Eat to calm anxiety
There are several Chinese medicine syndromes that cause anxiety and the one I see most frequently in my clinic is Heart Blood Xu.
If you have Heart Blood Xu, making a few simple changes to the way you eat and what you eat can make a big difference. Follow the advice below and you'll notice a change within 2 or 3 weeks.
How to eat
Eat in a relaxed environment
Take a short rest after eating
Eat slowly and chew your food well
Steam, boil, stew or stir-fry your food
Eat raw fruit and vegetables in small quantities only
What to eat
Eat plenty of leafy green vegetables, especially spinach, watercress and kohlrabi. Other great foods to stock up on include aduki beans, alfalfa, apricots, artichoke, avocado, barley, beetroot, brown rice, chicken, Chinese angelica, corn, dandelion leaf, dates, eggs, figs, ginseng, grapes, lychees, mulberries, mung beans, oats, raisins, red sage root, sesame seeds, tahini, wheat-germ and whole wheat.
What to avoid
Cutting down on stimulants can make a big difference straight away, so see if you can reduce or go without coffee, alcohol and tobacco. The occasional curry is okay, but try to keep hot and spicy foods to a minimum.
