Anxiety is very wide spread today because of our busy lifestyles, poor eating habits and exposure to chemicals and pollutants. I myself have struggled with anxiety and panic attacks for about 14 years. I have tried lots of different ways to cope or possibly cure my anxiety and thought I should share a few things that have worked for me.
One thing I learned is that the adrenal glands are very important in understanding anxiety. They are responsible for dealing with stress to the body in whatever form it takes. That means both mental and physical stress. In order to help your anxiety, you need to improve your adrenal health. Anxiety is almost always a sign of adrenal fatigue or overload.
The first thing you need to do is support your adrenal glands with the supplements below:
Vitamin C (2,000-4,000 mg/day) Vitamin E w/mixed tocopherols (800 IU/day) Vitamin B100 complex Pantothenic acid (1000-1500 mg/day) Magnesium citrate (800-1200 mg) Liquid trace minerals Adrenal Glandular
Two excellent herbs that will support your adrenal glands and give you immediate relief are ashwagandha and Siberian ginseng. Ashwagandha has been shown to have a sedating effect on the body and helps to rebuild the digestive and nervous system. I especially like using it to help me fall asleep when I'm feeling restless at bedtime. Siberian ginseng has been used traditionally to stimulate and nourish the adrenal glands and increase mental alertness.
I have also benefited from adding salt to my diet. First thing in the morning and before that time of day when you're the most tired, put 1/8 to 1/2 teaspoonful of sea salt or Celtic salt into an 8 oz. glass of water and drink. I know you've been told salt isn't good for you but if your adrenal glands are not functioning up to par you most likely have a sodium deficiency. Sea salt or Celtic salt are so much better for you than table salt and also supply up to 80 other minerals.
Adrenal fatigue can also cause low blood sugar or hypoglycemia, so eliminating all sugars from your diet will help tremendously. Instead of three meals a day eat five to six smaller meals or snacks throughout the day to keep your blood sugar balanced and you will feel better. Make sure these snacks are healthy foods with an equal ratio of fats, proteins and complex carbs.
You will do much better on a high protein diet along with healthy sources of saturated fats such as butter, coconut oil, and olive oil.
Eliminate or reduce the amount of coffee you drink as it stimulates the adrenals and can cause further stress. For the same reason also avoid chocolate.
If you find yourself in the middle of a panic attack, here are some tips to help you get through it.
First thing you need to do, believe it or not, is relax. Sit down or lay down immediately. Begin to breath in very slowly and then exhale very slowly. Tell yourself that everything is alright. I thought this sounded so simplistic the first time I heard it, but it works. If you respond to the panic attack you begin to fuel the attack and make it worse.
As most panic attacks are caused by a dive in blood sugar you should then drink a glass or two of diluted fruit juice (all fruit no sugar). This will quickly bring your blood sugar back up to normal and you'll feel a lot better. Eat something after the juice that has a combination of protein, fat and complex carbs. This will make sure that your blood sugar will not drop again right away.
I have found that supporting my adrenal glands with the above supplements, herbs and diet has stopped my panic attacks completely and has improved my anxiety greatly. I'm enjoying how calm I feel and I'm loving it.
