Anxiety: Feeling it in your gut!

“Anxiety is a lot like a toddler. It never stops talking, tells you you’re wrong about everything, and wakes you up at 3 a.m.”

— Anonymous

Dealing with Anxiety can be a scary thing. You just want the anxious thoughts to go away. An article recently written in the September/October 2023 edition of Psychology Today; describes another important view of Anxiety. It's described as essentially a physical state with roots that are metabolic. Much like a difficult toddler, if we can learn to manage anxiety from a physical perspective, we can remove the emotionality and fear and utilize concrete techniques that may be more effective. According to this article, people with anxiety tend to have low levels of the gut bacteria that produce a short chain of fatty acids causing increased amygdala activity or the brain center responsible for fight or flight is more active. Harvard Psychiatrist, Umadevi Naidoo, points to nutritional strategies to help improve low-gut bacteria and improve anxiety symptoms. Naidoo says, research is showing that high-fat, low-carb ketogenic diets can shift brain metabolism. Foods high in fiber, especially prebiotic fiber increases good gut bacteria. Adding supplements such as Magnesium, Selenium, Zinc, Vitamin-D, Omega 3 fatty acids, Tumeric and have also proven effective in reducing cortisol levels, which may result in lower levels of anxiety.