Anxiety diet is much like any other diet, you get out from it what you put in and you need to persevere to see results: less anxiety and a feeling of calmness and wellness. A diet that is good for anxiety is also a good depression diet; the two problems having related chemical/biological causes causes.
The important components of an anxiety diet:
Don’t over eat. Being bloated and full puts pressure on the diaphragm and lungs and makes breathing harder. Better to eat slowly and stop when you start to feel full. Also chew the food thoroughly – this is kinder to your stomach and allows you to get more nutrients.
Don’t under-eat. You need food and without regular eating your blood sugar will drop and this makes anxiety, panic and depression all the more likely.
Eat breakfast. Breakfast improves your mood and gets you off to a good start.
Don’t eat too much sugary food. Blood sugar rises are followed by blood sugar dips, which as I have already said lead to low mood and anxiety.
Don’t cut the Carbs! You need carbohydrates to fuel your body and promote Serotonin levels in your brain. Diets like the Atkins diet that rely heavily on protein are probably not going to make you feel better and may make you feel a whole lot worse.
Try to follow the normal healthy diet rules: fresh fruit and veg and less refined foods and bad fats! It is important to eat some fat though, good fats can be found in things like extra virgin olive oil and of course fish oil.
Eat fish regularly and supplement with a good quality Omega 3 oil. Read this post on why omega 3 is important for anxiety.