Does eating healthy & exercising help with anxiety?

Hello everyone, Hopefully this in the correct section! I just posted my very first post to the "welcome" section as well as my story along with it. My anxiety was triggered about 2 weeks ago stronger than ever. Let me start off by mentioning that I was not taking very good care of myself. 4-5 hrs of sleep, lots of coffee, no breakfast, more coffee, then a huge lunch (Usually fast food with tea or soda). Over eating & then junk snacks in between. No exercise, always sitting. I'm also moving closer to family for a year while my boyfriend is moving to Colorado for his job. So... all of a sudden it all hits me! The "perfect" storm! I was a mess. Pains were happening that were getting me even more worried as well! So you mix a poor diet, separation anxiety, health anxiety, moving anxiety along with the extras I've always had, driving anxiety, social anxiety, agoraphobia. YIKES! I've not been myself for 2 weeks, BUT I do feel a lot better the past 2-3 days. I still feel super tired even after 8 hrs of sleep, since my mind still does wonder too often with the "what ifs?". What scared me the most was when I was just filled with adrenaline all the time, having to move around and just sitting there anxiously waiting for something bad to happen. That lasted for a good 3 days. I started walking 40mins a day, getting more sun, eating better, no more caffeine, junk food or fast food. My appetite is shot, so I've had to force my meals, but I know after I eat I'll feel better. I want to ask how everyone's diet looks if you all mind sharing? What is your everyday food regimen like? Do you drink coffee? Sodas? FAst food? Do you eat clean? Are you vegan, meat lover? and most importantly I want to know who all is taking any kind of supplements (without meds)? I read about magnesium deficiency triggering anxiety, and with my previous "diet" regimen I MUST have so many deficiencies! One of them for sure is Vitamin D. I had been avoiding the sun since it's so hot!! Now I step out for a bit in the morning or evening and just let it hit my face for a few mins or I'll water my plants and enjoy the fresh air. I've got to say, the same day I took the magnesium tablets I already had a sense of calm thought my body. Not 100%, but noticeably feeling better. Placebo affect? Who knows, but I think eating better, exercising and all that jazz work together as a team! Taking it one day at a time, even though it's so hard! I've always been impatient, and this is definitely a test for me! What is your experience if any?

I think it should help you in the long run.

It's actually quite sad that this question is posed like so, however given the reliance this day and age it does not surprise me. The answer is a resounding yes!

Supplementation with synthetic (unnaturally derived) vitamins and minerals are the lessor of two evils when it comes to supplying the body of deficient nutrients. When possible it is always best to obtain the body's nutrient needs direct from natural sources. The ultimate source is the sun -> Bio-photons. In this light PLANT FOODS rule the roost! Sadly our planet is riddled with poisons and extremely toxic, therefore supplementation is necessary for many people. From a economic point of view one could say "how appropriate"

Sigh ... I could go on forever on such a topic. "FOOD IS MEDICINE" is the best mind set to adopt if your serious about taking control of your health and well being. Whilst corporations have just about destroyed the worlds natural food chain/reproduction systems - there is still much we can do to minimize the damage. I personally do not select foods based on ethical reasons, although eating clean will do a lot of moral good. I've been eating plant based for quite some time and finally got myself off meat. It's not an easy transition and sees many people fail when adopting such a change based on shallow mind sets often spawn from weight loss and ethical ideals. It takes a LOT of research and trial and error when attempting to take such leaps.

In my experience - Whilst I adopted eating healthy, exercising, meditation, psychotherapy and various others methods to come off my heavy medications and stabilize my anxiety - I have to say changing my eating habits and learning what foods to eat, how much and when - contributed to 90% of my ability to drop close to 1/3 my body weight! Considering I was morbidly obese, this was a life saver for me. It was not a diet - it's been a hard core battle and now it's a life style I embrace. All my kids and extended family are always asking me and my wife for hints and tips. Sadly many of them don't like it when we tell them what is required. Give up the salts, sugar, sweets, savory, meats, packaged foods, sauces, and all things quick and easy. Prepare to spend hours shopping around, in the kitchen, preparing and home processing. Yadda Yadda. That's the long story delivered quick and no doubt it's overwhelming, however to start off, it need not be so dramatic. It all starts when you sick of having to deal with chronic pain and living in shit. That's when we few don't mind breaking the mold and start by dropping the sugar and salt. From there things get better and you then give up the butter and milk ... so on and so on. I really should journal just how it was the my wife and I made such a transition, as looking back, it was not so hard because we just did little bit by little bit.

Food wise - we started cutting things off one by one and now we "only" eat whole foods. The only supp I take is Vitman D3. On occasion, the worst take away we do is sushi and we don't consider that clean by a long shot. Generally we take our own food in an esky when we go long distance or a piece of fruit and home processed nuts. I soak and ferment some foods as well. We now only aim to eat till 80% full which is easier when eating a plant based diet. Small frequent feeds with nutritionally dense foods is key ... keeps the tummy from swelling up which in the past required more food to reach that full/comfort feeling. (eating till full stretches the tummy a little more each time we feed like so ... this requires eating more in order to fill next time around - this is a modern eating pattern that's killing us, and killing as quick! - sweets and savory are meant to keep us coming back there and then as well as later on.)

