Nutritional Anxiety Help
 

Like a lot of us, my moods have never been better than when I'm low carbing. And that's never been more needed than right now.

Now, doing very low carb and using supplements, my longstanding anxiety issues are about as good as they can be. Under the -- you know -- circumstances. So I wanted to share what helps me. Since medication never did.

First and foremost, my niacin regimen, based on the work of Dr. Abram Hoffer, of Canada. He got many Canadian POWs, who survived Japanese camps during WWII, back into their lives.

His theory was that this vitamin, which is really an amino acid, is particularly good at helping the brain work again after extreme levels of stress. I did a thread if you are interested.

I'm doing Niacin Therapy

My doctor also gave me Xanax for panic attacks. Well, it kind of works: by making my feelings go dead. For a little while. And there's all kinds of warnings about it, which only increased my anxiety!

So I dropped that and came up with a L-theanine/GABA combo which works so much better. It relieves the anxiety and then I am my usual self. This is also cheap and non-dangerous, especially by comparison.

For me, starting the day with a hot beverage with coconut oil melted in it has turned out to be another good mood strategy. Anxiety, at least in my case, is a feedback from "brain upset." I know that despite being a devoted low carber, I was still eating things that were creating inflammation in my body, and brain. Coconut oil is a Medium Chain Triglyceride, which is especially soothing to the brain as an easy source of energy, and has all the good fats it needs for repair.

I've been supporting my immune system with D3/K2, which helps relieve my worry about fighting anything off without complications. Last year's strict keto elimination diet has put me in the best shape of my adult life for both weight loss and inflammation.

All of this helps me cope with the uncertainty which surrounds us. My own strategies were created for my unique challenges, so they might not work for you. But I can say for certain: something out there will.

For more help, this website has been invaluable in helping me understand the connections between our health and moods:

The Mood Cure

Since she's so good at connecting the emotions with the neurotransmitters involved.

Under stress, my body needs more of these vital brain chemicals. By eating plenty of good protein sources I supply the raw materials my brain needs. By eliminating common plant toxins like lectins, oxalates, and even fiber, I support my "second brain," the immune system, in my digestive organs.

Like so many of us, I'm facing an uncertain future. Yet, I can't believe how cheerful I'm being during it! It has to be the healthy body/healthy brain combo I have going for me now.

Good information!!

I'll have a cup of coffee with a spoonful of coconut oil (MCT) and about a spoon of cocoa powder in the morning. Then I'll lift weights. In about an hour I'll lift 150 to 200x my bodyweight in the basic compound lifts. Bench, squat, deadlift, overhead press, some sort of row. I have no anxiety after a workout like that.

You have it running away screaming! Excellent idea :)

I like that mental picture. :)

No way this elderly lady could keep up with Paul, but exercise really does help. I've gotten back into my pt exercises for my knees as well as walking a mile each day. Yesterday I went 2 miles, but I don't think I'm ready for that as a daily thing! But I do feel better - less anxiety & more peace. Sleeping better, too.

We had fallen into the bad habit of watching a movie - sometimes 2 - every day. I'm backing off of that & doing more productive things. The only good thing about that is we're getting rid of our old VHS stash. Once all the movies are watched & given away, the tv will be given away. Bing, Bob, & Dottie are still funny in the Road movies. :D

OMG, watching a movie WOULD be heightened productivity for me! Take it easy on yourself. I would love to get rid of the TV.

My first week of quarantine was work at home, but then I got furloughed. Since then, I thought I would be a blizzard of productivity. I was wrong.

By removing the constant demands to be alert and have enough energy to drive and do my work, it's like an engine has been shut off. I don't even want to watch movies half the time: I have several hours a day when I work on my blog and second book, but after that, I can only read and listen to music.

If it's a healing thing, I'll take it.

My husband & I thought the same, that we'd be getting a lot done. Hasn't happened. We're getting some things done, but nowhere near expectations. Since he's a part-time teacher, there's probably no school til next year. My job will hopefully be back at the end of the month.

This is helping me be grateful for having a job - part-time tho it may be. It really does help organize my time & energy. Too often we're now asking each other - what day is today?

Try creating a to do list....its motivating.

I'll also toss Magnesium into the ring as a calming agent. As a pill, or a bath (epsoms salts).

Im finding my usual shows too violent and unappealing. Like the pace of Scooby-do....but really prefer Murder She Wrote and similar. ....where the characters are , well, more caring.

My kids ask this, too!!
They now have tons of school work and must have it completed by a specified date now, so they are back to tracking dates.

