(1) Caffeine
Found in COFFEE, TEAS, SODAS such as colas, root beers, and
other flavors. Best to check labels! Also, caffeine is found in dark
CHOCOLATE, so best to cut back on that also. Remember to go off of
caffeine slowly to avoid withdrawal. You will be pleasantly surprised at the tremendous
difference you will feel when you eliminate caffeine from your body.
The effects of caffeine are as follows:
Anxiety
Nervousness
Insomnia
Irritability
Racing Heart
Irregular Heartbeats
Caffeine Aggravates the following:
Gastritis
Insomnia
Menopause Symptoms
Hypertension
Suggestions: Try slowly mixing decaffeinated products with your caffeinated ones.
Remove a little more each time, until you've eliminated all the caffeine. Many decaf
brands are quite tasty, and there are many herbal products that can be fun to
experiment with too. The results of less caffeine can be so profound, and will help you
move past this condition in a speedier fashion!
(2) Sugar
Stimulant in itself. When feeling sensitized it's best to cut
way back on your sugar intake. You'll find you move forward and past
anxiety much faster when you don't exacerbate the situation with too much
sugar intake. Sugary foods can give you a temporary high but a quick
crash follows.
Too Much Sugar Intake causes:
Nervous Tension
Irritability
Anxiety
Jittery Feeling
Other Negative Effects of Sugar
Tooth Decay
Gum Disease
Depletion of B complex vitamins
Rise of Candida in system
Suggestions: Try getting back to nature and see how delicious fruits can be. They're
sweet and delicious. After a while you will notice that foods even lightly sugared taste
overly sweet when you've been without it for a while. Sugar masks the taste of foods
and you may be pleasantly surprised to experience how naturally good your food tastes
without the veil of sugar.
(3) Alcohol
Alcoholic beverages are not a cure for anxiety disorders and
some people have been known to self-medicate with a drink. In the long run the
effects of alcohol have been proven to be more detrimental than
helpful with this condition.
Negative Effects of Alcohol with Anxiety Conditions:
Excessive use of Alcohol does increase anxiety.
Adds to hypoglycemic symptoms
Dehydrating effect, dumping vitamins and nutrients in the process.
Alcohol has been known to intensify anxiety symptoms for many people.
Irritant to liver
Irritant to digestive tract
Candida overgrowth
Yeast in alcohol effects and exacerbates allergies.
Suggestions: Non alcoholic drinks such as club sodas, mineral waters with lemon/lime,
flavored seltzers, and there are non-alcoholic beers and wines.