Alleviating Anxiety With Less Sugar

Let’s start with a life update shall we?

A couple of weeks ago I met with a psychiatrist to see if I may possibly have ADD or ADHD. It kind of runs in my family and I’ve been experiencing some potential symptoms for the past few years! Although, they have gotten worse over the past several months.

After a not-so long conversation she (the Psychiatrist) determined that most likely what I have is anxiety. She didn’t discount that there still may be a possibility of ADD or ADHD, but that’s because ADHD is normally diagnosed when you’re young,

So she went on to recommend first and foremost better nutrition. She said a Mediterranean type food lifestyle would be best in the situation since it involves less sugar and more healthy proteins and less refined and white flour and carbohydrates, which all turn into sugar.

She also recommended some essential vitamins including increasing my vitamin D intake and fish oil supplements. She recommended another vitamin which to be honest I cannot even recall right now because I don’t even remember where I wrote it and who knows if I’ll ever find it.

Just being honest.

So I did what most sensible people who want to put their health first too, I started taking action. The first two or three days were pretty good, I cut out almost all sugar. In fact for my oatmeal I replaced the sweetener with Stevia and it wasn’t bad at all to my surprise.

As I continued research, I found that less caffeine also helps. I mixed decaffeinated coffee with caffeinated coffee in my coffee brewer and I’m sticking to one cup a day.

Then we got closer to Christmas and all that sugar started coming back.

Then I got better for another two days and then we got closer to New Year’s and that sugar crept back in. Can you blame me?

Well actually yes you can blame me because to be honest if I’m really being real we do need to take personal responsibility for our own health. I can come up with 1 million excuses as to why I didn’t stay on track but at the end of the day I didn’t prioritize my health.

To be honest in the days that I had less sugar I felt a difference in my body. I was more calm and relaxed. My teeth clenching pretty much disappeared in the daytime. I was breathing in and out better more consciously. Although that may have been my intentional breathing that I started incorporating. 

I actually don’t even remember losing my keys for once! My memory was a little better in those days.

Hmmm so maybe she was right maybe I do have anxiety after all and the solution is really not that difficult.

Why is it so difficult to keep up a healthy eating routine when you know it’s good for you?

I discovered the reason just two days ago and it all has to do with self discipline.

Let’s be real again and let’s call it what it is, laziness.

If I can recall correctly there are multiple proverbs and scriptures in the Bible that address laziness. God calls us all to take responsibility for our discipline.

So in this new year I will make every effort to decrease my sugar intake by doing things that will stay permanent.

Today I started with having my oatmeal with Stevia again and just with a little vanilla extract. I actually added just a tiny bit of blue agave light syrup. it help with the flavor but I know it’s not the best thing.

I had peanut butter and jelly on whole wheat but the jelly was sugar-free and I only added a very tiny bit enough to give it just a tad bit of sweetness.

To be honest both things tasted great and there really is no need for additional sugar. I find that when I want more sugar it’s usually when I am more stressed, go figure!

Well my resolution starts here. Oh! I almost forgot to mention that I switched to brown rice pretty much completely and I have been adding much more veggies to my foods and more fruits every day. I also started eating more fish. Apparently all part of Mediterranean diet to one degree or another.

You may be wondering if she prescribed me anxiety medication. Well she’s a psychiatrist so of course she did! I just haven’t ordered it because I’m just that type of person who will try the natural way first before taking medication, unless it’s absolutely necessary and other natural recommended efforts have been attempted and have failed.

So I end this blog post by asking you to please say a prayer for me to grow and discipline in this area of my life. To be less impulsive on sweets and more mindful of how my body health affects my mental health.

Happy new year!