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Anxiety and panic attacks are serious health problems. In fact, a panic attack can be a terrifying event. The sudden onset of heart palpitations, tightening of the chest, sweating or chills along with the sensation of not being able to swallow or breathe is the Granddaddy of stressing out. The person who suffers from anxiety and panic attacks often develops a cyclic pattern, feeling anxious most of the time and living in fear of their next panic attack.

Consult Your Physician

Be sure to consult with your physician to determine what medications and therapies may be helpful in managing your condition. While there are a number of factors that play into these disorders, including genetics, allergies and trauma-related events, there are plenty of dietary changes which may provide you with significant benefits in improving the degree of anxiety and reducing the number of panic attacks you suffer. You might be surprised at how much diet matters.

Food Allergies Could Be A Cause

In some cases, food allergies have been discovered to be a major culprit implicated in triggering anxiety and panic attacks, so discuss this with your physician.

Try to eliminate processed and refined foods from your regular diet, including as much whole foods as possible. Processed foods include chemical additives that can exacerbate anxiety. Try switching to natural meats, that is, from animals that have not been fed growth hormones. Reduce your intake of sweets, as spikes in your blood sugar can lead to that racing sensation which is often a precursor to anxiety and the dreaded panic attacks. When you shop, check food labels for the inclusion of MSG. Many people are quite sensitive to this product, which can adversely affect your nervous system, resulting in a stressed out feeling and often, headaches. Reduce your salt intake and use a salt substitute or herbal 'salt'. This is good medicine for your heart and helps keep your blood pressure in line. These basic changes in diet can produce substantial results.

Vitamin Deficiencies

Ask your doctor to check you for vitamin deficiencies. Deficiencies of certain nutrients can definitely aggravate your condition. Calcium and magnesium, in a balanced ratio, can play a major role in reducing both anxiety and panic attacks. Deficiencies in these nutrients can produce many of the symptoms you experience. The same is true for the B complex vitamins, which affect proper functioning of the nervous system, as well as a direct effect on your degree of stress and energy. Deficiencies in the B complex group can result in depression.

Eat More Slowly

Not only does it matter what you eat, but how you eat. Anxious, stressed out people commonly eat too fast. Give your digestive system a break. Chew your food well and slow down. If you don't chew your food well enough, you're indirectly contributing to stress, because your body won't be able to absorb all of the nutrients.

Cut Back On The Caffeine

If you're an avid coffee lover, try to confine yourself to just one or two cups a day. The caffeine can increase your susceptibility to both increased anxiety and panic attacks.

Try making these changes in your diet, work with your physician to devise techniques that relieve stress and see if you don't start feeling better soon.

Published by Natural Health Trip

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This entry was posted on Thursday, December 4th, 2008 at 11:26 pm and is filed under Anxiety. You can follow any responses to this entry through the RSS 2.0 feed. You can leave a response, or trackback from your own site.