The Best Diet for Anxiety

Introduction to the anxiety diet 0:00

Today I'm going to be talking to you about the absolute best diet to help anxiety. And before I start, I want to tell you that this has two components. It has a method and it has list of foods. Let's start with what you want to hear, which is the list of foods. So I have this really cool acronym, Which is also in my book, Calm Your Mind With Food and has even more foods, a shopping list, A protocol and recipes to match to help you with anxiety. Why? Because anxiety is number one mental health condition in the United States.

CALMS foods: C for cruciferous vegetables, vitamin C, choline, and colors 0:31

It's almost as though every one of us suffers from it. so it's always good to have some of these foods on your fingertips. Let's start off with the acronym CALMS, C-A-L-M-S. The C stands for some of my favorite foods, cruciferous vegetables, cauliflower, Brussels sprouts, cabbage, and more. C also stands of vitamin C, some my of favorite fruit, clementines, oranges, but also lemons and limes. Vitamin C critical for your mental well-being but anxiety. C is also for choline. Choline is found in eggs as well as legumes.

And the last C, is for colors. I want you to remember to eat the bright colors of food. Go to the produce section and pick out as many different colors as you can, including things like berries, blueberries and strawberries are good options for you because plant polyphenols are very powerful in your gut microbiome and they help anxiety. The A in CARMS is for Ashwagandha if you choose to take a supplement. Now, from ancient Ayurvedic medicine, Ashvaganda has been used for eons. There's also a lot of ongoing research around the use of Ashvagandhas as a supplements to help anxiety.

CALMS foods: A for ashwagandha and anthocyanins 1:51

So speak to your doctor if want to try that out. The other A is Anthocyanins. That beautiful color in blueberries is brought to them L is for liquids, remember to drink lots of water and hydrate well. And also remember calming teas, passionflower tea, lavender tea and chamomile tea. Hydration is key for anxiety.

CALMS foods: L for liquids and calming teas 2:18

Then we go to M, and M is more for Omega 3s as well as magnesium. It turns out that many Americans are low on magnesium. So lean into foods rich in magnesium and always add omega-3 fatty acids to your meal. Plant-based sources are chia seeds and flax seeds, but seafood sources include things like salmon and anchovies as well as herring.

CALMS foods: M for omega-3s and magnesium 2:45

Add those to a diet to help anxiety. The S in calms is for spices and herbs. Adding delicious, pure spices to your meals can help. And specific spices that are very helpful are turmeric with a pinch of black pepper, as well as things like capsaicin. So expand your spice cupboard and add them in to help with the calming diet, which will help anxiety. I mentioned that there is a method and this method is something that I've used repeatedly in different ways and again it's another acronym called SAW which

CALMS foods: S for spices and herbs 3:18

is swap, add and walk. The first rule of thumb for anyone struggling with anxiety is to think is there food or drink or beverage I can swap that is making me anxious. It might be a very flavorful coffee that you drink in the morning with a lot of very sugary ingredients that could be setting you aright. Or it could that be you eat ice cream every night since COVID.

SAW method: swap, add, and walk 3:43

Maybe that's a habit you want to switch out to a healthier option. Like a banana flavored ice-cream made from bananas and the recipe is in my book, This is Your Brain on Food. Add or the A is for adding in, what I like to say, foods in your diet that may be deficient. It also could be a beverage. Maybe you don't cook enough water. May be teas could very calming for you. Adding that in can really help you and it's easy to remember, S-A-W. So add in more vegetables. Add in protein if you feel you're short of protein.

You know, add a calming tea to your day. Carry a water bottle. Follow the amount of water that you're drinking during the day. And the W is for walk. Now this is a general term to imply exercise. There's such a lot of good evidence in mental wellbeing that exercise improves mood and lowers anxiety. So whether it's yoga, Tai Chi, Jigong, whether you like a HIIT class, enjoy the treadmill or simply walking, do something that will help movement in your body that also will lower anxiety, So, again, I shared some of my favorite foods through Calms the Pneumonic and then a method to help heal your anxiety.

Wrap-up and call to action 5:00

And also check out my book, Calm Your Mind With Food. If you want this information in the form of a PDF, then click the link below. Hey, if you like my content, subscribe to my YouTube channel, hit the notification bell and give us a like.