Best Foods For Decreasing Anxiety

70% of your Serotonin is made in your gut. What’s going on in your gut is going to affect your mood – anxiety, depression, and focus.

Dr. Frank Lipman

We’ve all heard “You are what you eat.” With all of the convenient and sometimes pre-packaged food available to us today, it’s easy to forget that we’re not just eating to get through the day and get full, but for our health.

If you struggle with an Anxiety Disorder in any way, adding some of these foods to your diet may be helpful. A couple of them have helped me quite a bit and are now staples for me.

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1. Leafy Greens

According to The Harvard Health Blog, mice with low levels of Magnesium showed more anxious behaviors compared with those with health Magnesium levels. Leafy greens like Spinach, Kale, and Collard Greens have high levels of Magnesium, which can definitely get you feeling more calm.

A few weeks ago, I purchased a supplement called Natural Calm by Natural Vitality, for general anxious feelings and problems falling sleep. The supplement is 100% Magnesium, and it has honestly in just over a week made a huge difference in my mood. I’m calmer, falling asleep easier, and not so stressed. I’d highly recommend giving it a try if you suffer with anxiety.

2. Fish

Fatty fish is great for brain and mood health because it contains high levels of Omega 3 Fatty Acids. In an article on Psychology Today, Barry Sears, PhD, states that Omega 3s help to reduce inflammation in the body, particularly in the brain; which helps to reduce anxious feelings.

A study in 2011 also found that people who took Omega 3 supplements saw a 20% reduction in their anxiety levels.

3. Blueberries

Blueberries contain flavonoids that are rich in nutrients and Vitamin C, both of which are known to help ease anxiety.

4. Turmeric

I was very pleased to see Tumeric can help ease anxiety symptoms, because it’s one of my absolute favorite ingredients to add to a recipe.

Tumeric helps to relieve symptoms of anxiety because Curcumin, a compound found in Tumeric, has been shown in studies to reduce symptoms of Anxiety and Depression, and boost Serotonin and Dopamine.

I personally love to make either chicken or fish tacos using Tumeric, here’s a recipe very similar to what I do: Fish Tacos with Turmeric and Cauliflower Tortillas

5. Yogurt

Yogurt reduces levels of Anxiety (particularly Social Anxiety) because it’s a good source of Probiotics, which have been shown to be great for your brain, and have anti-anxiety effects.

6. Eggs

Eggs (yolk specifically), have multiple properties that help to soothe anxious feelings. They have lots of Vitamin D, Protein, and most importantly, they contain Tryptophan, which helps us feel tired and more relaxed.

7. Almonds

Almonds contain Zinc, which is crucial to our brain health and can help to put you in a good mood and assists in keeping your brain healthy.

They’re also a great healthy fat and are a great snack to have throughout the day. I use Almond Milk for all of my smoothies and really enjoy it.

8. Asparagus

Asparagus Extract was found to be so helpful in treating anxiety symptoms, the Chinese government approved it for use in treatment of anxiety disorders.

Asparagus is also high in Folate, Vitamin A, and Vitamin K; all of which may be easy to miss in your normal diet. Asparagus is probably one my personal favorite veggies, I’ll put a link below with my favorite way to make them.

Asparagus with Red Wine Vinegar

I hope you consider adding some of these if you’re suffering with anxiety issues, as they have many other health benefits as well.

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