Can You Control Anxiety by Changing Your Diet?
“The great thing, then, in all education, is to make our nervous system our ally instead of our enemy.” ~ William James
While helping my clients with variety of issues, I’ve realized that anxiety is one of the core problems that many people have.
Anxiety is the most common mental health issue in our day itself, capturing approximately 18% of the population (adaa.org). Additionally, other mental health issues also lead to high levels of anxiety, such as fears, phobias, stress, and much more.
In other words, in order to heal from a mental health problem, we need to address all contributing factors successfully, including anxiety.
When anxiety is present, a couple of physical changes happen in the body such as shivering, shaking, sweating, or increased heartbeat.
Surprisingly, similar reactions happen in the body when the blood sugar level drops. Recent research shows more and more connections between Hypoglycemia (Low blood sugar (glucose)) and anxiety.
When the blood sugar drops lower than normal, the body usually experiences similar physical changes to anxiety such as sweating, feeling jittery, or shaking. It’s really hard to differentiate the two and it is almost impossible to bypass the irritable and drained feeling.
Even though you might not be dealing with Diabetes or Hypoglycemia, it’s worth checking your eating habits in order to receive long-term anxiety relief.
What is blood sugar?
Blood sugar -which is glucose- is the sugar level found in the blood. Blood glucose is derived from the food after digestion. After we consume the food, the body breaks it down and then some parts of the food turn into glucose.
The storage, consumption, and absorption of glucose are regulated by the pancreas, liver, and intestines. Blood sugar is used for energy in the body which is basically the fuel of our body. When there is an excess amount of fuel, the rest of the sugar is stored in the cells for later use.
One of the most important hormones for regulating blood sugar levels is called Insulin. Insulin is released into the bloodstream when there is an excess of glucose in the blood in order to reduce it down to its normal levels.
How the food is broken down in the body?
After we consume the food, it is broken down into carbohydrates, protein, fat, minerals, and vitamins.
Carbohydrates are the ones that affect the blood sugar in the body. Carbohydrates will be processed as sugar in the body which means the more carbohydrates you consume the higher blood sugar level you will have. Important things to know about carbohydrates:
Carbohydrates in the form of liquid are absorbed in the bloodstream more quickly than solid carbohydrates. For example, the sugar rush of fruit juice will be quicker than a plate of pasta.
Processed foods contain refined carbohydrates. Refined carbs are also known as “simple” carbs and they are quickly broken down into the bloodstream leading the blood sugar levels to spike up. The body needs to spend a lot more energy to take the sugar levels down which causes the release of insulin into the bloodstream.
Although it still affects blood sugar levels, the carbs that are derived from whole foods are released into the bloodstream at a regular pace.
On the other hand, other components of foods (vitamins, proteins, minerals, water, and fat) don’t contain carbs and they won’t be affecting blood glucose levels.
What is Insulin?
Insulin is the hormone that is responsible for regulating the sugar levels in the bloodstream, which is released from Pancreas. Insulin’s main functions are:
· Allows the processing of the sugars from food that we consume, including carbohydrates, for the body to use as energy (fuel)
· Regulates blood sugar levels. Helps to decrease the excess sugar and increase the low sugar levels in the blood
· Stores the glucose for future use
In other words, insulin is the hormone that signals your body to store sugar. This is why when there is an unbalanced release of insulin, weight gain becomes inevitable.
What leads to lower blood sugar levels?
According to the American Diabetes Association, there are many things that can lead blood sugar levels to drop. Here are the main ones:
- Being hungry for a long time, not having enough food for a long-time in between meals, or missing a meal.
- Alcohol consumption, especially on an empty stomach.
- More than usual physical activity
Low blood sugar and anxiety can be related.
What spikes up the blood sugar levels?
There are a few significant contributors to high blood sugar:
- Processed food
- Too many carbohydrates
- Not being very active
- Consuming more calories than you use
- Stress
- Illness, weak immune system
How do blood sugar levels affect anxiety?
When too many carbohydrates are consumed, the body will need to release insulin to decrease the excessive amount of sugar in the blood. An instant spike in the sugar in the bloodstream and the body’s efforts to take this increased blood sugar down can feel like a roller coaster. This can create anxiety-like feelings.
For example, after a sugar rush, people report feeling drained, fatigued, increased heartbeat, and nervousness. Not only the blood sugar levels can lead to anxiety but this inconsistency can also increase the anxiety that you already might be experiencing.
Take one of the very common problems that we help with hypnosis: fears and phobias. Almost all fears and phobias involve some form of anxiety.
When you focus on the trigger, this intense focus can create anxiety. If you are not conscious of your blood sugar levels, you can easily exacerbate the anxiety that you’re experiencing unconsciously.
Final words…
As William James’s quote emphasizes, especially when dealing with some psychological challenges that affect daily life, we need to get our body working with us. Sometimes, even without being triggered by the issue, we can experience anxiety-like symptoms because of low blood sugar.
It’s really hard to distinguish the two when you are dealing with anxiety and unhealthy eating habits at the same time. When we are healthy and treating our bodies mindfully, it will be easier to control our thoughts and emotions as well.
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