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Fighting Anxiety With Superfoods
Anxiety is one of the most widespread mental illnesses. According to WHO estimates, by 2020 about one in three people in the world will have experienced an anxiety disorder at least once in their lifetime. Fighting anxiety is therefore the daily ambition of millions of people, but how can we overcome such an insidious problem?
Let’s start by saying that, when dealing with problems of this kind, it is always advisable to contact a specialist, such as a psychologist or a psychiatrist. Anxiety, however, is not a problem regarding only the mental sphere. As we have all experienced at least once in life before an exam or an important appointment, anxiety involves the whole organism.
Anxiety is defined as a state of excessive and unjustified agitation and worry. One thing is to be worried about the outcome of an important event, like the result of an exam; another is to suffer in an exaggerated way, and without any apparent reason. Anxiety is a disorder that involves the mental sphere, with symptoms such as worry, irritability, sudden mood swings, restlessness, nervousness, but also fear of dying, fear of going crazy and fear of suffocating.
This last fear leads us to the physical symptoms of anxiety, which concern first of all the breathing, with gasp and shortness of breath, tendency to hyperventilation and consequent tachycardia. But the symptoms of anxiety also include increased sweating, tremor, hypertension, nausea, vomiting, tingling, muscle stiffness, cramps, dizziness and insomnia.
In short, anxiety manages to sneak into every organ and function and cause symptoms of all kinds. This is the loss of control par excellence and for this reason it arouses the terror of losing clarity of thought, and control over one’s actions and thoughts. Anxiety has to do, on a mental level, with the need for control over one’s life, but it has not only psychological causes.
Many food deficiencies, intolerances, but also many medications and toxins can be among the causes of anxiety. If it is true that the psychological causes of anxiety are the most important ones, we cannot underestimate all the others. Among these, nutrition plays a major role. If we do not provide our organism with all the nutrients it needs in order to function in an optimal way and face all the difficulties we encounter, such as stress and work rhythms, we end up facilitating the development of anxiety.
How can we combat anxiety and defeat it in order to stop such an unnecessary suffering? As already mentioned, it is always better to consult with a professional, but we can also start to eliminate bad habits and introduce good health practices. Here are the best tips to combat anxiety:
Eliminate caffeine: it is an exciting substance that can create a very strong addiction. Caffeine can facilitate the development of an anxiety disorder.
Quit smoking: smoking is bad for your health and in particular for your breathing. Smoking can promote anxiety, modifying blood pressure, blood circulation and stimulating hyperventilation.
Alcohol and drugs: anxiety is often triggered by the consumption or abuse of drugs of all kinds.
Physical activity: a sedentary lifestyle is one of the major risk factors for anxiety. Our muscles become atrophied, and among these in particular the diaphragm, the main muscle of our breathing. Even just half an hour of walking every day is enough to combat anxiety, but the more you move, the better!
Yoga and meditation: it is scientifically proven that these disciplines help fight anxiety and are as effective as psychiatric medications!
Breathing: breathing exercises help to quickly reach calm and serenity and stimulate you to regain control of your body.
Sugar: the glycemic surges caused by the consumption of refined sugar can promote the development of anxiety. However, also the destruction of intestinal bacterial flora affects the formation of this disorder. To combat anxiety effectively, eliminate white sugar and replace it with natural sweeteners, such as Coconut Sugar and Xylitol.
Can anxiety be overcome with superfoods? Nutrition plays a crucial role in the prevention, formation and treatment of anxiety. Caffeine, as already mentioned, can trigger a vicious circle that leads to anxiety, but the same can be said for magnesium and vitamin D deficiencies, a diet low in good fats and rich in saturated ones and an excessive consumption of carbohydrates and animal proteins. For this reason we at Iswari are attentive about intolerances and we offer only certified products without lactose, gluten-free and rich in vitamins and minerals.
Gluten, if consumed in excessive amounts, and especially when it comes from refined flours and genetically modified grains, can cause a form of sensitivity that has anxiety among its symptoms. Reducing gluten from one’s diet, eliminating sugar and caffeine, but also incorporating vitamins and mineral salts that are less and less present in fresh fruit and vegetables, is essential to combat anxiety.
To overcome anxiety we must eliminate all its causes and act on all fronts, both on the psychological and the physical side, including nutrition. Here, then, are the best Superfoods to combat anxiety:
Cocoa: Iswari Raw Cocoa Powder is a source of magnesium and iron, minerals often associated with anxiety. But cocoa helps fight anxiety also thanks to its antioxidants as well as its tryptophan content, the precursor of serotonin, the hormone of happiness.
Maca and Macaccino: Maca is a Peruvian hyper-nutritious root. Rich in iron and magnesium, Maca is combined with Cocoa and Coconut Sugar to create a coffee substitute drink with a full and relaxing taste: the Macaccino.
Omega 3 mix: essential fatty acids, and in particular Omega-3s, in which we are often deficient, are excellent detoxifiers, but also act as anti-inflammatories. One study showed that a small daily dose immediately reduces anxiety symptoms by 20%.
Chlorella and Spirulina: they are two green algae with a great detoxifying power, rich in chlorophyll and mineral salts. They are excellent for fighting anxiety, because they purify and nourish the body at the same time!
