What Are Some Foods That Might Increase Feelings of Anxiety?

Having to manage an anxiety disorder or dealing with feelings of anxiety can be stressful. There are a lot of factors you must take into consideration. A big one is your diet.

While it’s generally encouraged for people to eat healthy diets, it’s even more important for people dealing with high anxiety to do so. Many foods can worsen feelings of anxiety.

Many people with anxiety disorders do not know what substances can increase their anxiety. While everyone’s body is different, there are some general foods, drinks, and ingredients that might increase feelings of anxiety.

Sugary foods

It can be tempting to turn to your favorite pastry when you’re feeling anxious or looking for a quick energy fix. However, the boost in energy is short, and you will feel the effects of the crash.

Sugar crashes can leave you feeling sluggish and tired, which is bad for anxiety. While sugary food now and then can be okay, it’s best not to indulge in them. Instead, consider alternatives like fruits.

Refined carbs

Refined carbs are commonly found in bread, sandwiches, or pizza. Refined carbs tend to contain ingredients like preservatives or sugar, which can worsen feelings of anxiety. You might feel an energy boost from these foods, but you will feel a crash later on.

You don’t want to eat these foods too often. A slice of white bread with butter or jam is okay in moderation, but you’ll want to stick to alternatives like whole-wheat bread.

Caffeine

Caffeine can be a good stimulant to help you be more alert or give you that energy push you need in the morning. The problem is if you intake too much caffeine, you become overstimulated.

When you’re overstimulated, you might become too excited and wired. The issue is when you’re dealing with anxiety, you don’t want your nerves to be overstimulated. It’s best to limit your caffeine consumption to maybe one or two beverages a day. It’s also best to limit your consumption of foods high in caffeine like chocolate.

Alcohol

Alcohol works as a depressant to the body, which can help you feel temporarily relaxed. The problem is alcohol can easily be abused and become addictive. If your body craves alcohol, it can cause you to feel agitated and increase feelings of anxiety.

You should consider the amount of alcohol you drink in one sitting and how often you drink. If you do drink, you’ll want to stick with drinks with lower alcohol content.

Greasy foods

Greasy foods are not favored in most situations. You should avoid these foods even if you don’t have high anxiety. They generally contain questionable chemicals, fats, sugars, and other stimulants that leave you feeling sick. When you feel sick, your anxiety will worsen.

The most straightforward alternative to greasy foods is eating non-greasy foods. This could be avoiding grease when you cook food or not eating fast food often. 

Processed foods

Processed foods are like greasy foods in that the ingredients you find in them are questionable. The sad part is processed foods are everywhere. Some common ones include breakfast cereals, candies, deli meats, and certain cheese products. These foods tend to aggravate your anxiety.

Like with greasy foods, it’s best to avoid consuming them or eating them less often. You should stick to foods with small ingredient lists on the packaging.

Managing anxiety is tough. It can often feel your mind is going out of control, and even the smallest task tires you out.

You should do what’s best for your health and avoid or minimize your intake of the foods, drinks, and ingredients mentioned above. You might find your anxiety lessens by eliminating some of these products from your diet.

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