is another source of tryptophan, which the body uses to turn into mood-enhancing neurotransmitters such as serotonin in the brain. Dark chocolate is also a good source of magnesium. It’s important to look at the chocolate that contains 70% cacao or more, and only a small amount is needed.

Brazil nuts

Brazil nuts are high in selenium, which is an antioxidant that is important for the cells in our body, and this may improve your mood by reducing inflammation, which is often at heightened levels when someone has a mood disorder such as anxiety. Other nuts and vegetables, such as mushrooms and soybeans, are excellent sources of selenium as well — and you only need to eat three or four brazil nuts a day to have all that your body needs.

Chamomile

Chamomile is a daisy-like plant most commonly used to make tea with and has long been associated with its calming and relaxing effects. There is also evidence to suggest chamomile may be effective for reducing depression and it is rich in polyphenols — many of which have anti-inflammatory and antioxidant properties.

Foods to avoid

Making sure you are not eating foods that contribute to anxiety can play an important part. Examples of these types of foods could include fried foods, high glycaemic carbohydrates, refined sugars, and alcohol. A good idea is to write down any food that react or trigger an anxiety attack. If you have a panic attack for example, you may want to avoid coffee, because coffee can increase your heart rate and could be a trigger for an attack. But if you have more general anxiety then coffee may actually be beneficial. Many find that caffeine, in small quantities, can actually help reduce stress and improve mood.

Never underestimate the power of food..

Monica Price is a broadcaster, writer and the go-to Health and Wellbeing Expert, working with Sky News, GB News, BBC, TalkTV, Times Radio and more.

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INGREDIFIND - A Guide to the Most Popular Diets

If you want to manage your long-term fitness and eat healthier, check out our guide to the most popular diets. Learn below about new diets, what they include and avoid, and how they work.

Devised by Robert Atkins in the 1970s, the Atkins diet, or Atkins nutritional approach, can be used for weight loss, boosting your energy, and improving health problems.

The Atkins Diet believes that eating too many carbs, particularly refined carbs, may lead to health issues. Specifically leading to blood sugar imbalances, weight gain, and heart problems. As a result, this diet focuses on limiting carbs and encourages eating more protein and fat.

While the Atkins diet is not originally vegetarian or vegan, there are adjustments, such as including more high-fiber vegetables to meet those needs.

There are four phases in the Atkins diet: induction, balancing, pre-maintenance, and lifetime maintenance. Exercise is not required in the Atkins diet, but it can help keep your weight steady and offer other health benefits.

Atkins’ book New Diet Revolution has sold 12 million copies and has been described as “the bestselling fad-diet book ever written.”

Based on Southern European foods, the Mediterranean diet is considered exceptionally healthy and has a low risk of many chronic conditions. The Mediterranean diet typically promotes fruits, vegetables, grains, legumes, nuts, and seeds. Processed foods, added sugar, and refined grains should be restricted.

In addition to healthier eating, it promotes weight loss and helps prevent heart attacks, strokes, and type 2 diabetes. The Mediterranean lifestyle also involves regular physical activity, sharing meals with other people, and minimizing stress levels.

While including a mix of fresh, frozen, dried, and canned fruits and vegetables is acceptable, avoiding added sugar and sodium is essential.

A pescatarian diet consists of plant-based foods with fish and seafood. Like vegetarians, pescatarians consume a plant-based diet consisting of whole grains, fruits, vegetables, nuts, and healthy fats and avoid meat and poultry.

Part of this diet includes high consumption of Omega3. It can be found in fatty fish like salmon, sardine, and mackerel and help reduce plaque buildup in the arteries, which can cause heart disease and strokes.

Remember you can filter Ingredifind-partnered menus to see pescatarian dish options.

The raw food diet involves consuming foods and drinks that are unprocessed, entirely plant-based, and ideally organic. Most people who follow the raw food diet eat only plant-based foods. However, some people eat raw or dried meat, too.

There are three general types of raw food diet: raw vegan, raw vegetarian (including raw eggs and unprocessed dairy products), and raw omnivorous.

The diet excludes foods heated beyond a specific temperature, usually somewhere between 40° to 47°C (104° to 118°F). The only heating permitted is a dehydrator, a cooking device that blows hot air across food.

The raw food diet can be interpreted differently; some people eat some cooked food, and others do not. For some people, it is a way of life; for others, it is a dietary choice.

Following a vegetarian diet include eggs, dairy, and all plant-based products. It does not include meat, poultry, fish, or seafood. All Vegetarian dishes are also Pescatarian. However, vegetarianism can be divided further by which animal products are included in a diet:

Lacto-ovo vegetarians who eat eggs and dairy products

Lacto vegetarians who eat dairy products but exclude eggs

Ovo vegetarians who eat eggs but exclude dairy products

There are many benefits to vegetarianism. Researchers noticed long ago that not eating meat may lower blood pressure. It is essential to avoid excess sugar, processed bread, and pasta. Otherwise, you are unlikely to reap the full benefits of a vegetarian diet.

Remember, you can filter Ingredifind-partnered menus to see vegetarian dish options.

Veganism includes all plant-based products. It does not include meat, poultry, fish, seafood, eggs, or dairy. All Vegan dishes are also Vegetarian and Pescatarian. Like vegetarianism, veganism can also help lower blood pressure and help maintain a healthy heart. In a vegan diet, your nutrients will rely on eating beans, fruits, nuts, peas, seeds, vegetables and whole grains.

It has been reported from multiple studies that vegan diets provide more antioxidants and fiber. Also, this diet is richer in potassium, magnesium, and vitamins A, C, and E. In addition, vegan diets can help reduce the risk of certain cancers such as prostate, breast, stomach, and colorectal cancer by avoiding certain animal products.

Remember, you can filter Ingredifind-partnered menus to see vegan dish options.

The Zone diet strives for each meal to have a nutritional balance of 40 percent carbohydrates, 30 percent fats, and 30 percent protein. The goal is to optimize and control inflammation from your diet, among other health benefits. Unlike the Atkins diet, The Zone Diet has no specific phases. There are two methods to start the Zone Diet: hand-eye or Zone food blocks.

The hand-eye method is the most common to start. It begins with using your hand to determine portion sizes. Your five fingers remind you to eat five times daily and never go without food for five hours. Your eyes are used to estimate portions on your plate.

The Zone food blocks are an alternative to the hand-eye method. A main meal is usually around 3 to 5 Zone blocks, while snacks are always one. Zone blocks allow you to customize the Zone Diet based on your body. This is achieved by computing the grams of protein, carbs, and fat you should have daily. The amount of Zone blocks you should have per day relies on your weight, height, waist, and hip measurements.

Following a diet can be challenging, especially if you enjoy going to eat out. Learn more about Ingredifind and how our app can help here.

With Ingredifind, you can trust and enjoy the food at your favorite restaurants.
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