I am IN LOVE with this drink.
Not only is it delicious, it literally helps improve anxiety. Which to be honest, is something I need right now.
Winter, less sun, less movement, just spent four and a half months in the NICU and have a new baby at home after a hard birth. I need all the anti-anxiety help I can get.
For me, I have to take steps daily to keep my anxiety at bay. It’s kind of like skincare. If I didn’t keep a routine, I’d start to see acne. If I don’t keep up with my routine, I start to have anxiety. And I’ve found this is true for the majority of people. If you don’t take the steps to take care of yourself, that’s going to manifest as depression, anxiety, unhappiness, etc.
I recently spoke with a friend who told me about someone she knew who had depression and anxiety due to a “chemical imbalance.” She told me this friend eats poorly, has gained about 50lbs recently, eats candy all the time, drinks alcohol, smokes and doesn’t exercise. You better believe that if I ate poorly, didn’t exercise or take care of myself I’d have anxiety and depression too!
We all have to do what we can, especially those of us who suffer from anxiety, to take care of ourselves.
Be kind to your body. Treat it well. Do things you love. Create a self-care routine. Start with this delicious drink!
Here’s what’s in it that makes it so effective.
PROBIOTICS:
In one study, scientists found that giving mice probiotics reversed their autistic symptoms (of which anxiety was one).
A study from the University of Toronto found that supplementing with probiotics in people with chronic fatigue syndrome led to reduced feelings of anxiousness.
In 2011, scientists found that giving people a probiotic for 30 days reduced their depression and anxiety.
A study out of UCLA found that women who ate yogurt twice a day had improvements on the part of the brain that
process emotion, and improved anxiety symptoms.
A recent study at UCLA demonstrated that yogurt intake could positively affect brain function, in particular, feelings of anxiety. According to the researchers,
“Four-week intake of an FMPP [fermented milk product with probiotic] by healthy women affected [the] activity of brain regions that control central processing of emotion and sensation.”
MAGNESIUM:
In Psychology Today, Dr. Emily Deans discusses case studies on the effects of magnesium (this is only one!),
“A 59 y/o “hypomanic-depressive male”, with a long history of treatable mild depression, developed anxiety, suicidal thoughts, and insomnia after a year of extreme personal stress and bad diet (“fast food”). Lithium and a number of antidepressants did nothing for him… His sleep was immediately restored, and his anxiety and depression were greatly reduced, though he sometimes needed to wake up in the middle of the night to take a magnesium pill to keep his “feeling of wellness.” A 500mg calcium pill would cause depression within one hour, extinguished by the ingestion of 400mg magnesium.”
In addition, this study performed at the University of Melbourne found that magnesium deficiency is related to depression.
Here’s the recipe!
Anti-Anxiety Elixir
Ingredients
- 1 cup filtered water I use this water filter
- 1 cup of GT's lavender kombucha lavender is especially wonderful for anxiety - and delicious!
- 1 tsp Natural Calm Raspberry Lemon
Instructions
- Combine all ingredients.
- Pour over ice.
- Enjoy!
