Overcoming Agoraphobia Self Help

Can changing what you eat and how you eat make an impact on anxiety and panic attacks linked to agoraphobia? Is it possible that nutrition can help you overcome agoraphobia to live a fear free life? An agoraphobia diet sounds almost too good to be true if a few changes to what we eat can have such a massive effect on our mental health.

Agoraphobia Nutrition a Myth or Real?

All anxiety disorders such as agoraphobia are complex affair with many causes and many ways of dealing with the panic and fear. Diet and food are one things we all share though, so as a common thing between all agoraphobics this does allow us to say that nutrition across the board can help all people with this disorder.

That being said it would be impossible to say that dietary changes alone will be able to cure agoraphobia. This would be a gross exaggeration about nutrition for mental disorders … BUT this does not mean diet should be ignored. An agoraphobia diet and nutrition regime is NOT a myth, there are many ways you can adjust your diet to help you lessen your anxiety and panic attacks. In fact, a good diet is one of the essential frameworks for a healthier mind and will make all future agoraphobia treatments much more successful because of it. Diet and nutrition will help you fight agoraphobia which is great news!

What Nutrition & Dietary Changes are Involved in an Agoraphobia Diet?

The simplest way to start changing your eating habits to help cure agoraphobia is to make a list of good and bad food. Being able to plan your meals for the week knowing the types of foods you should be eating and those you should be avoiding makes it very easy to implement these changes. Understanding the background of why you should or should not be eating these foods is also very helpful. As such, here is a list of type of foods you should avoid and those you should get more of.

Food to Avoid:

Caffeine – Caffeine from coffee, cola, energy drinks and wherever else is not good for agoraphobics. Caffeine tends to put you on edge and increases your fight or flight mechanisms in the body. This tenseness and heightened state of nerves and senses make you more prone to anxiety and to panic attacks as well.

Too Much Sugar – Sugary drinks and foods are not good for your health overall, but they play a devastating role when it comes to your body and its blood sugar balance. Hits of too much sugar spike your blood sugar leading to a massive influx of insulin which is the hormone that takes this energy and puts it to use (or stores it as fat). This often leaves you crashed out with low blood sugar and so the brain thinks it is being starves. It then orders a release of adrenalin to raise the blood sugar level again. All this fluctuation will put you on edge with dire consequences.

Processed Foods – Too many of our foods are overly processed these days leading to eating stuff that is devoid of good nutritional value. Many minerals and vitamins we got form fresher foods are missing in these food products to our detriment. They aloe have a similar effect as the point above in that they are high on the Glycemic Index. This means the foods turn to blood sugar way too fast for the body to handle leading to the same ups and downs of insulin, adrenaline and bloody sugar.

White Bread – This is a pet peeve of mine. White bread is cheap, filling (for a moment but leaves you hungry later), and is seen as an easy meal. This bread is high GI like other processed foods and contains none of the fibre and roughage needed for the body to process ti well. You should eat less bread in general but white bread is exceptionally bad for anxiety and agoraphobia sufferers.

Alcohol – Booze might relax you at first, but longer term it actually puts you on edge. It also interferes with good sleep which is another issue for agoraphobics. Reduce or eliminate alcohol and you will find your moods more level.

Dairy Foods – Calcium from dairy foods is not a bad thing, but too much of it can be bad fro agoraphobia suffers. Calcium is an antagonist to magnesium which is a mineral that you need a lot of if you suffer from anxiety and panic. Magnesium helps relax muscles, regulate blood sugar levels (Sensing a theme yet?), regulate heart rhythm, and other functions too. Calcium inhibits magnesium so too much calcium interferes with a mineral that relaxes and calms you.

Foods to Get More of:

Water – It is amazing just how much good you can do for your body by the simple act of drinking more water. Even being slightly dehydrated can lead to mood problems. If you do not drink much water you will feel the results very quickly if you start drinking more.

Low GI Foods – As has been mentioned the Glycemic Index is very important in an agoraphobia diet. Foods that are low GI are converted to blood sugar in a more steady manner the body can candle. This keeps the blood sugar levels in check with no spikes or lows. Just a few good low GI foods include:

• Oats (a great breakfast!)
• Legumes (soy beans, lentils, chick peas etc)
• Most vegetables (pretty much any of them)
• Selected Fruits (Grapefruits, Cherries, plums, apples and more!)

Glycerine – This is a little known way to help prevent panic attacks from agoraphobia. This substance can help to reduce stress hormones quickly when ingested. Mix with some water and drink before you go into a situation where you might suffer from anxiety and panic and your body will help you cope better.

Alkaline Forming Foods – There is a school of thought that links poor physical and mental health to our modern diet, however modern means the last few thousands of years! While the last 50 years or so are the worst and have come to a head. An alkaline diet is an attempt to eat foods our ancestors would have eaten and our bodies evolved to get the most out of. Modern things such as bread, milk, cheese, all of our processed foods, and even too much meat add to the problem. This problem is that our bodies pH level has become a lot more acidic and this is bad news for our health and bodily functions. By eating alkaline forming foods (the opposite of acid forming foods) we can bring our body back into balance which helps regulate everything including moods and thoughts. More information on an Alkaline Diet Here.

Omega 3 Fatty Acids – More recent research has pointed to omega 3 fatty acids as being very helpful for mood regulation. The research was more linked to easing depression but other disorders such as anxiety and agoraphobia are also included. Good sources of these fatty acids are salmon, flax seed, and walnuts.

 

Click below for a complete guide to ending agoraphobia and panic attacks!