Anxiety can control your life if you don't know how to fight it. Even if you take prescription medication or talk with a therapist, it may still flare up every so often. Battling anxiety attacks and nervous thoughts is exhausting. But changing your diet may be what finally puts your mind at ease.
This won’t include scheduling doctors, therapists, or psychiatrists appointments, instead you can simply head on over to the kitchen or your local grocery store and pick up a few nutritious products.
Fortunately for you, these vegetables can be made into many different snacks or meals to make them tasty and delicious. Fighting anxiety doesn’t have to be hard, nor does it have to taste bland.
These eight vegetables could help calm your anxiety if you eat them regularly. You'll improve your diet, feel better and strengthen your mental health all by trying a few new recipes.
THESE 8 VEGETABLES COULD HELP CALM YOUR ANXIETY
1. EMBRACE MORE KALE
Many people deal with anxiety disorders, but researchers still don't know much about them. As scientists study anxiety in recent years, they have found a surprising effect instead of the cause.
Researchers note that anxiety patients often deal with lowered antioxidant defenses, which leads to higher oxidative stress. You can boost your antioxidant levels by eating more kale. Leafy greens contain many nutrients that improve your health, but kale has exceptionally high levels of antioxidants that fight stress on a cellular level.
2. TRY ASPARAGUS RECIPES
Anxiety often causes shortness of breath and heart palpitations. These symptoms are also related to vitamin B deficiency, but you can fix that by eating more asparagus. It's high in vitamin B, so it strengthens your brain. When you get the minerals you need, you will fight anxiety more effectively.
3. EAT BEETS OFTEN
Blood pressure rises as your anxiety levels increase. It results in lightheadedness and dizziness, among other symptoms. Beets reduce blood pressure and are one of the best vegetables to eat when you feel your blood pressure increase.
Beets contain a high level of nitrates that relaxes blood vessels to promote the flow of oxygen to your brain. One study found that 20% of participants improved their blood vessel dilation capacity after eating beets for two weeks. Eat them whole or juice beets to experience this health benefit for yourself.
4. POWER-UP WITH SPINACH
An inflamed nervous system is one of the many ways anxiety presents itself. Vitamin K, which is found in spinach, immediately soothes the nervous system. Add spinach to your salads or skillet meals to calm yourself with this powerful mineral.
5. STEAM SOME BROCCOLI
You can also get vitamin K in broccoli, whether you buy a raw stalk or a frozen bag of florets. Broccoli is another hearty green vegetable that reduces inflammation and anxiety symptoms.
Are you haunted by the memory of stale broccoli from your childhood? Don't forget that there are many ways to prepare this veggie. Consider how you like to cook and find tried-and-true broccoli recipes that will change how you feel about eating it.
6. GO CRAZY WITH CABBAGE
Broccoli isn't everyone's best friend, but don't worry about forcing yourself to eat something you don't like. Like broccoli, cabbage is also a natural source of vitamin K. Cabbage also contains folic acid, vitamin c, and b vitamins that help to ease your anxiety and help to make serotonin which can calm your brain. There are many different and delicious recipes to try, like shredded Brussels sprout salad, white cabbage coleslaw, or sauerkraut, a fermented food that makes a homemade probiotic for promoting gut health.
7. CUT UP SOME CARROTS
Neurotransmitters like serotonin and norepinephrine play a direct role in anxiety because they alter your mental state if they're out of balance. Anxiety medications try to rebalance these essential chemicals, but you can assist them by snacking on carrots.
Carrots are high in vitamin B6, which helps neurotransmitters function by strengthening your entire nervous system. Chop up a few carrots for salads or add them to stews. If you choose to boil them, be aware that they may lose 5-20% of their water-soluble vitamins.
8. SAVOR YOUR SWEET POTATOES
If you can't get enough sweet potatoes in your diet, you're in luck. They're another veggie high in vitamin B. Every time you top them with sauces or add them to your homemade baked potato bar, you're actively fighting the nervous system damage caused by some cases of anxiety.
Want another reason to eat more sweet potatoes? When broken down during digestion, they reduce glutathione peroxidase activity that typically decreases hydrogen peroxide production. Your brain needs hydrogen peroxide for most biological functions because it fuels the mitochondria that energize cells. Without sweet potatoes, your mind weakens and can't fight anxiety symptoms.
TRY SOMETHING NEW
These eight vegetables could help calm your anxiety, so don't be afraid to try something you haven't eaten before. Enjoy a roasted beet salad or steamed broccoli with Parmesan cheese. It's another way to battle your anxiety without increasing prescription dosages. You'll gain more power over your mental health and find new ways to thrive.
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