We have received questions about an anxiety diet.  The common thread seems to involve whether panic attacks are related to sugar in the diet and whether one’s blood sugar levels are involved with panic attacks.  I have two distinct articles on these issues.

Diet and Panic Attacks Question #1: Dealing with sugar in the diet

You may be asking: why would too much sugar or carbs do that?

Because they can create a huge spike in your blood sugar levels and your body needs to create more insulin to account for the spike – which can cause weight gain! – however after our blood sugar spikes: a huge crash in your blood sugar occurs!

This drop can make you very irritable, but worse yet, very anxious. Dr. Daniel Amen, M.D. explains that “Diets high in refined sugars, such as the low fat diets of the past, encourage diabetes, tiredness, and cognitive impairment. Yet, to imply that bacon is a health food and that oranges and carrots are as bad as cake seems silly.”

Dr. Amen goes on to explain that the best eating approach is one that balances good protein, fat, and carbohydrates.

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Diet and Panic Attacks Question #2: Dealing with blood sugar

Over the years neurologists and others studying the brain have learned a great deal about some very interesting characteristics of the brain. This has been made possible because of advanced brain scans.

Dr. Daniel Amen, M.D. in his book Change Your Brain Change Your Life discusses how these scans have provided information on various brain systems, their functions, and resulting problems when one of these systems doesn’t function optimally.  This work has also allowed an abundance of helpful suggestions to emerge on how to optimize the functioning of various areas of the brain.

Best of all: there are really good implications for anxiety and panic attack sufferers.

Dr. Amen discusses the basal ganglia system: an area of the brain that is responsible for many processes such as fear, anxiety, panic attacks, and other things.

He explains that by optimizing the functioning of the basal ganglia, things such as fear and anxiety can be decreased while at the same time things such as motivation and energy levels can be increased.

But how does one optimize the basal ganglia system?

Dr. Amen explains how this can be done by keeping one’s blood sugar levels consistent throughout the day.  So you see, there is an important link between anxiety and blood sugar.

You might be asking: how can I keep my blood sugar levels consistent?  Well read on by clicking here:

(also optimize low carb diet anxiety)?

In summary, whether you have questions about a low carb diet and anxiety or more in general about diet and panic attacks, please ensure you read the above two articles.