Tips from Tracy on Anxiety

Check out these health tips from Traditional Naturopath Tracy Southwick, owner of Heights of Health, to manage stress and help you breeze through the holidays (or at least get through them feeling better…).

Avoid food that can make your body less able to cope with stress (you know, the ones we crave when we get stressed):

• Sugar (hints – eat some fruit instead, try just 1 square of dark chocolate, use stevia to sweeten goodies if you need something)

• Caffeine (hints – use organic decaf coffee, try wintery herbal teas, use other things to help increase energy like B-Vitamins and exercise)

• Alcohol (hints – avoid sugary cocktails, always eat some protein and good fat before you start to drink, and drink 2 glasses of water for every glass of wine/cocktail)

• Processed Foods that deplete your nutrients and stress your system (hints – shop the periphery of the grocery store and use real, whole-food ingredients, always have a healthy snack like raw nuts in your purse or car so you are not tempted to go for the junk food)

• Excitotoxins that destroy brain cells and cause anxiety (hints – MSG and Aspartame are the most common, but most processed foods contain excitotoxins. Read The Taste That Kills by Dr Russell Blaylock)

Do things that support the nervous system and overall health:

• Hydrate (hints – drink ½ your body weight in ounces of water daily, add citrus or cucumber slice for a change)

• Sleep (hints – great supplements to help you sleep are Passion Flower, Valerian Root and l-Theanine, keep them by your bed in case you wake up in the middle of the night)

• Exercise Regularly (hints – find a buddy and commit to meet for walking or a class, aim for at least 4 times per week)

• Breathe deeply (hints – breathe from the belly throughout the day to help calm the nervous system, try 4-7-8 Breathing)

• Move every 20 minutes, as long periods of being sedentary are very bad for your organs (hints – set a timer on your phone to remind you to stand up regularly, use the breaks to hydrate)

• Center yourself through prayer and/or meditation (hints – schedule a time every day to do this, first thing in the morning is often best)

• Give Thanks, as an Attitude of Gratitude can shift everything in your life and those around you (hints – make it a point to list 5-10 things you are grateful for each morning, no matter how small; tell people how much you appreciate them; go to sleep every night after you have chosen one of the many blessings each day for which you are most grateful)

#anxiety