My new therapy group has started, and our leader has given us all a list of foods that are supposed to help with anxiety. Over the next 12 weeks, I have to try to eat more of the foods on the list, and fewer foods on the list of things that increase anxiety. Every day, I have to write my mood and what I ate. Who wants to join me?
ANXEITY-FRIENDLY FOODS
- Spinach
- Cashews
- Salmon
- Turkey
- Chamomile tea
- Mushrooms
- Oats
- Cheese
- Dark chocolate
- asparagus
- Avocado
- Kale
- Green lettuce
- All leafy greens
- Kiwi
- Blueberries
- Bananas
- Turmeric
- Kefir
- Kimchi
- Natto
- Tempeh
- Fermented foods
- Brown rice
- Whole grains
FOODS THAT ARE BAD FOR ANXIETY
- Sugar
- Artificial sweeteners
- Aspartame
- Hydrogenated oils
- Trans fats
- Shortening
- Margarine
- Fried foods
- Store bought pie crust
- Non-dairy creamer
- Frozen dinners
- Fast food
- Processed foods
- Biscuits
- Danishes
- Sweet rolls
- Microwave popcorn
- Alcohol
- Coffee
- Soda
- Fruit juice from concentrate
- Caffeine
- Foods high in sodium
- MSG
- High fructose corn syrup
- Food dyes
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Today I had
Scrambled eggs with cheese
Waffles
Vegan sausage patty
Kraft dinner
Salmon
Purple potatoes
Broccoli
My mood was basically 
all day, but I cheered up in the evening. I’m a bit skeptical of saying it was because of my healthy dinner. I also got to babysit today, and I love being around kids.
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Yeah, caffeine is very bad for anxiety
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I find that high-fat, high-protein foods worsen my symptoms (it has to do with tryptophan consumption, where it turns into kynurenic acid and causes NMDA antagonism, which, based on the “kynurenine hypothesis”, is the cause of schizophrenia symptoms.) Sugar alone doesn’t really do it to me though, unless I eat high fat at the same time. Your mileage may vary.
It’s important to realise that diet can affect symptoms though.
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It’s worth trying @Ninjastar! I say try for 2 weeks before you decide.
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Is serotonin increase your goal here? If so exercise is the other half of your equation
I believe the goal is primarily a more stable blood sugar level and healthier gut bacteria. Also, healthy fats to promote brain health, since brains are primarily made of fat. But it’s not supposed to be about a total overhaul of my lifestyle. Just a general tendency towards more of the target foods, and tracking my mood to see if there is a noticeable change. And then, the theory is, if I feel better after a few weeks, I will be more likely to continue it. I’m honestly a bit nervous, because in the past when I was tracking my food, I would obsess over eating as little as possible. I’m hoping that by keeping things general and not having a specific goal in mind, I will avoid my extreme food reduction habits. It’s all just an experiment, to see what my mood is like.
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Hope it works for you!
BTW, high carb foods won’t spike blood sugar if there is minimal fat included, but that low-fat state has to be sustained for a few days before full blood sugar stability is attained. That is how people on low-fat vegan diets are able to control diabetes with diet alone.
Dr. McDougall’s “Starch Solution” diet is based on that phenomenon.
I’m not looking for recommendations, I already have the diet plan I’m going to follow. And I don’t trust any nutritionist that’s trying to sell something. I have seen too many shady diet plans to ever trust anyone who has an agenda.
Again, please don’t give me recommendations. I find overly analytical or rigid dietary discussions highly triggering, because I struggle with obsessive dieting. Not quite an eating disorder, but definitely not healthy.
Meditation helped my anxiety more the therapy and benzos. But that’s just me. I won’t say try it
It’s helped a few people on the board also.
It’s all about ignoring anxious thoughts, that doesn’t mean the body anxiety will disappear after the first couple of sessions like the thoughts (for me) but in a few weeks I will se more benefits.
Im also eating healthy (no fast food +food made at home) I’ve eaten spinach for the first time yesterday. Was good
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Unsweetened Applesauce seems to be very calming for me… I noticed on my Fitbit that it slows my pulse down a little and seems to help with inflammation in my back. I don’t eat regular apples often because the skin tends to give me GERD.
Anything high in potassium other than potatoes also seems to help me probably because my blood pressure tends to run a little high.
I’m sorry but is cheese supposed to be here…just saw no recommendations…hmmm, then why’d you post…some might want to follow…¿idk…
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I think it seems like a great idea.
I consume a lot of sugar and caffeine, and it might contribuye to my swinging mood and anxiety levels.
I like everything in the eat-list apart from kiwi.
Actually, I live kiwi, but it makes my throat and tongue swell, so I can’t have it. 
when i feel my blood sugar drop, I try to eat a banana, or some peanut butter, or olive oil. supposedly good fats can help. I find i feel more relaxed after
oh I ate 3 kiwis today yaaaaaay , i eat the whole thing without peeling 
I also had 4 sunny side up eggs, 10 spoonfuls of plain yogurt.
and im gonna use the rice cooker to make white rice and steamed salmon, ill add some green onion.
I just started working on eating at home more instead of fast food often.
Today I ate
Scrambled eggs
Vegan sausage
Yogurt
Health cereal
Almond milk
Vegetarian chili with cheese and rice
I felt like a garbage heap all day long. I even impulsively dyed my hair! So far, the anxiety diet is not working.
im not really convinced any diet makes a big difference.
but hey be proud that your making food for yourself each day instead of going to mcdonalds or something.
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I promised my therapist I would try this for a couple weeks. I’m not a big believer in this stuff either, maybe that has an effect. I believe it won’t work so it doesn’t. But I’m documenting all the same.
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I would say it may work for people who have less severe symptoms, like maybe mild anxiety or something.
I did this diet a long time ago.
Its worth a shot though.
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Day three of my anxiety diet. I feel really amazing today. Almost hypomanic. I can’t tell if it’s diet related or if it’s because I love my new hair color. I’m contemplating shaving it into a Mohawk.