Dealing with anxious symptoms may be one piece of the puzzle impacting your overall health and wellbeing by presenting itself in various symptoms such as tachycardia, nausea, restlessness, fainting, and excess sweating. Working with a functional practitioner will help to address the root causes of your symptoms.

What is Anxiety?

Anxiety is an imbalance in nervous system health. It is a feeling driven by fear, worry, and negatively perceived stress. It occurs when the body is stuck in the sympathetic nervous state or the “fight or flight” state instead of the parasympathetic state or the “rest and digest” state.

Never define yourself as someone that has anxiety. Instead say you are dealing with anxious symptoms depending on the circumstances/situations you are in. Think about it: you don’t have anxious symptoms 24/7, they only appear in specific circumstances. This can look like in relationships, when dealing with new social settings, in work environments, in a chaotic home environment, etc. When you label yourself, it can becomes a way to define or label yourself as a fixed trait and once you do that it’s less easier to resolve since it’s attached to your identity.

What are Common Symptoms of Anxiety?

Symptoms are a sign that something is off internally within one or multiple of these systems: Inflammation, Gut Dysbiosis or Gut Imbalance, Impaired Detoxification, Hormonal Imbalance, Mitochondrial Dysfunction, Circadian Rhythm Disturbances, Oxidative Stress, Neuro-disruption, or Immune dysregulation.

• Tachycardia (rapid heart beat)
• Nausea
• Restlessness
• Fainting
• Excessive sweating

What are Potential Root Causes of Anxiety?

• Chronic stress
• Blood sugar dysregulation
• Chronic inflammation: an imbalance in the omega-3 to omega-6 ratio.
• Thyroid imbalance
• Hormonal imbalance
• Histamine intolerance
• Mineral deficiencies
• Nutrient Deficiencies (Magnesium, B-Vitamins)
• Gut dysbiosis (imbalance in the gut microbiome via the gut-brain axis)
• Poor overall sleep quality
• Repressed emotions
• Genetics: Genetic variations
• Mold exposure: leads to the release of mycotoxins
• Lack of regular physical activity
• Disrupted circadian rhythm: constant exposure to blue light which suppresses melatonin. (sleep-wake cycle)
• Constant EMF exposure
• Dysregulated endocannabinoid system (ECS)

What is the Hypothalamic-Pituitary-Adrenal (HPA) Axis Role in Regulating Anxiety?

The HPA axis is a complex set of interactions between the hypothalamus (located in the brain), the pituitary gland (located in the brain), and the adrenals (located on top of both kidneys). These set of interactions control reactions to stress (physical or psychological) and regulates digestion, immune function, mood/emotions, and more.

Which Labs Should I Assess?

• Conventional Lab Testing: Comprehensive metabolic profile (CMP),CBC with differential, HbA1C, complete thyroid panel, serum 25-OH Vitamin D

• Functional Lab Testing: GI MAP stool testing to assess gut health, DUTCH testing to assess hormone health, Nutrigenomic testing by 3×4 Genetics, Mycotoxin testing, HTMA (Hair Tissue Mineral Analysis) testing for mineral deficiencies and heavy metals.

My storefront is linked here to order functional labs for gut microbiome imbalances, hormonal imbalances, or vitamin/mineral deficiencies. If you need help creating a personalized functional nutrition care plan based on the interpretation of the labs, you can work with us here.

Functional lab testing would be a good idea if you really wanted to hone in on the specifics of gut microbiome imbalances, hormonal imbalances, vitamin/mineral deficiencies.

Diet/Nutrition

Nutrition and Health Goals: to nourish and support the adrenal glands, support thyroid health, support the health and diversity of the gut microbiome, replenish any potential micronutrient deficiencies, to maintain cortisol balance for overall hormone health, and to address any pre-existing chronic health conditions.

Tip: Keep a food journal so that pre and post meals you can become more in tune with your body and see how certain meals make you feel. Continuously check in with yourself to see how you are feeling, this is the type of subjective information that only you can know for yourself and make sure to share this information with the dietitian that you are working with!

Supplements, Probiotics, and Medicinal Herbs

Discuss supplements with your dietitian to determine which will be the best fit for you. Always consult your healthcare provider prior to beginning a new supplement. 

Consider dosages, timings, and if should be taken with or without meals for optimal absorption.

• Basic Supplements: L-theanine, Magnesium Glycinate, Vitamin D3 + K2, Omega 3, B-Complex with Methyl-folate,
• Advanced Supplements: Rhodiola Rosea, GABA (caution when taken with an SSRI), Apigenin
• Adaptogenic Herbs: Ashwagandha, Kava root,
• Herbs: Lavender, Skullcap, Hops, Valerian root, Lemon balm, Kava, Oat straw, Lemon verbena.
• Probiotic Strains: Saccharomyces Boulardii (S. boulardii),
• Loose Leaf Teas: Chamomile, Lemon balm, Peppermint, Ginger, Holy basil

Make sure to order from a high quality and third party tested brand instead of purchasing from Amazon where practically anyone can sell anything without any rigorous testing. To make it easier for you, you may order from my supplement dispensary below through Fullscript’s catalog where each brand and product meets strict top quality standards. You can learn more about third party testing here.

My supplement dispensary is linked here and you do not need to be a client to place an order.

Nutrition & Lifestyle Tips

Here are some helpful tips for you to begin the process of healing anxiety:

• Slowing down during the day to help regulate the nervous system and ease out of chronically being in the sympathetic nervous state or the fight or flight state.
• Regulating your nervous system with your preferred form of meditation, breath work, or slow movement like zone 1 walking (low-intensity walking).
• Perspective/Mindset Shifts:
• Addressing trauma/repressed emotions with a licensed professional or by using healing modalities such as somatic therapy. (Read: The Body Keeps the Score: Brain, Mind, and Body in the Healing of Trauma by Bessel van der Kolk)
• Breath work sessions or checking in with yourself during the day to make sure that you are breathing deep abdominal breaths instead of shallow, rapid chest breathing.
• Consume magnesium-rich food sources to promote relaxation and regulate overall mood.
• Consume fermented foods to improve beneficial gut microbiome diversity and maintain balance. You may also choose to supplement with a high quality probiotic supplement.
• Hydrate with adequate water intake with mineral-rich salts like Celtic sea salt or Himalayan pink salt.
• Daily early morning sunlight exposure to help regulate the circadian rhythm. (the sleep-wake cycle)
• Daily sunlight exposure during optimal timings, typically around noon, for Vitamin D3 production.
• Reduce overall caffeine intake.
• Spiritual help: having complete Tawakkul, Dhikr, Duaa’, Prayer,
• Exposure therapy
• Using a bidet
• Try eating with your hands in order to eat less portion sizes, to get more in touch with the texture of your food, and to eat more mindfully and slower. The skin microbiome on your fingers will positively affect your gut microbiome. (make sure that you have clean hands and use your right hand)
  

Gentle reminder: It’s important to be patient during this process of healing which may take some time but will ultimately be worth it in the long run. You got this.

Note: Don’t stress yourself with an all or nothing mentality where you feel like you have to implement everything on this list all at once. Sometimes in order to reach the end goal, you need to take baby steps at first and build these habits bit by bit.