Approximately 40 million people in America suffer from depression or anxiety. In all honesty, almost everyone has experienced anxiety at some point in time or another. People who live in anxiety or chronic anxiety spend a lot of their time trying to manage and overcome it with the employment of tools, such as anti-anxiety medication, exercise, mindfulness, and therapy.

Did you know there are also a bunch of foods, which tend to trigger anxiety in you?

By this, we do not mean that these tools will not help you overcome anxiety. But at times, there are even some lifestyle changes, which can change your stress, anxiety, and depression levels. Thus, it would help if you watched out for what’s on your plate.

Here, we are listing some of the worst foods for people with anxiety. Let us take a look at them one by one. 

Processed food

People who eat a lot of fried food, processed meat, candy, refined cereals, high-fat dairy products, and pastries are more susceptible to anxiety and depression. If you feel you are vulnerable to anxiety or depression, you must keep it off your plate.   

Alcohol

David, an educator who offers online ‘do my C++ homework‘ services, says that, ‘earlier anytime I felt even an iota of stress, I would take drink a glass of whiskey. Initially, I felt it was making me relieve my stress, but over time I have realized it only makes matters worse.’

Yes, so many people seek refuge in alcohol to suppress their social anxiety, but it does nothing to better their mental health. Why? See, you may feel that alcohol is calming your nerves, but it has a deteriorating impact on your sleep and hydration, both of which trigger the suppressed anxiety symptoms. 

Alcohol also impacts the neurotransmitters and the serotonin levels in the brain. This only makes your anxiety worse. So, when the ‘high’ of alcohol wears off, you only feel more anxious.

So, should you quit alcohol altogether? Well, not really. You can certainly drink in moderation, maybe about one or two servings every day. If even glass is triggering your anxiety, we would recommend you to look for alternatives. As such, there are no real substitutes for alcohol.

However, if you appreciate the taste but not the side effects, you can opt for the non-alcoholic beer. You can also try exquisite drinks, such as sparkling water or mocktails that have a fancy bitter. These can be a good alternative, especially when you are in a social gathering. 

Caffeine

Caffeine is a psychoactive drug and a renowned stimulant, which 100% triggers your body’s fight-or-flight response, much like anxiety symptoms. Caffeine can make the user feel jittery, nervous, light-headed, nauseous, and more anxious.  

‘I drank about 3 cups of coffee in a day, and it was making me feel more anxious. This was when my doctor recommended me to switch to a green juice or herbal tea. Though only a simple change, it has certainly done wonders for me, shares Becca, an educator who offers do my java assignment services.’ 

Donuts and sweets

Almost all of us love sweets. Sweets that have honey, corn syrup, and table sugar in them can make you feel better. However, one must not forget it is only a temporary mood booster. Sugar gets absorbed into the bloodstream very fast. This absorption can bring in an initial energy surge, but it does not take long for this high to wear off as the body accelerates its insulin production to get rid of the excess sugar from the blood. Consequently, you will end up feeling fatigued and low. 

White bread, white pasta, and white bread

All of these are simple carbs and have refined sugar in them. They are processed and are a strict no-no for someone trying to monitor their anxiety and moods. These, too, will spike the body’s sugar levels, which are immediately followed by a sudden drop, resulting in anxiety. Many may not know, but sugar also tickles the same pleasure center in our brain as cocaine, which is an addictive drug. So, you feel great for a fleeting moment, and then it all comes crashing down. 

Thus, you should instead switch to complex carbs, such as brown rice, oats, whole grains, sweet potatoes, etc. 

Cultured foods, fermented foods, and aged foods

A cheese and meat plate, with a nice glass of your favourite red wine.’ Sounds wholesome, right? Well, regardless of how much you love this combination, it is a big no for all of you. Whole foods, such as grapes, beef, and milk go gourmet, when they are cultured, fermented, and cured, that is, wine, steak, and cheese. 

However, in this process, the bacteria in them break the food protein into biogenic amines, such as histamine. It is a neurotransmitter, which stimulates hormones, digestion, and the nervous and cardiovascular systems. Hence, in people prone to depression, anxiety, and insomnia, such foods’ consumption will only heighten the risks.  

So, to lower histamine intolerance, we would recommend you to opt for whole foods. Always check the fish and meat date before shopping for it, comments Marry, matlab homework help expert. Well, yes: the fresher it is, the better it will be. 

So, these are a few of the foods you can chalk out of your diet to overcome stress, anxiety, and depression. If you have any other food item causing anxiety or depression in you, do let us know in the comment box below.