If you have a sensitivity to a particular type of food, eating it can increase your likelihood of having a panic attack. There are a few types of foods that can trigger an attack but in particular there are three chief ones that can affect your ability to keep that panic in check.
The top three anxiety producing foods are sugar, alcohol and caffeine. These three don’t cause the panic attack, but they can increase your general state of anxiety which can compound the problem.
1- Sugar Many people today use sugar as their emergency pick me up food. This creates a huge wave of mood changes as you move from a low sugar state to a high one and then come crashing back down again. The craving for sugary foods or high carbs such as doughnuts and cakes often indicates a sugar addiction problem. Eating sugar can cause lactic acid to build up in your bloodstream. High levels of this can bring on a panicky state of mind. Sugary food needs insulin to counteract it in the bloodstream. The body releases large amounts of insulin that reduces the amount of sugar in your blood. This can cause an agitated state of mind and your mood can swing as the sugar rises and falls. If you have a tendency to suffer form panic attacks, it is a good idea to go on a low GI or low sugar diet. As refined carbohydrates also convert to sugar fast it is best to stick to natural foods with plenty of whole grains, vegetables and good protein.
2- Alcohol Alcohol is both a stimulant and an exaggerant. Whatever your state of mind, alcohol will help you get there bigger and faster. Drinking alcohol also increases the lactic acid in your body, and causes your blood sugar levels to exaggerate. It also prevents you from being able to make reasoned decisions or see things calmly and dispassionately.
3- Caffeine Caffeine may make you feel like you are getting started in the morning, but it can be wrecking havoc with your ability to handle stress and your levels of panicky feelings. Caffeine can block the protein adenosine which regulates the firing of neurons in the brain. This protein is the one that causes you to feel drowsy. Caffeine affects its ability to kick start the process, increasing the firing of the neurons. This makes your body produce adrenaline because your body thinks an emergency is close by. The adrenaline increase can cause your heart rate to increase, and increases your body’s state of emergency. This can be enough to make you feel anxious. Caffeine also increases the lactic acid build up in your body. If you think you are drinking too much caffeine form both coffee and from carbonated caffeine drinks such as energy drinks and cola, then slowly reduce the amount you are drinking to remove the problem. Watch your caffeine intake from all sorts of sources- green tea, which has good health benefits, also has a high amount of caffeine.
Next:
9- Free Yourself from Panic Attacks Will I Need Medication?
Before:
1- Free Yourself from Panic Attacks
2- Free Yourself from Panic Attacks: What Are the Physical Signs?
3- Free Yourself from Panic Attacks: What Are the Symptoms
4- Free Yourself from Panic Attacks: What Causes a Panic Attack?
5- Free Yourself from Panic Attacks: Stress Can Trigger a Panic Attacks
6- Free Yourself from Panic Attacks: Removing the Panic Attack Worries
7- Free Yourself from Panic Attacks: When it’s Agoraphobia
