A Naturopathic Approach to Anxiety

Anxiety is the body’s natural response to threat and when we constantly stay in this state, it can be exhausting and challenging to regulate our emotions. Chronic anxiety can lead to additional complex health conditions and understanding how and why we feel anxious can help us better understand our emotions.

How does anxiety work?

1. Something in our environment is perceived as a “threat”, we call this a “trigger”.

2. Our brain assesses the threat in the amygdala, a small cluster of cells in the temporal lobe, which is our brain’s main emotional processing center. This leads to activation of our fight or flight response.

3. Neurotransmitters cortisol and adrenaline are released, producing symptoms like heart palpitations and sweating.

4. In the typical anxiety cycle, the prefrontal cortex activates next, its job is to regulate our emotions. However, when the prefrontal cortex and amygdala are unable to communicate such as in chronic anxiety, we remain in fight or flight. 

5. When a threat remains constant, eventually the hypothalamic-pituitary-adrenal axis becomes activated, further potentiating the cycle and leading to increased secretion of stress hormones.

Today’s environment is plagued with threats, making it hard for our brains to differentiate between those that are harmful and those that aren’t. Many of us remain in chronic fight or flight leaving us at a heightened risk for health complications. Common areas of disruption include; immune system, sleep, weight, cognition, skin and chronic pain.

Naturopathic medicine focuses on treating the root cause rather than only treating symptoms. The first step in our approach to tackling anxiety would be to identify and eliminate triggers.

Ways to manage anxiety:

1. Box Breathing

Box breathing is a tool that patients' can use anytime, anyplace to physically calm their body and collect thoughts.

o   Breathe in for 4 seconds

o   Hold for 4 seconds

o   Breathe out for 4 seconds

o   Repeat until your body feels calm

2. Dietary Modifications

o   Adequate protein intake – aim for 0.8-1g/kg/ day

o   Antioxidant rich foods – anxiety has been correlated with a lowered antioxidant state

o   Beans, berries, nuts, fruits, ginger, turmeric

o   Omega 3 fatty acids – shown to improve both anxiety and depression

o   Wild salmon, cod liver oil, flex/chia seeds

o   B Vitamin rich foods – specifically foods high in B6,9,12

o   Nutritional yeast, organ meats, eggs, beans, dark leafy greens

o   Fermented foods – “good” gut bacteria help improve cognitive function

o   Sauerkraut, kimchi, coconut kefir, miso

3. Vagus nerve regulation

The Vagus nerve is part of the autonomic nervous system and is a key regulator of the neuroendocrine-immune axis.

Ways to regulate:  

o   Cold exposure

o   Singing/ humming

o   Meditation

o   Exercise –2.5hrs/week of moderate to vigorous exercise

4. Supplementation

Supplements are an option that can be added to treatment to help manage symptoms, while training the body how to process anxiety moving forward.  

o   Lavender

o   Ashwaghanda

o   GABA

o   L-theanine

o   Magnesium

Anxiety can be challenging to tackle on your own and that's where Naturopathic medicine can provide guidance. If you are considering any of the above approaches it is best to work with a licenced naturopathic doctor to create an individualized treatment plan that best suits you!

*Not medical advice, please consult your healthcare provider for treatment individualized to you.