LiveWellTalk - Overcoming Mental Health Challenges

After a stressful day at work, compounded by coming home to a chaotic mess created by your pets, you finally collapse into bed, hoping for a restful night's sleep. However, instead of drifting into slumber, your mind races with worry and anxiety, making sleep seem impossible. If this scenario sounds familiar, you’re not alone. Let's explore why anxiety often intensifies at night and discover some effective strategies to help you manage it and get the rest you need. Understanding Nighttime Anxiety Common Causes Quietness and Solitude:  The quiet and solitude of nighttime can make it easier for worries to become overwhelming. With no distractions and only your thoughts for company, it’s easy for anxieties to spiral. Sleep Disorders: Insomniacs, for example, often experience anxiety about not being able to sleep, which only exacerbates the problem. The cycle of trying to sleep, failing, and worrying about it creates a vicious cycle that makes restful sleep elusive. Anxiety Disor

Foods for Anxiety and Stress Just as some foods can help to reduce anxiety and stress , so can others cause/contribute to it. Let us discuss one after another. Foods that Help with Anxiety and Stress When we discuss foods that reduce anxiety and stress , it’s important to note that there are different components that go into that. For example, did you know that hypoglycemia (low blood sugar) can cause panic attacks? This is because when your blood sugar is too low, it causes a stress response in your brain that increases adrenaline and cortisol. Therefore, we want foods that will not have a rapid impact on blood sugar. We also want foods that are known to stabilize mood and increase energy. Finally, foods rich in nutrients and antioxidants are important in reducing stress . Stay Hydrated One of the most important “foods” when discussing reducing stress with nutrition is actually a drink – water. Even slight dehydration can cause feelings of depression and anxiety . Therefore it’s very

Foods for Fighting depression Antidepressants and psychotherapy surely have a place in treating your depression. But incorporating a nutrient dense diet can serve to maximize any positive result in fighting depression! Good Foods for Depression Eat Plenty of Antioxidants Antioxidants are the absolutely essential weapons in your fight against depression. Best antioxidant rich foods with a high ORAC scores (which measures a food's ability to fight free radicals) are: Goji berries ORAC Score:25,000 Wild blueberries ORAC Score: 14,000 Pecans ORAC Score: 17,000 Elderberries ORAC Score: 14,000 Kidney Beans ORAC Score: 8,400 Cranberries ORAC Score: 9,500 Blackberries ORAC Score: 5,300 Blueberries have excellent antioxidant fighting power. They have an ORAC Score of 14,000. Use them in a smoothie or in oatmeal. They also make awesome pancakes! Load Up on Lean Proteins Proteins are super important for helping to the brain produce the mood boosting chemical serotonin. Buy organic whene