# Diets that help Anxiety



## SweetDonuts (Mar 22, 2012)

Hi, I've been doing a low Fodmap diet for the past about 3 months and before that I did the GAPs diet for 6 months. They're both kinda like Paleo, but with the intent of healing the gut. I tried these mainly because 1.) I have digestive issues, but also 2.) because I've read blogs from people who have reduced OCD, anxiety and depression following these types of diets. I have noticed that my anxiety in general seems to be less, but I'm still not at a point where I want to be with my overall mental state, which would be to have enough mental energy to feel "alive" when I'm around people. 

Has anyone had any success with these types of diets helping reduce depression and social anxiety and mainly increasing mental energy?


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## loneliness (Oct 3, 2013)

I noticed on a ketogenic diet I'm much less anxious (high-fat, low carb).


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## SweetDonuts (Mar 22, 2012)

How long were you on it before you noticed a difference?


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## loneliness (Oct 3, 2013)

SweetDonuts said:


> How long were you on it before you noticed a difference?


A few days. There's a bit of a miserable period at the start when your body adapts.

It might just be that I wasn't consuming as much sugar and other refined carbs which can cause emotional swings and such.


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## SweetDonuts (Mar 22, 2012)

I gave up sugar and refined carbs about a year ago and I notice that I definitely have less mood swings. I don't get easily irritated any more either. It took me several months to notice a change, maybe it took so long to see a difference because I consumed so much sugar on a daily basis since I was like 4 years old. My cravings for sweets used to be so intense. Once I quit sugar I realized that I was eating so damn much every day because it's in everything. I even have to eat less fruit because of the fructose content. I'm pretty sure that I have fructose malabsorption because every time I eat too much fruit I wake up the next morning with a really oily forehead. I was reading that people with fructose malabsorption are much more likely to be depressed too. So I'm sticking with the diet for about another year to see if it helps with my mental state even more.


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## Len Phelbs (Jan 21, 2014)

Hey, I find the people around me/environment affect me as much as food but cutting refined sugar and more fat's definately helped lately. I added a small meal after work and having smaller higher protein dinner helped since I'm looking to gain weight and sleep better. Not to say I don't snack when I'm bored thou


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## thruthecracks (Jan 13, 2014)

I found out that protein helps me have less social anxiety. I was trying to give up sugar, so I tried the Radiant Recovery program and had to greatly increase my protein. I went back on sugar because I haven't adapted to coffee, which I use for concentration, without it, but I try to use the lessons learned (besides the potato at bedtime, which got really boring).


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## SweetDonuts (Mar 22, 2012)

Len Phelbs said:


> Hey, I find the people around me/environment affect me as much as food but cutting refined sugar and more fat's definately helped lately. I added a small meal after work and having smaller higher protein dinner helped since I'm looking to gain weight and sleep better. Not to say I don't snack when I'm bored thou


I hear you on that, certain people make me more nervous or make me feel sort of timid to be around. Diet is no way a cure all. I've been taking a break from actively trying to socialize with people since last summer, mainly because I was tired of feeling like I was just always so freakin akward when talking to people.

I found I need more protein too, in order for my body to function properly. I used to be a vegetarian that ate too much junk food. Now that I'm eating meat again I'm not eating all the time. But I do the same and snack when I'm bored or stressed.


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## SweetDonuts (Mar 22, 2012)

thruthecracks said:


> I found out that protein helps me have less social anxiety. I was trying to give up sugar, so I tried the Radiant Recovery program and had to greatly increase my protein. I went back on sugar because I haven't adapted to coffee, which I use for concentration, without it, but I try to use the lessons learned (besides the potato at bedtime, which got really boring).


Giving up every spec of sugar is really hard. I still cheat sometimes, and it's usually when I'm around family because they eat a lot of it like most people do. Though when I'm at home I have discipline and don't crave it much. I was taking l-glutamine (for gut health) for a while and that took away my sugar cravings without even realizing it was why I had some self control with the sweets.


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## MrKappa (Mar 18, 2013)

When you eat heavy amounts of sugar, do you feel energized or lethargic?

There are some gut bacterias that will ferment sugar, and I am no chemist or nutritionist, but yeah, they are stealing all the good stuff from you. Perhaps an herbal cleanse to clear your gut flora before you begin to chase various diets is in order?

