has diet and exercise ever helped anyone get rid of anxiety?

[ddonaghey1989]

im suffering from gad and im looking for ways to treat this without medication as im terrified to take them. ive lost alot of weight as a result of this and im now under 7 stone and im 5ft 3 my usual weight was 8-8 1/2 stone. my diets crap i eat alot of biscuits and stuff which is great as i dont put on weight but im wondering if i change ny diet and exercise could i get rid of this anxiety? i dont want to loose weight tho? any advice would be great thankyou xx

[Phuzella]

And biscuits and stuff don't contain much in the way of good nutrition, so yes, eating well and exercising can help you feel a whole lot better.

[Ingenious]

Diet and exercise can have a huge impact on wellbeing. So can just getting out for a walk, fresh air, sunlight, nature. It definitely has to be on the list of mandatory things to at least try once.

For diet I started with a steamer to have nice veg with one meal a day. Then a juicer so I could have more fruit and veg but in a nice way as I wasn't that keen on it. Then cut back on the snacks and chocolate (though not completely). Also looked at how I could get extra good food into the diet, so for example I now have a banana sliced on my cereal every morning. I make a point of including nuts, beans, fish, fibre etc.

For exercise I started with walking, a short walk each day no matter what the weather. Then a longer walk, built up to around 2 miles each time with a 5 mile stomp every now and again. Walking around parks, woods, heathland - lovely to get out. Also the coast when I can. I also got an exercise bike, started pilates at home, some stretching exercises and some resistance bands.

Lots of little steps - but it all adds up

Consistency is the key so I tend to avoid fads and sudden big changes, in favour of little things I know I can keep up long term.

Diet and exercise isn't just for anxiety and depression it is also key to longevity and general health. Every fruit and veg you eat and every minute you exercise is an investment in your future.

[Zingything]

Hi, I'm sorry you've lost quite a bit of weight, I would think about having less of the biscuits and all the goodies and replace them with something more nutritious, perhaps have bananas and/or porridge for breakfast which should keep you feeling fuller for longer and will give you more energy.
As to whether exercise and diet helps reduce anxiety, in my experience it doesn't help much if at all. Exercise does help me tire more easily giving me a more restful sleep at night, in which case maybe it does help. I find my pets help me relieve anxiety, oh, and the odd glass of red wine.
I wish you luck x

[swgrl09]

Exercise has helped me a lot while weaning off medications. There are studies (dont have a source though) that have shown exercise produces serotonin just like meds do, and can have similar mood boosting effects.

[Lilharry]

Yes, diet and meditation have helped me immensely. You need to make sure your body is getting the right nutrition because not getting enough of the right vitamins etc can cause anxiety. Magnesium is a good example of this - not enough can cause anxiety, heart palpitations, muscle twitches etc. Sugar can also cause anxiety, so if you are eating a lot of sugary food that could be exacerbating it. I discovered that the main reason for my anxiety was a bacterial overgrowth in my gut that was being fed by sugar, so I have to be very careful now. Too much chocolate will set off an anxiety attack as well as numerous other symptoms. Make sure you get a lot of good fats in your diet too - avocado, olive oil, butter, nuts etc. This will help you maintain your weight and they are very nutritious. I only eat real food these days - anything processed gives me allergies and anxiety symptoms, so I believe food has a lot do with the prevalence of anxiety in western society.

[tnthomas]

Exercise helps me better control my GAD; eating healthier by avoiding/reducing foods that have fat, salt or sugar helped me lower my BMI to a healthy level.

[greggs92]

Exercise has helped me a lot while weaning off medications. There are studies (dont have a source though) that have shown exercise produces serotonin just like meds do, and can have similar mood boosting effects.

Exercise does produce serotonin, your absolutely right