It is heartbreaking to watch young adults and children suffer with anxiety. As a society we often think of anxiety being caused by stressful events of life. However, anxiety is usually an imbalance within the INTERNAL environment of the body, versus the EXTERNAL factors surrounding them. During this particularly stressful time when everyone is worried about something, we are seeing a spike of anxiety cases in our young patients at the office. Here are my tips:
1) Clean up the Diet
Anxiety manifests easily when the body is under chemical stress. This means what we eat has a huge implication in how we feel. Some foods feed the brain and some foods stress and inflame the brain! What most people don't know, is that our 'feel good' hormones like serotonin and dopamine are made in the gut and are sent to the brain. So if your gut is happy, you'll feel more happy! To make your gut happy there are some tricks and tips:
- Adopt a high fat, low carb, minimal sugar diet
A good diet for this would be the Ketogenic diet. This diet is great for anxiety because it equalizes the extreme highs and lows in blood sugar. The more unbalanced the blood sugar is over time, the more oxidative stress it puts on each cell of the body. Not only that, it stresses the pancreas because it's working overtime making enough insulin to control blood sugar levels. The best part is that the brain loves using ketones for fuel! Ketones are a product the body makes when glucose (sugar) is not abundant. It's a cleaner fuel for the brain and it lasts longer than glucose. Which means no crash feeling!
2) Increase Polyphenols and Probiotics
Polyphenols are micronutrients that we get through certain plant-based foods. They’re packed with antioxidants and other potential health benefits. New research has hypothesized that polyphenol compounds may promote beneficial gut bacteria, while inhibiting invasive species like E.coli and Salmonella. This means it builds up your good microbiome while fighting off dangerous bacteria. The presence of these compounds promote beneficial actions of probiotics...We can't talk about anxiety and the gut without talking about the importance of probiotics! These helpful bacteria play a huge part in our hormone balance, and therefore, how we experience anxiety.
Balance your gut bacteria = Balance in your brain
3) Get Adjusted
My absolute favorite benefit of chiropractic adjustments is how it balances brain function. This is the most powerful tool to combat anxiety. Most people who are plagued by anxiety are stuck in a state of "fight or flight", which is a state of heightened awareness. This is a good place to be if you need to survive something (like a bear chasing you in the woods). However, for everyday life, this amount of awareness can be taxing and stressful on the brain. Imagine if your brain always thought a bear was going to jump out at any minute. I have anxiety just thinking about it! When chiropractors adjust the nervous system, it slows down your "fight or flight" response and increases your "rest and digest" part of the nervous system. This allows your brain to relax and focus on other things like digestion, sleep, and healing.
Overall, anxiety is a common symptom but it is NOT normal. Don't let yourself be plagued by anxiety. Go see a chiropractor. At Thrive Family Chiropractic, our doctors have a lot of experience helping both children and adults with anxiety. Go see one today!
https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC6160559/
anxiety chiropractic, causes of anxiety
Monday 2:00pm - 5:00pm
Tuesday 8:00am - 11:00am & 2:00pm - 5:00pm
Wednesday 2:00pm - 6:30pm
Thursday 8:00am - 11:00am & 2:00pm - 5:00pm
Friday, Saturday, Sunday CLOSED
Serving the communities of Huntington Beach, Seal Beach, Westminster, Fountain Valley, Costa Mesa, Irvine, Newport Beach, Garden Grove, Santa Ana
Thrive Family Chiropractic
18141 Beach Blvd Ste 150, Huntington Beach, California 92648