Constant anxiety is something that affects almost everyone in modern-day society.
There are varying degrees of it, and some people are better at managing it than others.
Like stress, anxiety has almost become a badge of honor in some circles, as if you’re not really a useful, valuable person if you aren’t constantly fighting with anxiety.
In other circles, anxiety is a constant burden that people wish they didn’t have to live with.
A lot can contribute to anxiety, including poor diet. I know because when someone who struggles with anxiety joins Code Red, and does it CORRECTLY and CONSISTENTLY, their chronic anxiety reduces, and in some cases, goes away altogether.
See, when we have a feeling, like anxiety, that occupies our thoughts, we tend to treat it like mindset work and psychotherapy are the only options.
But our mind is located in our body, and our body feels anxiety, too, in the form of things like:
- Rapid pulse
- Shortness of breath
- Tightness in the body
- Sensations in the abdomen
When you treat only the mental/emotional facet of anxiety, you’re completely missing the physical body angle, and in so doing, depriving yourself of a solution that may make a HUGE difference in how much anxiety you feel, and how well you’re able to cope with it.
Giving your body the proper real food, water, and sleep arms it with both strength to navigate life, and nutrition that reduces, instead of elevates, your anxiety levels.
Sugar, processed junk, and high levels of carbohydrate–particularly simple carbs, like candy and desserts–interfere with your body’s ability to produce normal, stable levels of hormones. Mood swings, excessive worrying, brain fog and fatigue, and high levels of anxiety are just a handful of the many symptoms.
Combine that with excessive levels of caffeine from coffee, soda, and energy drinks, which overstimulates and further drains your nervous system, and it’s only a matter of time before your body crashes.
Our bodies are AMAZING. They take SO much crap from us.
But they have their limits, too, and when we push those limits in unhealthy, destructive ways, they start to fall apart, and serious health problems develop.
Heart problems are among the most common, but really, ongoing stress and anxiety that are not processed and released from the body can contribute to almost anything:
- Digestive issues (including heartburn, constipation, IBS, and more)
- Pain in the body
- Tightness and tension in the body
- Disease
Like I said: Just about anything.
The thing with anxiety is that we get so used to experiencing it, you may not even notice when you’re feeling it in your body.
To see if this is you, conduct a little experiment. Find some place safe, close your eyes, think of something that makes you anxious.
Now notice where you’re feeling it, and HOW you’re feeling it.
Is your body tight or tense anywhere?
Is your breathing faster?
Is your heart racing?
Is there pain or pressure (say, in your head)?
Odds are, you noticed SOMETHING, especially because our bodies often feel our anxiety before our mind even realizes what’s happening.
So what can you do about all this anxiety? How can you manage it, and even prevent it, before it takes you out?
Step one is ALWAYS gonna be cleaning up your diet. Without healthy fuel, your body is not equipped to handle mountains of anxiety.
Plus, cleaning up your diet may actually ELIMINATE some, or even most, of your anxiety.
Step two is to treat your physical body in ways that help it process and release the anxiety.
Like I said, mindset is only one piece of the puzzle. Your body needs help, too.
You can do that by taking an epsom salt bath, so the magnesium can relax you.
Massage and yoga (start with gentle) are also great ways to release stored up anxiety (and other stuff) in your tissues.
Dancing – even if it’s just you going wild in your own home – is another great, gentle way to get that anxiety out of your body.
Our bodies were designed to move, so anything safe you can do to move your body is gonna help. Moving your body clears out the adrenaline and cortisol that are often triggered by anxiety and stress, which is a good thing, because adrenaline and cortisol are meant to come in, do their job, and leave. When they’re constantly present in your body, over time, your body starts to give out, and you crash.
Just remember: We do NOT use exercise to “lose weight” on Code Red. Let me make that crystal clear.
Don’t go into gentle yoga thinking you’re gonna burn off that package of Keebler Elf cookies you ate for breakfast. You’re not.
Movement is a gift you give your body, not a punishment for eating crap. One of the WORST things you can do to yourself, your mind, and your body, is use exercise as punishment.
It takes what should be a healing experience for your body and turns it into poison.
The fitness, “health,” and diet industries have programmed you – ALL of us – to do that, so it’s not your fault.
But it’s time to knock it off, and see movement and a clean diet as gifts we give our bodies, instead of approaching them with the bullcrap punishment and deprivation mindsets we’re so used to.
Bottom line: Yes, anxiety absolutely can affect ALL aspects of your health.
Clean up your diet and give your body healing in the form of epsom salt baths, massages, and/or movement.
And do what you’ve gotta do to REMOVE anxiety from your life as much as possible. That might mean saying no, cutting people out of your life (temporarily, if not forever), doing mindset work, getting therapy, prayer, or some mix of all of the above.
Do what it takes, okay? You deserve more than a life crippled by anxiety.
Have you created your free Code Red Lifestyle™ network account yet? If not, here’s how to get your account!
1) On your computer, create your account at www.CodeRedLifestyle.com/App.
2) If you want the network on a mobile device, go to the App Store or Google Play Store and search for Code Red Lifestyle.