We don't watch regular tv - no reception out here - but I've had to balance out the very serious movies with the more light-hearted ones. This week, it being Easter, we watched The Mission & Romero - but several days apart. I couldn't have handled them emotionally too close together. We have Sayonara on the list, but I have to plan for it - it always makes me cry. But it's a lovely movie.

I wish I could plan my eating as well as my movie watching. I'm getting a bit off plan. But on the whole, I'm doing OK - not too many carbs, but too much snacking, which I normally don't do.

Yes, the stress right now is real, and it shows in our eating. Snacking is a normal reaction.

I feel a continual "pressure"...... and when I realize it, do relaxation breathing to destress.... for a little while.

Magnesium is really being wonderful to me.

True! I handle it with probiotic teas. Great for digestion, and when sipped slowly, low sugar. The trace of naturally occurring alcohol has a relaxing effect, since I am at very low tolerance there, and it has become my "cheap wine." There's a whole variety of different brands and flavors, here's a favorite company:

https://www.kevita.com/

Probiotic teas ????? Where have I been !!

Sipping green tea and Earl Grey now. My latest go to.

Green tea contains L-theanine! Good choice :)

Interesting. Back in my 30s I began to suffer from severe panic attacks for mostly unknown reasons. My doctor did eventually give me a prescription of 60 Xanax pills. My main symptom when I had these attacks was severe "air hunger", feeling unable to get a full breath. When I first got the pills I had to take one every day to be able to breathe, but after a little over a week I was able to cut back to 2-3 times a week, and then to once a week. After a while I only got an attack 1-2 times a month. So at that rate it took me over 3 years to use up all 60 pills and by then I was no longer having the attacks. Xanax never made me feel dead, just normal.

And was fine for many years until August of 2018 when I had a major house fire and my son died, both on the same day. I began getting panic attacks again, same "air hunger" symptoms. A friend and my sister each gave me 2-3 Xanax tablets from their own stash and I found I could get by with a half tablet, even a 1/4 tablet helped. My breathing eased. But of course those 4-5 tablets didn't last long, and I finally went to my doctor and begged for more. I had read that Xanax was not the best for senior citizens but I was desperate as it was the only thing that had ever worked.

I had tried all sorts of "natural" remedies and even the placebo affect of me being so sure they would help me didn't help me a bit. My doctor finally agreed to give me 30 Xanax tablets but said no more after that.

I didn't need them often and still have about 20 left, but I've been totally stressing over this whole Covid-19 business and once again suffering from air hunger on a fairly regular basic. I've broken into my stash of Xanax, trying to limit it to a 1/4 tablet, but often needing half. But knowing that even at this rate I'll use up my stash long before the Covid-19 crisis is over, so that worry has had me stressing even more!

So I'm absolutely willing to try out L-theanine/GABA since that's nothing I've tried before in my "natural remedy" treatments. The reviews all sound so promised on amazon. However I'm probably tried 100 things on amazon that have amazing reviews that have done squat for me. But these are cheap so I'm willing to give them a try. I'm taking about 20 different supplements every day as is (vitamin D3, K2, C, multivitamin my doctor wants me to take, melatonin, zinc, magnesium, elderberry, apple cider vinegar, garlic, a probiotic - well that's what I can think of off the top of my head). What's adding a couple more into the mix> :D

If I might suggest a breathing technique . It works every time as it plays on the nerve system.

Breath in thru nose and think "I am..... " , then exhale thru mouth slllllooooowwwwwly and think " peace..... "

Always works for me. Taught my boys for test taking and other stressful high school crap. lol

Panic attacks are real.

Yes, I'm the same way :) I haven't kept a list, but in my journal I bet there are likely 40-50 things I tried that didn't work, from supplements to sleep strategies.

Even now, I have pared down my essential supplements over years of trying stuff out. I am on furlough from a job in tourism, so the financial future is very uncertain.

I am currently:

• 50k D3/daily K2 for immune system
• 3 daily RAW thyroid from organ meats
• twice daily PEA supplement for central nervous system repair
• L-theanine-GABA as needed
• pregnenolone and chelated magnesium during the week

which just might be the smallest in years.

Watching The Karate Kid 2, even Mr. Miagi uses this breathing technique !!!

Interesting, that's pretty much the way I do my deep breathing, a good inhale through the nose and a much slower exhale through the mouth. But I have tried SAYING anything in my head as I do it. Certainly worth trying!

The Netflix series "Ozark" is pretty good. If you liked Breaking Bad, you'll like this. I lift weights in the morning, watch Ozark in the evening. In between I'm managing my 23 rental properties. Went from 73 tenants to about 12 in about a week.

Thanks, Paul. I did like Breaking Bad.