The Anti-Anxiety Diet

Now that you know what not to eat,
assuming you have read my previous post,
let's see what foods you should choose in
order to stay calm, even when the going
gets tough.

The following menus were taken from an article
written by Sue Gilbert, Eat for Wellness: Anti-Anxiety Diet.
This article can be found, along with plenty of other
useful information, by clicking here.

BREAKFAST

option one

whole-wheat English muffin topped
with natural peanut butter
calcium-fortified orange juice
chamomille tea
multivitamin and mineral supplement

option two

whole wheat banana soy muffin with
added raisins and walnuts
(raisins are high in B6, and walnuts in omega-3)
1/2 cup fat free cottage cheese
decaf coffee
multivitamin and mineral supplement

option three

oatmeal with bananas
calcium-fortified orange juice
St. John's Wort tea


LUNCH

option one

whole-wheat pita pizza topped with
low-fat cheese, tomato sauce and
fresh-sliced veggies
fresh orange sections
soda water with lime

option two

pita pocket sandwich filled with turkey,
tomatoes, lettuce and sprouts
fruit salad with banana, pineapple
and oranges
skim milk

option three

three bean salad on greens
whole-wheat tortilla
chamomille tea


DINNER

option one

quick turkey tetrazzini
mixed green salad
pot of peppermint tea

option two

pork tenderloin roast
1/2 acorn squash with butter and
brown sugar
banana bread pudding
spring water with lemon

option three

thai tofu stir-fry
brown basmati rice
fruit salad
decaf green tea


SNACKS (choose two a day)

mixed dried fruit and nuts
6 ounces fat free yogurt topped with
fresh berries and chopped walnuts
whole-wheat crackers with almond butter
small corn tortilla filled with hummus and sprouts


HEALTHY DO'S AND DON'TS

Do:

Take a multivitamin supplement that includes
B and B6. Even undetectable malnutrition can
lead to feelings of anxiety.

Exercise daily. The endorphins produced make
you feel relaxed, plus exercise reduces muscle
tension and blood pressure.

Drink plenty of water or other fluids like herb tea.

Don't:

Consume alcohol. Sure, a glass of wine before
a big date takes the edge off, but the calming
effect of alcohol is short-lived. Once it has
worn off, there is a likelihood that your level
of anxiety will actually increase.

Consume caffeine, which can be found in tea,
coffee, may sodas, chocolate, and some
energy/sports drinks and foods.

You can find all the recipes on iVillage
if you click here and follow the links.

Pleasant eating!

Mudd

P.S.: Questions or not, I'd love to hear from you. Please email me at
anxietybuster@gmail.com or simply click the link on the sidebar.

Feeding The Monster

Nice to see you again!


Now, here's a little story for you...


When I was bored or stressed out,
or just plain fed up with life,
I used to go on eating binges.

I would go out and buy a bag of
pop corn, a bag of barbecue chips,
a bag of hickory sticks, a medium-
sized bottle of Coke, a Caramilk bar,
and a box or two of Smarties.

I'd come home, pull out the big
yellow plastic bowl from under
the kitchen counter, and empty
the contents of the bags, taking
care not to mix the popcorn with
the chips and the hickory sticks.
I wanted the bowl to be well
organized, easy to navigate
through, and agreable to the
eye: barbecue chips on the right,
hickory sticks on the left, and
the beautiful golden popcorn
in the middle.

I would then grab another bowl,
a small glass one, out of the
cupboard over the kitchen sink,
and break the Caramilk bar into
little squares which I carefully
piled up on one side of the bowl.
I'd then spill the Smarties on the
other side, making sure the red
ones were all at the bottom.
I liked to eat them last.

Depending on my mood, I'd either
choose a tall glass or a mug, and
I'd fill it to the rim with ice cold
Coke. Mouth watering, I'd carry
my lot of goodies to the living room
where I plopped my sad self down
on the sofa for an evening of sitcoms
and maybe a movie if I had rented one.

So for the next two and a half hours
it took me to eat my assortment of junk,
I felt exhilirated. But once the bowls were
empty, I felt guilty as hell. Guilty, and very,
very nauseous.

I had fed The Monster.
The anxiety was back,
stronger than ever.

In my next installment, you'll learn
how a proper diet can flush the
anxiety out of your system.

Be good,
Mudd

P.S.: Questions or not, I'd love to hear from you. Please email me at
anxietybuster@gmail.com or simply click the link on the sidebar.