Learning Hydration is as vital as food. Soft water fruits with and shortly after some meals help to hydrate. Keeping hydration right with well timed and right amount of feeds helps with bowl transition times - Yep - that's right, bowel transition times ... another new one I am learning about! Again, plant based food diet rocks when it comes to health ... add to all this knowing what foods to heat and how much heat to apply over a certain amount of time is a tricky affair ... especially when you have to sift through all the ethical, and club like mentality that holds so many back. This is why I am more into the science of food. Above all - take the time to learn and experiment for one self. Not a problem once you discover just how powerful food is when it comes to taking it like medicine. Taste it secondary, although the more you live this way, the more you taste. Food synergy and learning to avoid various herbs and spices whilst seeking others out if very much for the fine tuning. As addicts, taste is something you do not want to base your diet on. That's a sure fire way to keep one from healing and or reaching their full potential - more so, lead to detoxification and backsliding into old habits. YET - there are those moments, that once you have worked out which healthy fats and how much ... that adding some freshly cut herbs here and there makes eating plants as blissful as any fat festering sugarized mouth foaming patrons.
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Exercise - Yea - I flogged myself with that to good effect early on and still often do. I need a minute to compose my thoughts on that ... time for a herbal tea with some virgin coconut oil ... BRB ;)

Exercise - I think that last post just about wore me out actually. :) - Just as with shallow diet techniques that seek a quick fix in as much as chemical solutions for lifestyle related problems (pop goes the beta blocker) - so too do many of today's exercise fads fail to keep the masses balanced. For many all it's about is MASS or Breast Implants and or a perfect looking Ass with killer abbs. Sigh - been there and done that too many times. Bit like a manic bi-polar high met with many lows to match. Simply put, this kind of working out does little for anxiety, except to possibly exacerbate it. Truth is - the subject can be a bit of a mess like that of dieting topics. Some will tell you running will age you while others claim to meditate like zens whilst out on a 10km run. It's all relative.

What I have eventually worked out, is that whilst the answer is 90% food, that the extra 10% is as vital. That extra bit is more about movement rather than stress. Although a healthy outlook on stress and an ability to embrace it is very much in order to attain success. Routine and consistency will also go a long way to developing a healthy mind state.

I'm going to link a good podcast that hits the nail on the head with regard to body movement and the benefits. It hits on cortisol and other hormonal levels - it touches on walking in a state of awareness and how that alone can help us right our boat.

The Walking Meditation to Relieve Stress and Lose Weight

I think I will end my night off writing some more on just that topic in my own thread.

I hope some of this helps - I know it's pretty much made life a lot more bearable. I've been learning to live this way for some time now.
Wishing you all the best. ;)

~Dave.

As an added bonus, exercise can increase your life expectancy. However, it would be a good idea to get checked out by a physician,
before you embark on an exercise program, especially if you are over 40.

Don't let some doctor stop you. LOL - Exercise not only extends your life, it makes it "almost" worth living. ;)

Thanks for the replies so far you all! I totally agree about the exercise, I just hope people will take a look at their lifestyle maybe how they eat and think..."hmm, maybe I should eat better, maybe I do need to get out there & move around more..." That was me, I procrastinated & it caught up to me. I'm in my 30's living like I'm still in my 20's as far as eating habits go. This forum helped me realize, (sadly) that I do need to take care of myself, that will and has been helping with my anxiety a lot! It's sad I had to be frightened for my life to start this new lifestyle, but hey, it had to happen somehow! Hello, wake up call! Yeah, it should have been common sense, but I'm not perfect.... I'll take it as a second chance. Sure, I'm not cured, but just a few days ago I was rocking myself back and forth in an anxious panic not knowing why.... I feel a lot better, but still a little funky. I definitely feel a difference after eating smarter. The exercise is a bonus, because that's where I get my Vita D! My walks on the trail leave me energized & stronger each time! I went cold turkey with the caffeine, so it's been a little wonky, but I am damn proud of myself thus far!I NEVER want to go back to that feeling ever again, and I'm trying my hardest to keep it natural. No Docs, no Prescribed Meds....

I agree it is best to keep it natural if possible. None of us are physicians on this board that I know of. We can really only give our personal opinions and experiences and are not qualified to give any
medical advice. In your 30's you are still young enough to correct any bad habits you may have had. Once you get into your 4th, 5th and 6th decade, it becomes more difficult. Many people don't got to the doctors because they are afraid or think they don't need one. Very poor judgment on their part, as you can feel great and still be sick.

The American College of Sports Medicine recommends that you see your physician before engaging in vigorous exercise if 2 or more of the following apply:

1-You are over 35
2-Family history of heart disease before age 60
3-You smoke or have quit smoking in the last 6 months
4-You don't normally exercise for at least 30 minutes, most days of the week
5-You are significantly overweight
6-You have high blood pressure or high cholesterol
7-You have type 1, type 2 or pre-diabetes