explation greatly needed

[julie]

Hi,
Please could someone give me some advice on the connection between food and anxiety attacks. I've heard that caffeine should be avoided as it tends to make anxiety worse but are there any other food stuffs that should be avoided? Should i cut sugar out of my diet completely?
Any advice would be appreciated,
thanks, Julie

[nomorepanic]

Hi Julie

I cut caffeine out but I have not heard that sugar should be cut out. Alcohol can aggrevate and even bring on panic attacks so that should be used in moderation too.

Nicola

[Meg]

Hi Julie,

Caffeine, alcohol and sugar are the main culprits for anxiety induced by food. Foods high in histamines is the other catagory but much less common.

Sugar- I posted a load about this recently in response to something Bish wrote- I'll try to find it and direct you but essentially sugar hits really mess up our blood sugar titration system and can cause huge anxiety/ panic swings.
If you think you may be affected it's worth cutting out simple carbohydrates and pure sugars for a week and see whether there is any difference. Most people affected with this have a too efficient system and are having mild hypos- the reverse of diabetes.

The quick rule of thumb is eat a wholesome breakfast - NOT cornflakes, sugar puffs etc but porridge , whole wheat toast and marmite , yogurt, eggs etc then a couple of hours later have a handful of nuts/ seeds ie pumpkin seeds,hard fruit eg apple / pear
and see how you go. Do not resort to choc, sweets, cookies etc

I don't go anywhere without a small bag of all sorts of seeds/nuts with bit of dried fruit.

Hope that helps




Meg

Watch your thoughts, they become your words...
Watch your words, they become your actions... Watch your actions, they become your habits... Watch your habits, they become your character... Watch your character, it becomes your destiny...

[julie]

Hi Radar,
Thanks very much for the advice. I suspected my diet might not be helping matters so i've stopped eating a lot of goodies like cakes and chocolate. I've been better since cutting these things out (and i've lost a stone in weight!) but i didn't know if it was psychological or not. From your advice it would seem a good idea to keep off them. You mention hard fruits like apples are ok, do you know if soft fruit is ok to eat too? I wouldn't mind giving up the chocolate as much if i could munch bananas, raspberries, strawberries etc. Also what about dried fruit like apricots?
I've found your advice to Bish and read that as well - it makes interesting reading. You obviously know a great deal about anxiety, hopefully not all from first hand experience.
Also thanks to Nicola for her reply as well.
Julie

[Meg]

Hi Julie,

I was in too much of a hurry and didn't notice it was the post immediately previously - sorry.

Soft and juicy fruits have more sugar content than hard fruits and are smaller and easier to chomp down so we tend to eat more. Still preferable to choc though !! That's all.

Dried fruit is great but each dried apricot has the same sugar content as a fresh one - so easy to rack it up...

I make a huge quantity of my snack mixture about every 3 months and stick into little Zip lock bags and have one in car at all times as well as vast quantities of a museli type thing for mornings. It really saves choc temptation at the petrol stations.

I was a red berry Special K person but it just wasn't giving me enough energy to get through the mornings with although I didn't realize it at the time . I was leaving at 5am though and doing 15 hour days.
I've had a tough ride with this all - haven't all of us ?! but have really pushed through and am pretty much sorted now and seem to be being led down the training path. I'm running quite a few 1 day anxiety mangement courses now.

Good luck with yours.


Meg

Watch your thoughts, they become your words...
Watch your words, they become your actions... Watch your actions, they become your habits... Watch your habits, they become your character... Watch your character, it becomes your destiny...

[julie]

Hi Radar,
Thanks for the reply - much appreciated. Good luck with the training courses, it's great that something so good and positive has come from your troubles.
Julie.

[sunnyspice]

Firstly i would like 2 thank everyone for taking the time 2 answer my questions or 2 post a response of their own. i aplogise for being a way from the boards but i have been having a pretty bad time of late my partner who i thought was coping with how i am as suddenly decided he dosent want the hassle of me so as uped and left while i was out at college one day. so this as left me not only feeling anxious but also a little depressed.
i feel so alone right now and i feel like i have no grip on my life any more i will try and post agin soon on the boards take care every one
wendyxx

wendy

[nomorepanic]

Wendy

I have replied to your other posting.

Nicola