Anxiety, Stress, Depression & Your Diet
Anxiety, depression, and stress are becoming an increasingly talked about topic, which on one hand is improving public awareness and hopefully reducing the taboo status, but on the other hand waiting lists for counselling are lengthening and there appears to be a lack of help and advice. I have met many people that are suffering, and they describe feeling as though they are in a mine field with limited and confusing information. It is as a result of these experiences that I began to look at the possible self-help processes, and got involved supporting the State of Mind movement. Nothing I am writing about in this article is in anyway suggesting that you negate the advice or medication supplied by your specialist, and consulting a counsellor or specialist medic is part of the essential treatment. However, there is a substantial amount you can do yourself, either alongside or as an alternative to taking medications. If you are trying to manage things holistically, natural supplementation and dietary changes can be fantastically effective.
In our modern society, anxiety and stress are indicated in many disease processes and negative clinical states. As a short term status they are reasonably manageable, long term however, they can lead to the body developing secondary conditions. Symptoms of stress and anxiety can include palpitations, sweating, shortness of breath, hyperventilation, dizziness, feelings of fear and worry. If you are experiencing one or more of these symptoms you could be suffering with stress or anxiety. You should monitor yourself, and where possible enlist the help of a close friend or family to alert you to changes in behaviour or symptoms that you may not have noticed yourself. If the symptoms worsen or persist you should seek the help of a specialist.
Depression is something extremely difficult to understand especially if you have never experienced it. It is sometimes viewed as a state you should just be able to snap out of, there is significant clinical evidence to show that there is a biochemical element as well as the psychological. Environmental, circumstantial, emotional, physical and biochemical changes could all be solely responsible, or contributory in the development of a depressive state. As with stress and anxiety it is paramount to maintain steady blood sugar levels. Combining protein with complex carbohydrate is an excellent way to do this. The body digests the two food types in differing acidic environments and uses differing enzymes within the Gastro-intestinal tract to perform the processing. The digestive system copes better and can perform more efficiently when they are consumed separately allowing the body time to break each one down, this is of greater significance if the digestive system is being impaired by a medical condition. For example you could eat nuts and seeds as a mid-morning snack (protein), with sweet potato or quinoa salad for lunch, then salmon fillet or chicken as a snack, and chickpea curry for tea. Vitamin B increases the production of neurotransmitters in the brain which aids the transportation of signals. Eating wild black rice, quinoa, mushrooms, asparagus and eggs helps with this as they are leading sources of vitamin B.
Thai Black Rice Risotto (as seen in Feed Your Mind, Medicinal Kitchen)
For it you will need a salmon fillet, long stem broccoli, a fresh red chilli and a cup measure of Thai black rice.
Method – boil a saucepan of water on the hob. Add the cup of rice and bring back to the boil. Once you reach this point reduce the heat and leave to simmer until cooked. Remember that this type of rice will maintain a crunchier texture, so don’t confuse this with it being under cooked. 10-15mins of simmering should be adequate.
I steam the salmon fillet separately and once cooked flake or break into chunks.
Steam the long stem broccoli with the thinly sliced red chilli and leave on the side until you need it.
Once the rice is cooked. Carefully drain off the water and rinse with boiled kettle water.
You can just place the rice in a bowl and toss with the salmon, broccoli and chilli, but I find it tastes amazing if you melt 2 tsps of coconut oil in a wok and add all your ingredients and stir them all together. I add a tsp of teriyaki too with a diced clove of garlic.
Dr Emma Kirke C.Ostm Distn Clinical Nutritionist
Visit www.medicinalkitchen.co.uk to find out more...
In our modern society, anxiety and stress are indicated in many disease processes and negative clinical states. As a short term status they are reasonably manageable, long term however, they can lead to the body developing secondary conditions. Symptoms of stress and anxiety can include palpitations, sweating, shortness of breath, hyperventilation, dizziness, feelings of fear and worry. If you are experiencing one or more of these symptoms you could be suffering with stress or anxiety. You should monitor yourself, and where possible enlist the help of a close friend or family to alert you to changes in behaviour or symptoms that you may not have noticed yourself. If the symptoms worsen or persist you should seek the help of a specialist.
Depression is something extremely difficult to understand especially if you have never experienced it. It is sometimes viewed as a state you should just be able to snap out of, there is significant clinical evidence to show that there is a biochemical element as well as the psychological. Environmental, circumstantial, emotional, physical and biochemical changes could all be solely responsible, or contributory in the development of a depressive state. As with stress and anxiety it is paramount to maintain steady blood sugar levels. Combining protein with complex carbohydrate is an excellent way to do this. The body digests the two food types in differing acidic environments and uses differing enzymes within the Gastro-intestinal tract to perform the processing. The digestive system copes better and can perform more efficiently when they are consumed separately allowing the body time to break each one down, this is of greater significance if the digestive system is being impaired by a medical condition. For example you could eat nuts and seeds as a mid-morning snack (protein), with sweet potato or quinoa salad for lunch, then salmon fillet or chicken as a snack, and chickpea curry for tea. Vitamin B increases the production of neurotransmitters in the brain which aids the transportation of signals. Eating wild black rice, quinoa, mushrooms, asparagus and eggs helps with this as they are leading sources of vitamin B.
Thai Black Rice Risotto (as seen in Feed Your Mind, Medicinal Kitchen)
For it you will need a salmon fillet, long stem broccoli, a fresh red chilli and a cup measure of Thai black rice.
Method – boil a saucepan of water on the hob. Add the cup of rice and bring back to the boil. Once you reach this point reduce the heat and leave to simmer until cooked. Remember that this type of rice will maintain a crunchier texture, so don’t confuse this with it being under cooked. 10-15mins of simmering should be adequate.
I steam the salmon fillet separately and once cooked flake or break into chunks.
Steam the long stem broccoli with the thinly sliced red chilli and leave on the side until you need it.
Once the rice is cooked. Carefully drain off the water and rinse with boiled kettle water.
You can just place the rice in a bowl and toss with the salmon, broccoli and chilli, but I find it tastes amazing if you melt 2 tsps of coconut oil in a wok and add all your ingredients and stir them all together. I add a tsp of teriyaki too with a diced clove of garlic.
Dr Emma Kirke C.Ostm Distn Clinical Nutritionist
Visit www.medicinalkitchen.co.uk to find out more...
