Health Center

Mood Health: Anxiety

Anxiety starts in the limbic system, your brain's emotional alarm center, which sends out chemical signals to prepare your body for "fight or flight."

Normally, when the perceived threat is past, the limbic system calms down. Anxiety results when the limbic system overreacts, sending out warning signals far in excess of any immediate danger and resulting in a state of constant arousal.

Though the threat that provokes anxiety may be imaginary, the physical symptoms are all too real. Virtually every part of the body, inside and out, can be affected by chronic anxiety, from the skin and hair to the stomach and bowel, from the heart and cardiovascular system to the brain and nervous system. Effective management of anxiety requires addressing the overactive limbic system, not simply masking the symptoms.

Diet

To keep your emotions on an even keel, eat foods that provide a sustained release of energy, such as vegetables, legumes, and whole grains. Lean protein from fish, skinless poultry, nonfat yogurt, and beans and legumes will provide the stamina you need to function at your best. Avoid dietary disasters that have virtually no nutritional value—fatty animal products, refined carbohydrates, hydrogenated fats, and processed oils.

More diet recommendations.

Exercise

If the health benefits of exercise could be put in a pill, you would have perhaps the most powerful anti-aging medicine available. Exercise improves immune function, aids digestion and elimination, increases endurance and energy, and enhances mood.

More exercise recommendations.

Nutrients

I consider a comprehensive, high-potency multivitamin and mineral formula to be the single most important step you can take to improve your health. I also recommend kava and green tea to help with anxiety.

Top nutrient recommendations.