Are you the type of person, who is always anxious? Then this is for you. Here are foods that will help you immensely:
They contain nutrients and other compounds which help to stimulate your body to produce chemicals that calm you. These foods are also sometimes a delightful treat that calms us by just thinking about them, not to talk of eating them. The following are just such foods that can help to control your anxiety.
1. Herbal tea
Tea is full of antioxidants that help to fight against free radicals and other agents that might be messing with your brain cells, causing you to be anxious or depressed at that moment. Some of these teas include Tazo Organic Baked Cinnamon Apple, Traditional Medicinals Ginger Aid, and the last one Organic India Tulsi Sweet Rose which contains an adaptogenic herb called tulsi or holy basil, which helps the body to deal with stress.
Coffee can also be a good anxiety control drink if drank in moderate amounts because of the caffeine it produces which not only keeps you alert and awake, but it also stimulates the body to release norepinephrine, adrenaline, and other hormones that help to lift your mood. Your stress levels may but rise if you consume in excess because these two hormones are fight or flight response hormones. In other words, they are stress hormones. Just one cup would be sufficient a day.
2. Crunchy vegetables
A study from the American Journal of Public Health discovered that life satisfaction and happiness, despite the situation they were in, increased significantly when one took eight servings of fruits and vegetables a day. This is because of the array of minerals, vitamins, and fiber that foods such as bell peppers, carrots, almonds, cucumbers, celery, and cashew provide for the body and the brain, improving function and hence mood overall. Chewing these foods also helps you to concentrate on the task you are doing at hand, further distracting you from your worries and anxiety.
3. Probiotic foods
The microbial population of your gut have effects on organs and processes that are far away, including your brain. They have been termed an organ on their own by some experts.
When foods like sourdough bread and sauerkraut which contain active populations of Lactobacillus plantarum which are also found naturally in the gut were given to Zebrafish which have a similar brain to ours, in a research, they showed less anxious behavior. Furthermore, some doctors have used probiotic supplements to treat chronically depressed people, and they have come back with amazing results.