I haven't read this, and I am only referencing because it agrees with the situation I've recently resolved.

http://www.beatcfsandfms.org/html/HealYourGut.html



> *5) Check For Poison Gut Gas*
> Harmful bacteria or yeast in the small intestine typically ferment sugar and produce poison gas such as ammonia, formaldehyde, and acidic chemicals that leak into the blood through the gut wall. Itching of skin after eating can be caused by this poison gas. Excess acidity in blood can leech Calcium/Phosphorous out of bone, as described here. Additionally, sugar metabolism consumes much Chromium, Zinc, Magnesium and O2; and can therefore deplete these minerals.


I don't want to suggest what I did to change how my body metabolizes sugar, because I don't know what sort of situation you are in exactly and I've basically done a whirlwind of things.

L-Glutamine seems to me, that it is an amino acid, which is a building block with proteins.

http://www.nutritionexpress.com/article+index/authors/showarticle.aspx?id=281

How that may boost your overall health and well being, yeah sure. As for anti-microbiological function, it's probably doing nothing more except boosting your immune system, which in turn is balancing out the "cravings". As for herbal cleansing, yeah, sure, probably comes with some risks.

That's the problem with junk food right, the move from a traditional "spicy" diet, to a mechanically refined one. Traditionally, we've been eating "balanced".

Be careful right? Coeliac or, um, the intolerance for specific yeast bi-product seems to be a new epidemic in itself. Unfortunately I don't know enough about it, whether they have bacteria in their guts stealing the good stuff or what.

http://www2.macleans.ca/2013/09/10/gone-gluten-free/



> Their plight is severe: Just one bite of a glutenous food damages their small intestine and can cause a range of symptoms including abdominal pain, gas, bloating, diarrhea and constipation. The disease can lead to problems including "osteoporosis, anemia, sterility, even carcinoma," says Peter Taylor, executive director of the Canadian Celiac Association. For them, "every day, every meal, every mouthful" is a matter of sickness or health.


Doesn't sound like a healthy immune system to me. Or at the very least it's an imbalance they have yet to "fix". I guess it's a throw back to prehistoric days when **** sapiens had meat eating incisors, predating farming. Again, I don't know too much about the whole ordeal. The carcinoma has to have them worried, eh?


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## Len Phelbs (Jan 21, 2014)

I got to being about half way vegetarian (bull **** term, I ate half as much meat as when I was a kid and learned to cook some vegetarian meals). along with some exercise its a good balance. kind of dumb but Tim ferris's books and similar stuff motivated me to eat better.

How do you take a break from socializing? not going for outtings or mostly work/school and necessary commitments.


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## Len Phelbs (Jan 21, 2014)

thats pretty severe stuff, seems like you'd be noticeably sick if those were going on? Most of that treatment sounds like good general rules of thumb other than getting enough nutrients consistently


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## SweetDonuts (Mar 22, 2012)

MrKappa said:


> When you eat heavy amounts of sugar, do you feel energized or lethargic?
> 
> There are some gut bacterias that will ferment sugar, and I am no chemist or nutritionist, but yeah, they are stealing all the good stuff from you. Perhaps an herbal cleanse to clear your gut flora before you begin to chase various diets is in order?
> 
> ...


When I eat a lot of carbs/sugar I initially feel happy, then I feel very lethargic after a little bit. So I know my body can't handle a lot of carbs very well.

I did gaps diet for six months, before I read about/found out about herbal supplements. I took Peppermint oil and Berberine for six weeks late last year and that's when I really saw a difference in my gut health. Since then I would say I have only about 15% of the stomach grumbling when I eat certain carbs, which I still restrict most of the time. I'm pretty sure I had/still have some SIBO.

Right now I just started taking herbal supplements again, peppermint/oregano, and also Lauricidin. I'm taking diatomaceous earth for detox too. After the peppermint I'm gonna take some Pau D'arco or berberine. I can tell I'm pretty close to having a balanced digestive system again by my overall physical health vastly improving since a year ago.

I took the L-glutamine to help rebuild my gut lining. I believe it helps repair the enterocyte cells and I think that's supposed to keep poorly digested food molecules from entering the blood stream... I think it goes something like that, i know it's not the best explaination....

