Top Foods to Avoid if You Have Anxiety

In times of stress, it can feel so natural to reach for the foods that bring us comfort. Bring on the chocolate, the ice cream, the bag of chips and maybe even a margarita. With every cookie, we’re hoping we can trick ourselves into relaxation mode and hopefully, soothe our nerves for the moment. Here’s the thing though -  if you’re finding yourself stressed often (and who isn’t these days!) you might be leaning on these comfort foods more often than you realize. And in doing so, you may actually be contributing to your anxiety through these inflammatory foods which can disrupt your sleep and even increase mood swings.

Top Foods to Avoid if You Have Anxiety

In TCM theory, when you’re feeling extra stressed and anxious, we can look to four different patterns that might be taking place in your body: yin deficiency, qi deficiency, stagnation and/or blood deficiency.

If you’re yin deficient, your anxiety shows up through night sweats, adrenal fatigue, constant worrying, a dull lower back pain and waking through the night.

Foods to avoid: sugar, caffeine, garlic, and spicy foods

Foods for nourishment: chia seeds, mung beans, spinach, cucumbers, zucchini, goji berries, chamomile tea

If you have a qi deficiency, you might have a general lack of energy, shortness of breath, chronic worried thoughts, anxiousness and digestion issues.

Foods to avoid: raw or cold foods like salads or uncooked veggies

Food for nourishment: easy to digest, cooked foods like soups, baked sweet potatoes, bone broths, and brown rice

If you’re feeling a lot of stagnation or phlegm in your body, you might be irritable, dizzy, have bouts of vertigo, be flushed, and have lots of gas.

Foods to avoid: Dairy, alcohol, and sugar

Foods for nourishment: green salads, seaweed, cucumbers, carrot juice, lots of greens, and mushrooms

If you’re blood deficient, you’ll find your nails and skin to be dry or brittle. You may be easily depressed, fatigued, and even have heart palpitations which are all signs that your body isn’t absorbing nutrients effectively.

Foods to avoid: any kind of junk snack food like chips

Foods for nourishment: Dates, beets, leafy greens, and red meat

If you have any questions on how you can decrease your anxiety naturally, schedule an online telehealth session with one of our master herbalists. We can create a customized plan that’s tailormade for your health needs.