Anxiety/Stress

Anxiety/Stress

Intense, excessive, and persistent worry and fear about everyday situations. Fast heart rate, rapid breathing, sweating, and feeling tired may occur.

FOODS TO EAT MORE OF

Fruits: Apricots, bananas, red grapefruit
Vegetables: arugula, broccoli, cabbage, carrots, celery, chili peppers, collard greens, fennel, kale, onions, Reishi mushrooms, romaine lettuce, spinach, watercress
Garlic
Almond milk, honey, kelp, nuts (especially almonds), tofu, whole grains (especially oats)
Bee pollen (as local as possible)
Hiziki (sea vegetable)

FOODS TO AVOID OR MINIMIZE

Caffeine, alcohol and refined sugar & flour.
Processed foods with artificial additives/preservatives.
Beef & pork

ESSENTIAL OILS

Basil, bergamot, cardamom, cedarwood, clary sage, cypress, frankincense, geranium, German chamomile, grapefruit, hyssop, jasmine, juniper, lavender, lemon, lemon balm/melissa, lime, marjoram, palmarosa, patchouli, peppermint, pine, rose, sandalwood, tangerine, vetiver, ylang ylang
Suggestions:
- Add a few drops of German chamomile, lavender, rosemary or lemon balm/melissa to bath water
- Massage back of neck and temples with lavender
- Apply lavender, tangerine and/or vetiver to temples, wrists, bottom of feet (or diffuse)
- Apply peppermint, tangerine and/or Basil to abdomen, kidneys, bottom of feet (or diffuse)

HERBAL

Alfalfa, ashwaganda, basil, borage, catnip, dandelion leaf, evening primrose, garlic, German chamomile, hops, lavender, lemon balm, linden, marjoram, mistletoe, motherwort, nutmeg, passion flower, red clover, St. John's wort, scullcap, Siberian Ginseng, valerian, vervain, wood betony
Herbal tea (if you can sit, sip and relax for a bit!):
- chamomile, lemon balm, skullcap, valerian and/or vervain. Pour 1 cup boiling water over handful of fresh herb - steep for 5-7 minutes - strain)
- Yarrow Tea: Cover 1/4 cup fresh (or 1/2-1 Tablespoon dried) herb with boiling water. Let steep for 5-15 minutes. Strain & drink. Sweeten with honey if desired.
Pour 1 cup boiling water over handful of fresh lemon balm leaves. Steep for 5-7 minutes, strain and drink
Add 1 pint of a chamomile, lavender and/or lemon balm infusion to bath water
Matcha
For stress-related blood pressure fluctuations that lead to fainting, try passion flower

NATURAL

Add 1 teaspoon celery seed in cup of boiling water. Drink as hot as possible (seeds and all)!
Aerobic exercise daily.
Lecithin

YOGA / MEDITATION THERAPY

Yoga For Anxiety and Stress (27 minutes - Yoga With Adriene)
Yoga for Anxiety (16 minutes - Yoga With Adriene)
Relax & Restore Yoga (10 minutes - Sadie Nardini- BeFit Yoga)
Meditation for Anxiety (14 minutes - Yoga With Adriene)
Instant Stress & Anxiety Releasing Yoga Meditation (4 minutes - sadienardini)
Forward bends are especially helpful

SUPPLEMENTS

Calcium/ Magnesium: 600 mg of each daily (take with food)
Coenzyme Q10: 100 mg daily
Eleuthero (eleutherococcus senticosus): as directed
Kava: 100-250 mg 2-3 times a day (should have at least 30% kavalactones)
Melatonin: 1-3 mg before bedtime (start with lower dose and increase as needed)
Panax Ginseng: 100-250 mg twice daily (should contain at least 7% ginsenosides)
Siberian Ginseng: 100-300 mg 3 times daily (should contain at least 0.8% eleutherosides)
St. John's Wort: 300 mg 3 times daily (should have at least 0.3% hypericin)
Valerian: 250-400 mg twice daily (should have 0.8% valerenic acid, may cause drowsiness)
Vitamin B Complex: 1 pill twice daily with food (look for B-50 complex with 50 mcg vitamin B12 and biotin, 400 mcg folic acid, and 50 mg all other B vitamins)
Vitamin C: 3,000 - 10,000 mg daily (reduce if it causes diarrhea)

HOMEOPATHIC

Argentum Nitricum 6c: no more than 3 doses per day
Arsenicum
Bacopa (Bacopa monnieri): 150 mg twice daily
Gelsemium 30c: no more than 3 doses per day
Ignatia Amara 6c: no more than 4 doses per day (specifically good for grief)

MIND-BODY CONNECTION

Can represent a strong distrust of the natural process of life.

FOOD MEDICINE
Not all recipes are nutritionally perfect, but the options below are a great way to start incorporating beneficial foods into your diet in delicious ways. Always try to buy organic, and feel free to make substitutions to accommodate gluten-free, vegan, etc diets.

Abbreviation Definitions:
LC = Low Calorie (under 400 for breakfast, 600 for lunch/dinner, and 200 for beverages/sides/snacks)
GF = Gluten Free
KT = Keto / Low Carb
VG = Vegan
VT = Vegetarian