‘Feel good’ foods, blood sugar control help reduce anxiety

Dear Doctor K: I suffer from anxiety but would rather not take medication. I already exercise and practice relaxation therapy. Could dietary changes help further quell my worries? faster and more forcefully. The hands can start trembling. People start to sweat. All these physical changes often produce anxiety. Anxiety, in turn, makes all of these changes more prominent — leading to more anxiety, and a vicious circle.

So, maintaining a more even blood sugar level creates a calmer feeling. The take-home? Choose whole grains, vegetables and fruits over highly refined or processed foods to help keep blood sugar — and mood — more stable.

When you eat is also important. Don’t skip meals. Doing so may result in a drop in blood sugar that causes you to feel jittery, worsening anxiety.

Specific foods and nutrients can reduce anxiety. They spur the release of neurotransmitters such as serotonin and dopamine. Low levels of these brain chemicals are believed to play a role in anxiety and depression. These “feel good” foods are a safe and easy first step in managing anxiety. They include:

Foods naturally rich in magnesium, including spinach, Swiss chard, legumes, nuts, seeds and whole grains.

Foods rich in zinc, such as oysters, cashews, liver, beef and egg yolks.

Foods, like fatty fish, that contain omega-3 fatty acid.

Foods rich in B vitamins, such as avocado and almonds.

Anxiety may also be linked with lower levels of antioxidants in the body. Enhancing your diet with foods rich in antioxidants may help ease the symptoms of anxiety. They include:

Beans: dried small red, pinto, black, red kidney

Fruits: apples, prunes, sweet cherries, plums, black plums

Berries: blackberries, strawberries, cranberries, raspberries, blueberries Nuts: walnuts, pecans Vegetables: artichokes, kale, spinach, beets, broccoli

Spices: turmeric and ginger.

Nutritional therapy is not intended to replace other treatments. Talk to your doctor if your anxiety symptoms are severe or last more than two weeks.