I've been listening to the audio book version of Physical and Nutritional Degeneration by Weston A. Price and have been really inspired by it to keep up with a more traditional diet for good health. I've had some really incredible healing with eczema, acne (which I've had for 13 years), outdoor allergies, and other minor stuff through eating real foods and eliminating junk. Also, Pure, White and Deadly is another one that has inspired me to get rid of the sugar. The thought that I have is if food has given me such good physical health that maybe it can also help with my mental health.


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## SweetDonuts (Mar 22, 2012)

Len Phelbs said:


> I got to being about half way vegetarian (bull **** term, I ate half as much meat as when I was a kid and learned to cook some vegetarian meals). along with some exercise its a good balance. kind of dumb but Tim ferris's books and similar stuff motivated me to eat better.
> 
> How do you take a break from socializing? not going for outtings or mostly work/school and necessary commitments.


 P { margin-bottom: 0.08in; } I've never heard of Tim but judging from his amazon reviews it looks like he's motivated a lot of people [:

When I had friends, living in Houston, I stopped going to events they would have. Since I've moved to dallas last summer I haven't attempted to make any new friends at school or work.


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## MrKappa (Mar 18, 2013)

SweetDonuts said:


> The thought that I have is if food has given me such good physical health that maybe it can also help with my mental health.


Yeah, it's probably true. I'm doing similar things with myself with the same type of herbals. I'm only two or three weeks or so in, but wormwood seemed to entirely change the way I metabolize sugar. Normally I'd eat sugar to get sleep, now a little bit is like caffiene, what I remember it being when I was a small child. Only problem is, the Bible says wormwood is a scourage or a curse to the earth, so, I'm worried there might be some sort of strange repercussion down the road. The Jews are largely lactose intolerant as a people. Plus the ancient greeks refer to the stuff as a "stunner" (vermifuge), rather than a total fumigator I guess. The french back at the turn of the century had people go insane when combined with alcohol. So there may be a secret about dangerous bacterial imbalance in there somewhere. I'm largey celtic, german, scottish, northern italian, so I imagine my genetic predisposition is entirely different than others when bacterias are the issue. I made it through the plague baby! Anyways, yeah, I'm starting to watch the youtube on amino acids. That's technically the stuff all the L-Glutamine is about. Amino Acids are all the building blocks for proteins so they say so far. Anyways, I'm nearly off pork entirely, eat dairy rarely, and yeah, it seems as if my total caloric intake has dropped significantly without additional hungers and I feel more energy overall, but I am combining so many different things at the moment.


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## MetalPearls (Jan 26, 2014)

I read being anemic can heighten your anxiety.. (low iron levels). Wish I knew this as a kid.. I been severely anemic since I was 13. I'm still trying to up my iron.
Tx for all the info guys x good thread.


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## Phoenixica (Dec 27, 2013)

I'd recommend this book:

http://www.amazon.co.uk/Optimum-Nutrition-Mind-Patrick-Holford/dp/0749923989

It contains evidence that eating the right food boosts IQ and increases emotional stability. And it discusses the brain's structure and what we need to function at our best. In summary, we need to:

1. Eat foods with a low glycemic index because the brain needs a steady flow of energy. Any gaps causes our focus to faulter. So...

- Choose wholegrain bread, rice or pasta
- Avoid tea, coffee or sugary foods or drinks
- Avoid stimulants (this includes nicotene)

'The brain is a network of neurons and these are built out of essential fats, found in fish and seeds, phospholipids, present in eggs and organ meats; and amino acids, the raw material or protein.'

2. Essential fats:

- eat oily fish (salmon, sardines, mackeral or fresh tuna) at least once a week
- avoid processed or fried foods

3. Phospholipids:

- Eat at least 3 eggs per week
- Ensure you're getting at least 5g lecithin/day

4. Amino Acids:

- Eat at least one portion of protein-rich foods each day (meat, dairy, fish, eggs, tofu, quinoa)
- Eat at least two vegetable sources of protein each day (dark green vegetables, nuts, seeds)

5. Intelligent Nutrients:

- Get your 5 a day
- Take a multivitamin each day


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