I have long been skeptical about the links between anxiety and what we eat. That said, I think there are some points which really need to be looked at. These mainly fall into the categories of Comfort eaters, people who eat to lift their mood and relieve anxiety, foods which make anxiety worse and actually cause anxiety, and foods which are beneficial.
Some people might use foods, normally simple sugary carbohydrates, to calm them down and lift their mood. This is common in people who have anxiety along with depression. Some argue that this kind of eating is a subconscious attempt to get back to the happiness of childhood where sugary foods came with happy occasions like parties. Whether this is true or not, this kind of eating to stave off anxiety has several negative aspects.
Spikes in blood sugar and therefore disturbed insulin levels can lead to symptoms such as dizziness, feeling distant, getting the shakes and more seriously be involved in hypoglycaemia and diabetes.
Eating lots of sugars, fats and simple carbohydrates plays havoc with digestion and can lead to IBS type symptoms, such as bloating, wind, diarrhoea, constipation and cramps.
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Both of the above can actually make anxiety worse as well as leading to other health concerns. Also, obesity is in itself a stressor and can lead to low self esteem, again a cause of anxiety.
For people who have this kind of anxiety and use food in this way, I heartily recommend a book called You Can Be Thin by Marisa Peer ( UK Amazon.co.uk
There may be some truth in the idea that foods high in Omega 3s are good for anxiety, as are natural sources of tryptophan. But I am not much of a believer in anti-anxiety diets as such, I think you can eat a balanced diet and most of what you want, but there is an important attitude change that most of us should follow.
When we come across food which we know is bad for us, or are tempted to eat more when in fact we have eaten enough, we need to think about control. Lots of anxiety sufferers hate not being in control, but lots of them are also controlled by food! People talk of the food crying out to be eaten, or hating to see waste. Some people have a kind of caveman instinct where they want to eat now in case they can’t eat later, or are worried someone else will steal the food. Either way, you have to instil the thought in your mind, you can eat when you want and you can also not eat when you want. There is plenty of time to eat cake in your life, not eating it now will not be that bad. Also, the pleasure you get from eating junk food is short and you nearly always regret it afterwards, so why bother? You can choose to let it go.
Why do all this? Because a healthy body really does help towards having a healthy mind.