Tackling Anxiety With an Holistic Approach
I would guess that everyone knows at least one person in their life who struggles or has struggled with anxiety. It’s uncomfortable, exhausting and at times, debilitating.
Although medication can pretty much immediately take away these feelings of panic, they aren’t always the best solution long term. Trust me-I’ve tried them all so no judgement. And although I still experience these anxiety symptoms, I am much more confident in my ability to re-gain control in the moment after learning about my own body.
I want to offer some alternative solutions and tools that will help you tackle your anxiety symptoms without throwing your brain chemistry out of whack.
First things first- we have to understand that anxiety is a symptom!!!! Good news? There is always an underlying cause(s) for symptoms.
Common Root Causes of Anxiety:
The brain & Gut Connection
“Fire in the gut means fire in the brain.” Metaphorically, of course, this refers to inflammation in the gut matches inflammation in the brain. There are a lot of possible causes of inflammation but most commonly, it is the result of leaky gut, bacterial overgrowth or H. pylori. All of these create inflammation and cause our “happy hormones” in the brain to be compromised.
Here are some tips for reducing inflammation and re-creating a powerful brain-gut connection:
Breakup with the meds
If you are taking any medications like antibiotics, NSAIDS, Birth Control or PPI’s that you can live without, it’s worth it to see how you feel without them. ALWAYS talk with your doctor before discontinuing any medication.
Fermented Foods
This is a huge step in healing the microbiome, especially if you suspect any bacterial overgrowth. These are things like kimchi, sauerkraut, pickled veggies, etc.
Lab testing
Comprehensive Stool Analysis
H. pylori test
Lactulose breath test
Intestinal permeability
Food Sensitivity Test
Reduce Chronic Stress
Easier said than done…Chronic stress can actually mutate the makeup of the microbiome, which causes hormone disruption and inflammation follows.
2. Hormone Imbalance
Anytime there is something going on in the body that causes a fight or flight response, the adrenal glands take the first hit. This is a defense mechanism, your body is trying to keep you safe. One thing your body does in this defense mode is it shuts down fertility. You might say, well that’s good I don’t want to have a baby. THIS IS NOT A GOOD THING. This is another symptom of hormonal imbalance.
Here’s a brief overview of how your amazing body works each month. On the 3rd day of your period your brain tunes in the communication with your ovaries and tells them to get an egg ready for ovulation. Around day 14 you spike luteinizing hormone (and your body temperature), which then tells the ovaries to release an egg.
The corpus luteum is left behind after the egg is released and is responsible for secreting progesterone for about 2 weeks following ovulation—regardless if the egg is fertilized or not.
When Progesterone is at an optimal level, we release the nice calm and lovey feelings. It does this by stimulating GABA receptors, which overrides the neuroexcitatory or “panic” neurotransmitters (reducing inflammation). If this cycle does not happen, no progesterone is released and no happy hormones are had. On top of that, there could be some estrogen dominance going on that just tangles the web even more.
Okay. That was a little lengthy but hang with me. Here are some tips to get those good hormones flowin’ and decrease anxiety.
Exercise
What do you do when you’re anxious? I know I tap my feet or ring my hands or just want to jump out of my skin. YOUR BODY WANTS TO MOVE. Go on a run, lift some weight, do some yoga. What else happens when you exercise? Happy hormones!!! Move your body!
Consider Dumping the Pill
Depression and anxiety are the number one reasons that women get off of the pill. Why? The birth control mimics progesterone and the body stops producing it. Talk to your doctor before stopping birth control and do your research. Find out more about how to safely and effectively take care of your body on or off of the pill.
Quit Caffeine
Sigh…this has been the hardest one for me. This is a hard transition but try a cup of green tea, which contains L-theanine. L-theanine is a calming neurotransmitter. Caffeine stimulates the adrenals and gives the harsh “crash” that we experience a few hours after that cup of fully-leaded coffee.
3. Nutrient Deficiencies
It’s hard not to be nutrient-deficient in our world today. Most vegetables are not grown with quality soil, our water is contaminated and it can be extremely hard to find natural, nutrient-dense foods in the grocery store.
Things like birth control (there it is again), restrictive diets or acid blocking medications can cause nutrient deficiencies as well.
Common deficiencies include B12, copper, zince, omega-3 fatty acids, magnesium and vitamin D. These also happen to be some of the most important vitamins and minerals for optimal function (especially in women). In addition, if you have issues with protein absorption, then your body is deficient in the amino acids it needs to make neurotransmitters (this can be a direct cause of anxiety).
Here are some tips for solving nutrient deficiencies:
Blood Work
(Most physicians will not run these unless you specifically ask)
Vitamin D
Magnesium
B12
Folate
Homocysteine
Ferritin
Food Intolerance
If you have always veered away from a specific food, you could be deficient in some of the nutrients in provides. Play with different foods and pay attention (and log) how they make you feel (more energy, less anxious, etc.). Also, pay special attention to protein intake, you may be getting less than you think.
Healing anxiety is a life-long journey and should be tackled on an individual basis. There is no one answer but hopefully you can find the answers that work for you.