What type of anxiety do I have and how to better manage it?
First of all, you must recognize that your body is trying to tell you something. It is not uncommon to experience anxiety, rather, it is an opportunity to listen to your body, which is requiring some of your help and attention. Besides seeking counseling and help from a professional, there are some things you can do on a personal level to help you navigate these waters.
For starters, the key to addressing anxiety is identifying its source especially since this means that there is an imbalance in your body, and it is necessary to take action to find that balance. A great place to start is to identify why something may cause you anxiety:
1. You are not emotionally balanced: Research has shown that at times, anxiety mimics the feeling of hunger and fight or flight within our body. Feeling out of balance or out of tune with one’s body can translate to one not being able to tell the difference from hunger or anxiety. When faced with a problem, feeling bored at work, or lacking a defined emotional life without healthy patterns and mindfulness in place, you may eat more because of anxiety. Through food, one may unconsciously seek to fill the void of this need with chocolates or cookies instead of broccoli, and it’s seeking consolation through sweets.
2. There is not enough water: Keeping your body hydrated during the day will allow you to reduce this anxiety. Our body is mostly made up of liquids, and proper hydration keeps organs processing optimally and helps keep migraines away.
3. Your body always remembers the foods you like and the sensations that eating them brings you: If you enjoy eating an ice cream, dessert or brownie, you consume it, and it makes you feel good at the moment, for which you feel the need or desire to live that experience again. In searching for that sensation, it is easy to lose track of balance.
4. Lack of nutrients: If you are not nourishing your body with the necessary foods, with the amount of protein, fiber, good carbohydrates and healthy fats that you need according to your requirements, this will also bring you anxiety. Part of finding that balance within you is balancing the amount of macro and micro nutrients your body needs.
5. (For women): It has to do with the hormonal part, if you are menstruating, in stages of pregnancy, menopause or even under stress, it can give you anxiety. Now that we have defined some types of anxiety, it is important to identify which one is yours and according to your needs, we present some tips so that you learn to manage it in the best way. Something that can also help you is to meet the requirements of nutrients, proteins, healthy fats and healthy carbohydrates. Another tip is to eat breakfast with salty food (not sweet) that is high in protein and healthy fats to control anxiety throughout the day. Finally, include proteins in all the meals you eat, as well as healthy fats and unrefined carbohydrates, that is, those carbohydrates that come from the earth such as potatoes, yucca or bananas.
Though it may seem small, these are the changes that are under your control and that combined will make a difference in the health of your body, mind, and lifestyle. As always, Juicense is here for you along the way.
