If you have been wondering how to calm stress & anxiety you’re not alone. Estimates are that more than 40 million people in the US suffer from moderate to severe anxiety. There is medication that can help with anxiety, but many people don’t like to take medication that can have serious side effects. There are natural remedies for anxiety that work for many people although they might not work for everyone that suffers from anxiety.
Everyone that has anxiety should take a multivitamin daily because there are minerals and nutrients that people don’t get enough of in food that can contribute to anxiety and depression. Some people get relief taking magnesium for anxiety if they don’t get the right amount of magnesium in their daily diet. There are also many foods that will help to calm stress & anxiety.
Foods That Help Calm Stress & Anxiety Naturally
Nuts, Fruits & Vegetables
Eating certain foods and drinking certain herbal teas can help you manage both chronic and acute anxiety that is caused by the stresses of everyday life. Superfoods, which are foods that are very rich in vitamins and minerals, should be eaten daily to calm stress & anxiety that is due to nutritional deficiencies. Some of the most potent superfoods that you can eat include:
- Papaya
- Brazil nuts
- Spinach
- Seaweed
- Tomatoes
- Broccoli
- Chia seeds
- Walnuts
- Garlic
- Black Pepper
- Fish Oil
- Ginger
- Tart Cherry Juice
- Pineapple
You can easily work any of the foods on this list of superfoods into your daily diet by adding them to the dishes that you already like to cook or drinking a glass of Tart Cherry juice each day. Brazil nuts and walnuts mixed together are a fantastic snack that is full of protein and healthy minerals that will help you focus and reduce anxiety at the same time.
Herbal Teas
Drinking an herbal tea is a fantastic way to lower stress and anxiety. There are many delicious herbal teas that can have a positive and calming effect. Herbal teas can be used to help you stay calm during a panic attack, or during a particularly stressful time of the day. Many people create a ritual of making their favorite herbal tea as a way to help them relax at the end of the day. But you can also keep some herbal tea packets with you in a bag or a pocket so that you can make tea anytime you need help fighting off panic or anxiety. The best herbal teas to drink to promote calmness and relaxation are:
- Peppermint
- Chamomile
- Lavender
- Valerian Root
- Elderflower
- Lemon Balm
- Passion Flower
- Green
- White
- Kava
- Gotu Kola
- Echinacea
- Johns Wort
- Rose
- Holy Basil
- Tumeric
- Ginseng
- Ashwagandha
With so many options for herbal teas that calm stress & anxiety you will easily be able to find a few that you like more than others. You can add honey or maple syrup for sweetness but avoid using sugar because it can make stress and anxiety worse. Remember that herbal teas need to steep for at least 3-5 minutes in order to be as effective as possible.
CBD Oil
CBD oil has been in the news frequently lately as a possible natural treatment for depression, stress, and anxiety. Not a lot of well researched studies have been done on the effectiveness of CBD oil as a natural remedy for anxiety and depression, but anecdotal evidence that CBD oil can help reduce anxiety naturally is strong.
Millions of people that suffer from anxiety who have tried taking natural CBD oil have reported that their anxiety was greatly reduced or went away completely as a result of regular doses of CBD oil. More research needs to be done but it’s very possible that CBD oil is another natural remedy for anxiety that can help people who don’t want to take a potent drug that could have unpleasant side effects to help manage their anxiety.
Foods To Avoid
If you have anxiety there are also foods that you should avoid eating because they can cause anxiety and depression symptoms to flare up. Some of the foods that you should avoid if you have chronic anxiety include:
- Processed grains
- Processed sugar
- High fructose corn syrup
- Sugar substitutes
- Caffeine
- Energy drinks
- Gluten
- Salt
- Fried foods
- Processed cheese
- Fast Food
If you have anxiety you should stick to whole foods that are not processed and cooked from scratch. Fresh vegetables, some fruit, and whole grains like brown rice or quinoa are the best things for you to eat. When you’re stressed out and feeling anxious you might want to reach for a donut or a cheeseburger but those will only increase your anxiety.
Instead, have a cup of soothing herbal tea and take some deep breaths. When you change your diet to include superfoods and soothing herbals teas and get rid of processed foods and sugary foods you should notice that your anxiety level goes down.
)
