February, 2003

Relieve Anxiety

Ten Tips for Boosting Energy and Relieving Anxiety

1. Exercise aerobically daily. Walk, jog, swim, bike, hike, or dance. Exercise boosts self-esteem, recall and reaction time, all-important skills for effective leadership.
2. Eat your greens. Choose 1/2 cup to 1 cup lightly cooked asparagus, broccoli, kale, collard greens, mustard greens, spinach, chard, bok choy, Chinese broccoli, beet greens... Leafy greens provide nutrients such as magnesium and folic acid, which keep hormones, brain chemicals, and moods, balanced and energy levels high.
3. Reduce refined sugar and caffeine. Studies show both are linked with tension, depression and fatigue. How effectively can you lead when you're tense and fatigued? Refined sugars are found in soft drinks, fruit juice, candy, cookies, ice cream, frozen yogurt, fruit flavored yogurts, puddings, fat-free baked goods, muffins, scones, pancakes, syrups, most breakfast cereals and pastries.
4. Replace "bad" fats (margarine, partially hydrogenated vegetable oils, fried food, chips, greasy foods, French fries, egg rolls) with good fats (i.e., foods like, deep-water fish, seeds, oats, cold-pressed oils). "Bad" fats interfere with our liver's ability to clear toxins, cholesterol and excess hormones from the body. In Chinese medicine, when the liver is imbalanced, anger and impatience can result.
5. Avoid excess bread, bagels, pasta, spaghetti, crackers and other refined grain products. They can lead to fatigue and a feeling of heaviness. A plate full of spaghetti is great for the last leg of a marathon but not for the quick decision-making abilities of a leader.
6. Include protein twice a day: Choose from fresh fish, shellfish, eggs, poultry, lean beef, lamb or pork, tofu, tempeh, beans, lentils or other legumes. Protein foods stimulate alertness.
7. For afternoon energy, eat a low-carbohydrate (less bread and pasta), high-protein lunch with a generous serving of cooked vegetables. Avoid pasta, thick sandwich rolls, burritos and pizza. These can make you tired in the afternoon.
8. Include a broad spectrum multiple vitamin and mineral supplement with at least 10 milligrams of B vitamins, 500-1000 mg of vitamin C, 400 - 500 mg. magnesium, 200 micrograms chromium. These nutrients in these amounts boost immunity, stabilize blood sugar and moods and maintain optimum brain chemical production for alertness and mental balance. Supplements that may be helpful for fatigue and anxiety are Siberian ginseng, kava kava and niacinamide. Supplements that may be helpful for memory and mental function: phosphatidyl serine or choline, acetyl-L-carnitine, ginkgo biloba. Be sure to check with your doctor to choose which vitamins, minerals, and supplements are best for you.
9. Cultivate a 15 to 30 minute "awareness practice" daily. Choose from meditation, yoga, a quiet walk in nature, biofeedback, deep breathing or other "non-productive" activity. Time out can restore your creativity and energy.
10. Discover the activities, work and people that best enable you to feel joy.

Copyright 2002, Drew Memorial Hospital