Are Diet and Anxiety Connected?

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Years ago, I spoke with a nutritionist who convinced me by changing my diet, I could eliminate my anxiety. Of course, I was skeptical at first, but I tried it because it seemed like an easy fix, and after years of not being able to leave my home, I was willing to try anything.

The nutritionist had me cut out all meat and dairy (because they have hormones I assume).  I don’t remember how long I went without eating meat and dairy, but it was months and long enough that I should have seen some results. While I did lose some weight, I was still having regular anxiety and panic attacks.

Long story short, it didn’t work. It wasn’t until recently that I realized why. I did everything that the nutritionist told me to, but I was still eating things I shouldn’t have, like sugar and processed foods that didn’t have dairy or meat in them.

I had almost given up on the idea that I could live an anxiety-free life when fate stepped in. That was the day I learned about Betr Health. 

Did Changing My Diet Eliminate My Anxiety?

As I type this, I’m in my 13th week of the Betr Health program. I have lost just over 25 lbs (with 40 to go). I would have to say I first noticed a change in my anxiety levels around week 4, during my annual doctor’s appointment.

Typically, I have an anxious episode the night before, the morning of, and the hours leading up to any doctor’s appointment. I pace around the house, shake my hands in the air and try to steady my breathing.

I hadn’t driven myself to a doctor’s appointment in years because I was too afraid I would have a panic attack. I made my husband drive me each time and wait in the parking lot for me. It always helped me to know that if I needed to, I could leave at any time.

At this particular doctor’s appointment, while I did feel a bit of anxiety, based on my blood pressure, I never felt the need to leave. When she told me she wanted me to get a blood test done in another office in the building, I went and had no anxiety at all. When I walked out, I realized that my husband’s car was not there.

My husband had left to run an errand, thinking I would take longer and was 20 minutes away. A month before, I would have had a full panic attack at that point. Instead, I walked around outside and called my daughter, who kept me company until my husband returned.

That was the moment I realized that something was different and I started to believe that diet and anxiety are connected.

The Connection Between Diet and Anxiety

That week, I had a series of doctor’s appointments to go to, including a dentist appointment for my daughter. Although I was nervous, I wasn’t pacing. I didn’t have to convince myself that it was okay to get into the car and go to the doctor. I even drove my daughter to her appointment. That was big.

That weekend, I also had my second covid vaccine and there were no signs of anxiety whatsoever. 

Being the skeptical person that I am, I took notice but still kept my guard up. I knew our first road trip in over a year was coming up, and I decided that it would be the actual test.

Road trips are challenging for me because of my fear of being too far from home. But on week 8 of my new way of eating, I sat in our car for the entire 3-hour ride to LEGOLAND and was completely calm.

Theme parks have always been a trigger for me. It’s the crowds and the heat and the lines. But this time, I felt no anxiety in the park. The only moment I thought I might have felt the anxiety creeping in was when we were waiting in line outside, but honestly, it was more agitation because I had a mask on and felt like I couldn’t breathe because it was so hot outside.

I remember driving home after our 3-day trip and realizing that I could very well connect my new way of eating and my lack of anxiety. That’s when I started to do more research. I was surprised to find out that my sugar levels and family history of diabetes (Mom, Dad, and Grandparents) could very well be contributing to my “anxiety.”

First, I should explain how anxiety makes me feel, in case this is the first time you are reading about my condition. The more anxious I feel in a particular situation, the more agitated I become. Once I acknowledge the anxiety, I can’t stop it, and I go into full panic mode. I start to sweat, feel lightheaded, like I’m going to pass out, and sometimes feel as though I’m going to throw up. I have to lay down immediately (no matter where I am) and allow it to pass.

A few doctors have told me that the anxious feelings I have are likely due to a medical condition, and if we can find that condition and treat it, my anxiety symptoms will decrease. They consistently predict the same two things — either a thyroid condition or diabetes. Of course, when they test me, the results always come back in the normal range, so the doctors give up and consider it more of a mental health issue.

I’ve never had a doctor follow through to test me for any other conditions or consider other reasons for my anxiety. But I’ve always felt strongly about this being more of a health condition, and what I found may prove my theory.

The Effects of Cortisol and Insulin During “Fight or Flight Mode”

Let’s talk about the effects of cortisol and insulin during fight or flight mode. I found this great article about the way cortisol impacts insulin that explains it a little better. I’ve included what I found most interesting below.

When in “fight or flight” mode, cortisol prepares the body by increasing blood sugar to provide an energy source to muscles. To prevent blood sugar from being stored, cortisol slows insulin production, allowing blood sugar to be used immediately. 

As a result, blood sugars are elevated, but insulin isn’t able to work efficiently. When cortisol levels are chronically elevated, the body remains in an insulin-resistant state. Chronic fatigue, weight gain, insulin resistance, diabetes, cardiovascular disease, and mental health disorders are just a few of the many health problems related to chronically high cortisol levels in the body.

It says that improving diet and managing stress and other lifestyle factors are the keys to balancing cortisol and insulin levels in the body. So maybe, by adopting this new way of eating, which eliminates sugar and processed foods and all of the things that my body doesn’t need, I’ve balanced my cortisol and insulin levels, which in turn, stopped the anxiety?

I’m not a doctor, and I don’t have a medical degree, but that makes a lot of sense to someone that has struggled with debilitating anxiety for many years. I can’t say for sure that diet and anxiety are connected, but I can tell you that we are on vacation number three and I’ve been driving a lot more in the last 6 weeks than I have in the last 10 years.

This can’t be a coincidence.

If you struggle with anxiety, have you ever tried to limit your sugar intake to see if that made a difference? Have you heard of the connection between diet and anxiety before? Are you a doctor that can give me a medical opinion on this? If so, I’d love to hear from all of you!

If you’d like more information on Betr Health, you can read more here.

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