Nusrat Jahan Progga
Don’t you often have panic attacks and have trouble falling asleep? Well, maybe instead of clearing out your medicine cabinet, you can take a look at the placement on your dinner table. Because surprise surprise- some of the food you eat everyday can be the culprit behind your migraines and numerous anxiety attacks!
•Caffeine: Caffeine is the biggest accomplice of sleep and anxiety disorders. In a recent study that involved people with panic disorder, caffeine augmented stress hormone levels in all participants and triggered panic attacks in about half of them. Caffeine keeps you wide awake by blocking sleep-promoting adenosine receptors in the brain. 50% of caffeine remains in your bloodstream up-to five hours after consumptions and has been shown to spoil sleep. In fact, it takes at least 16 to 24 hours for caffeine to completely leave your system. This means that even one cup of morning coffee
•Nightshades: Plants in the nightshade family produce natural pesticides called glycoalkaloids, which are designed to kill predators like insects and worms, but are also toxic to human cells. These cunning chemical weapons block the enzymeacetylcholinesterase, resulting in overstimulation of the nervous system in sensitive individuals. Anxiety is just one of many neuropsychiatric side effects documented in humans. Common nightshade ingredients in prepared foods include potato starch, chilies, bell peppers, tomato paste, paprika, red pepper flakes and cayenne
•Alcohol: Alcohol can be very effective in relaxing you and helping you fall asleep. However, as alcohol starts to wear off in the middle of the night, sleep quality suffers significantly. Metabolism varies depending on age, gender, genetic background and other factors, but the primary predictor of how long alcohol remains in your bloodstream is quantity. As alcohol wears off, “mini-withdrawal” effects can range from restless sleep to bad dreams to full-blown panic attacks.
•Aged, fermented, cured, smoked, and cultured foods: The way to turn a fresh whole food like beef, milk, grapes, or cabbage into a gourmet food like aged steak, brie, merlot, or kimchi is to add bacteria to it and let it ferment. During fermentation, bacteria break down food proteins into tiny molecules called biogenic amines, which accumulate as the food ages. The most important biogenic amine found lurking within aged foods is histamine, a powerful neurotransmitter that can aggravate our digestive, hormonal, cardiovascular, and nervous systems. Histamine causes anxiety and insomnia in susceptible individuals, partly through its ability to increase levels of adrenaline.
•Sugar, Flour, and other Refined Carbohydrates: Popular breakfast foods like orange juice, sweet yogurts, and most cereals are rich in refined carbohydrates that start your day with a blood sugar spike, setting into motion ahormonal chain reaction that can affect your mood, energy, concentration, and appetite for hours.