Foods to Avoid

The list that follows is not overly detailed. I created it with the hope that it would provide a starting point from which readers could begin their own independent research.

 

Fried foods

They’re difficult to digest and contribute to heart problems. If you are hyper-aware of your heartbeat (like I am), even a brief moment of feeling your heart race can set you into a downward anxiety spiral. So, just be kind to your heart.

Sugar

Sugar in fruit is arguably the “least worst” kind of sugar you could eat—see the section further down on High Glycemic Load foods for more info. We’re talking about every other type of sugar here: white, brown, powdered, synthetic, and honey. Sugar stimulates your body and can make you feel jittery or short of breath. These are both also physical symptoms of anxiety. Sugar can make you feel more anxious than you actually are.

Simple carbohydrates

Simple carbs include white (“enriched”) flour, pasta, potatoes, pastries and candy. Simple carbs are essentially sugars, which are easily digested and absorbed by the body but are followed by a “crash” in a person’s energy. See “Sugar”, above, and “High Glycemic Load”, below. (Complex carbs are also sugars, but these sugars take longer to break down and thus provide more sustained energy.)

Sodas, sugary drinks & fruit juice

See “Sugar”, above.

Processed foods

Processed foods typically have a high sugar content and are commonly fried. See “Sugar” and “Fried Foods”, above.

Alcohol

It may be tempting to drink alcohol to relax when you are feeling anxious, but in reality, alcohol dehydrates you. Dehydration stresses the body, and when your body is stressed, you are more likely to be stressed emotionally. The effects of alcohol can also make you feel like you’re not in control of yourself, and this can be anxiety-provoking for some people.

Caffeine

As a stimulant, caffeine quickens your heart rate and makes your breath a bit more shallow. Both of these are also symptoms of panic attacks, so caffeine can trick your body into thinking it’s way more stressed out than it actually is.

High Glycemic Load

The Glycemic Index is a list of common foods, and associated with these foods is a number that estimates how much a particular food will cause your blood sugar to spike. The lower the number, the better that food is for maintaining a healthy blood sugar level. You’ve (hopefully) read in the topics above about why sugar-avoidance is a helpful tool for managing anxiety. By choosing foods that are lower on the Glycemic Index, you will be putting this knowledge to good use.

Check out this table which shows some high-glycemic foods you’ll be surprised about! (Hint: many of them are fruits!)

I’m purposely not getting too technical here, so read about the Glycemic Index and the Glycemic Load if you want more detailed info.

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