DIET... hoping for some tip swapping?!

[hangingbasket]

First off... I am not hoping to lose weight.
Ive been researching today a little about an anxiety reducing diet and Im totally confused by it all.
So yes, I get that there is evidence to suggest that certain vitamins/minerals can reduce anxiety but there are SOOOO many of them, and for me to increase them all I would have to eat non stop from the minute I get up to the minute I go to bed.

Does anyone have any experience with a diet that reduces anxiety.
Ideally I'd love some advice/tips on how to encorporate anxiety reducing foods into a meal planner.

Like I say, Ive not done much research yet but so far I have come across...


whole grain foods
seaweed (hmmmmm)
blueberries
almonds
walnuts
peanut butter
oily fish
avocado (never tried one of these in my life)
turkey
eggs
baked potato
spinach
beans
porridge
peaches
dried apricots
sunflower seeds
Now I have never eaten seeds or nuts in my life, so I'd like to know what to do with them? are they a snack? can I eat them on their own?

Also with regards to the vitamins/minerals... I've seen that the B vitamins (particularly B12) is important to reducing anxiety, along with magnesium, iron and protien.
Is there any other particular vitamin I need to be including?

Any help/advice/tips/experience/comments greatly appreciated :)

[Maj]

I don't know that much about food helping to reduce your anxiety symptoms, but personally I think that when you are eating well and getting exercise and looking after yourself then this in itself makes you feel good and less anxious. It just has a feel good factor about it. I know that when I am careful about my diet, lose weight and look better then I definitely feel better mentally as well as physically.

[PanchoGoz]

Shakey will no doubt tell you about their recovery after discovering they have ceoliac disease so you might be interested in that, I think it's gluten free/wheat free?

Myself, I was never interested in "reducing anxiety". There shouldn't be any anxiety there to reduce in the first place so unless you have a diet related medical thing, treating the anxiety at the core should be your first priority, and all anxiety is is fear.
After all, if you weren't anxious, you wouldn't care what you ate.

[petegms]

Eating a healthy diet makes a huge difference. I am speaking from firsthand knowledge. Check out aruyvedic recipes..lots out there. Will pm you some stuff when i get on my pc.:yesyes:

[Rubicon]

I wholeheartedly agree about the whole treating it at the core thing.

But as far as diet is concerned, it may be worth noting that whilst including certain things can help, excluding certain things WILL help. So reducing caffeine, sugar, alcohol will all help you. I'm not sure greasy burgers will actually make it worse as such, but i know that if i eat junk food i feel pretty crappy afterwards compared to if i'd have eaten a huge salad with tonnes of different vegetables and some fish or chicken.

Hope that was of some use!

[AnxiousBaker]

As people have said on here already reducing your intake of caffeine and sugar is the most obvious way that will help. I have done this and it has helped a lot. Basically just eating a healthy balanced diet in which youll get the full spectrum of vitamins and minerals is the best way. And of course exercise if/when possible. Getting a regular sleep pattern will also help lots.

L-theanine, which is an amino acid helps to raise GABA levels in the brain. Although before taking this id get expert advice.
Epsom salts in the bath at night is a good way to get magnesium, it will absorb through your skin.