What to Eat to Reduce Stress and Beat Anxiety

Stress is arguably the most prolific epidemic in today’s world, with almost 80% of us currently suffering some form of anxiety. Our ability to maintain mental and physical balance whilst keeping up with high-octane city living can, at times, seem an insurmountable task. So it's completely understandable that so many of us are searching for some relief from the pressures and stressors of modern life.

One word. Resilience. As humans we are not designed to deal with the pace and stimulus of 21st Century life that's predominantly lived in major cities. Stress is inevitable but our ability to thrive is not necessarily how well we manage to avoid stress, more how well we’re able to build up our internal resilience. True resilience is considered by many psychiatrists to be the missing piece in the stress-related puzzle.

Anxiety is not always easily diagnosed, at least not by us. There’s often an epidemic of denial when it comes to self-diagnosing anxiety. Symptoms don’t have to be as clear cut as a full-blown panic attack. They can be as subtle as forgetting an appointment, feeling like you can’t get through a film without checking your emails or having a to-do list that’s reached double digits. It’s easy to blame a feeling of nausea on a sick bug, or a headache on the office air conditioning, but stress can make you sick. Stressful feelings are often belittled, many of us feeling unable to slow down and instead, forcing ourselves to soldier on.

Feeling anxious can manifest itself in many ways. Headaches, sweaty palms, feeling sick, upset stomach or waking up at midnight with a jolt are all physical clues. Less subtle could be feelings of lethargy, loss of appetite or general irritability. Whatever the signs, they should all be taken seriously. Anxiety has the capacity to compound even the most minute life of issues, making you feel off balance and out of control.

Stress and inflammation are interlinked and, if left out of kilter, can play havoc with your health. Our body’s response to stress is to produce increased levels of cortisol. While this is positive in short bursts, helping to regulate blood sugar, sharpen our memory and reduce inflammation, long-term raised cortisol levels can have a negative effect on our mood, metabolic function and daily biorhythm. If not addressed, this can lay the foundations for mental illness, heart disease, immune deficiencies and chronic diseases.

Half of the UK population currently eat a junk-based diet, it’s time to take food back to basics. The Victorians are well documented to have had the most nutrient dense diet for long-term health and modern clean eating approaches still carry many similarities.

We should be eating a healthy, balanced diet that supports our body's response to stress. An organic, unprocessed anti-inflammatory diet includes:

• Naturally occurring melatonin-laden foods like rolled oats, pomegranates and asparagus which can help to regulate our sleep.
• Almonds, black rice and pumpkin seeds that are rich in magnesium, a key mineral to help regulate our stress response system.
• Poultry is packed with tryptophan, which acts as a gentle sedative, best still when eaten with carbs.

Homemade is best. Processed foods, even if organic, won’t have the same nutrient values as meals you make at home. Ridding your home of anything that’s not going to help you thrive is the best way forward. You’ll be surprised at how quickly you re-align your palate to start craving natural foods as opposed to processed.

• Sugar is the worst offender for exacerbating stress and anxiety. Avoid it wherever possible.
• Try to limit caffeine to a cup of coffee or tea in the morning and eliminate your evening alcoholic tipple. Caffeine and alcohol are proven sleep disrupters and should be avoided if you’re experiencing any level of anxiety.
• Swap milk chocolate for the darkest variety with the highest cocoa solids.
• The bakery might seem like a happy weekend outing but full-fat dairy, butter and baked goods are rich in trans fats that are inflammatory, cause gut imbalances and bloating.

Curcumin, found in turmeric, has been shown to increase resilience to chronic stress. However, in its natural form, curcumin is a placebo. Its poor absorbability means it’s unable to be effective as an anti-inflammatory in its organic form. HydroCurc® is a reinvented form of curcumin, engineered to be fully bioavailable and effective. It's backed by peer-reviewed clinical evidence which has shown it to effectively support basic neurochemical function. HydroCurc® is formulated at a clinically proven dose of 250mg in the LYMA Supplement.

Another ingredient to help combat stress is the most prominent of Ayurvedic herbs, ashwagandha, a highly effective and extensively studied adaptogen. The most widely-documented form of ashwagandha is full spectrum, patented root extract KSM-66 Ashwagandha®. Backed by peer-reviewed clinical evidence proving it to improve stress and anxiety resistance, KSM-66 Ashwagandha® is formulated at a daily dose of 600mg in LYMA.

Organic isn’t a measure of efficacy, stability or bioavailability. Organic supplements are often vague in their classification and limited in their results. This is why LYMA is formulated with peer-reviewed, patented ingredients, at proven, active levels. Each ingredient is powered with a smart-tech delivery system to overcome any limitations of the ingredient in its organic form and provide real health benefits.

“LYMA has created an industry leader. Never before has so much validated science and patented technology been combined into one formula. LYMA has changed the supplement industry and it has the power to change you.”

Dr. Paul Clayton, PhD

We live in an exceptionally challenging world. There are some aspects to our life that are out of our control, but there’s a considerably larger part that’s within our power. The concept of building self-resilience might seem hazy, but it can be boiled down to a simple eight-step program.

• Stay positive. Try it, it’s infectious!
• Schedule time in your life for people who make you happy.
• Don’t worry, be happy! Cultivate calm and a sense of humour.
• Make time for regular exercise. Power walking part of your daily commute can be just as effective as a gym session.
• Don’t smoke (or vape) it’s all poison.
• Don’t skimp on sleep. Less than eight hours won’t cut the mustard.
• Eat a nutrient-dense, anti-inflammatory diet.
• If you want the best, take the best. Make LYMA’s pharmaco-nutrition part of your daily regime.

LYMA is the ultimate Supplement. A combination of unrivalled ingredients that give benefits beyond anything a healthy diet can. Confidence you can feel. Results you can rely on.

Find out more about the benefits of LYMA and how to buy it: