[LOVE30]

If I eat healthy, balanced meals and snacks at regular intervals, my blood sugar stabilizes and my anxiety is less. When I start eating high sugar, high fat junk foods, my blood sugar gets unstable and my anxiety gets out of control. :afr

I suppose, I need to realize that paying close attention to my diet is a critical component of my recovery from SA.

Has anyone else noticed that how they eat affects their anxiety level???

 

[Melusine]

Yes, i've noticed this too. I agree, food does affect SA, caffiene and sugar are the worst. I find if i eat them, i'm much more prone to an anxiety attack and am generally more uptight, and when i don't eat these kinds of foods i feel more stable and at ease, and less depressed, i guess because chemical balances are a larger role than i thought, and if you eat right, you make your hormones more balanced so even negative thinking isn't as effective. (?)

 

[ABetterTomorrow]

Ive definatly noticed i feel better when I eat healthy. I assumed it was more psychological though. The disclipline of cooking healthy meals and knowing that you are giving your body good nutrition is what makes me feel good.

I wonder how much of a difference it makes physiologically.

 

[rjridley]

I spent some time reading stuff in books and online that explained how food affects the neurotransmitters dopamine and serotonin. I don't know whether either one of them directly affects social anxiety, and I haven't ever noticed my mood changing based on what I ate. It sounds like you may be describing what I've only read about and never experienced, having food affect your mood.

 

[appleNJ]

As rjridley mentioned, food does in fact affect neurotransmitter levels, and those neurotransmitters are also linked to anxiety & depression.

Here's a few links:

See the section 'Depleted Serotonin' on this page which describes the way diet & stress release cortisol which then affects serotonin levels:
http://womentowomen.com/LIBdietdilemma.asp

Also, I'm sure this has been talked about before - Tryptophan, found in certain foods, is converted to serotonin by the body:
http://www.askdrsears.com/html/4/T042400.asp

And as mentioned earlier, stimulants are the worst when it comes to anxiety. Here's a quote from the 'Women to Women' site (dont let the name put you off - this stuff relates to both sexes).

Sudden changes in serotonin levels cause irritability, fuzzy thinking, and anxiety. Stimulants like coffee, sugar, simple carbohydrates, nicotine and other drugs supercharge serotonin levels for a few hours, creating a pleasurable effect. When the stimulants wear off, serotonin levels plunge and we crave another "hit". A reliance on stimulants puts your body (and mind) on a vicious up-and-down treadmill, resulting in chronic low-serotonin levels - not to mention weight gain

found at: http://womentowomen.com/LIBantidepressants.asp

dan