“Youve got a pacer in your office,” my medical assistant told me.
I get patients like Thom more often these days.
Among its roles, optimized gut health improves depression by reducing inflammation and boosting hormones like serotonin.
About 95 percent of this feel-good neurotransmitter, in fact, getsmanufactured by your gut.
Like with most patients, I started with his diet.
Thats becausefood significantly affects your anxietylevels, and foremost among its anxiety-inducing culprits are sugar andcaffeine.
Thoms breakfast usually entailed a muffin and several cups of cream-and-sugar-infused coffee.
you feeling lethargic and groggy.
Yoga means “union.”
In essence, when you do yoga, you connect with your body and ground the nervous system.
I recommended 10 minutes of yoga stretches right after his morning meditation.
This sets the tone for the day.
Its easy enough to find short yoga routines to follow online.
This was followed by a nutrient-packed, herb-infused smoothie for breakfast.
I had him skip the coffee as well.
Breakfast: Zen Smoothie.
Lavender, along with passion flower and valerian root, are widely used for their calming properties.
Ingredients
Method
Midmorning: Skip the Caffeine and Go for Tea & Supplements.
In Thoms case, too much caffeine exacerbated his anxiety.
Among their findings, researchers found caffeine increased self-rated anxiety and the feeling of being threatened.
Another studylooked at caffeine intake in secondary school children.
Researchers found significant connections between total weekly caffeine intake and mental disturbances like anxiety and depression.
I also had Thom start taking 100 milligrams of L-theanine three times a day.
And it promotes the production of GABAaninhibitory, relaxing neurotransmitter4.
The great thing is it does all this without causing drowsinesswhile actually improving alertness and focus5.
Lunch: Anti-Anxiety Salad.
Skipping meals crashes blood sugar, leaving you feeling lethargic and anxious.
Its easy to mix in the Mason jar and add just before eating the salad.
Afternoon Snack: Walnuts.
Dinner: Salmon With Greens.
Thom didnt like to cook, and made that emphatically clear.
However, Ive been able to convince even the most stubborn anti-chefs to venture into the kitchen.
To make his long workday easier, I gave him a few healthier dinner options.
Cooked onions and asparagus provided more gut-boosting, calmingprebiotics.
Im seeing more “paleo rice” options, including broccoli and cauliflower.
They add variety to your meals.
Another alternative to his fast carb-laden on-the-go dinners is the Happy GutapprovedWild Salmon on a Bed of Spring Greens.
Evening Ritual: Herbal Tea and Zen Breath.
This eating and lifestyle prescription is a start to resetting your anxiety meter for good.
