The Surprising Connection Between Anxiety and Protein

You're busy. It's hard to eat well or even consistently. OR you have no idea what to eat.

As an acupuncture and health professional for over 12 years, I've seen a clear correlation between anxiety, fatigue, and skipping meals.

I've also seen a strong correlation between anxiety and not getting enough protein.

Timing of when protein is eaten can also make a big difference for anxiety sufferers.

Please note: that while I offer support for anxiety with this article on nutrition, please know that it can require a multi-prong approach and nutrition alone will not "cure" anxiety for all individuals. BUT for some, nutrition can alleviate most, and sometimes even all anxiety symptoms.

So what is enough protein?

No matter what gender you are, it is ideal to get 25-30g of protein at each meal.

For women and individuals with female hormones, it is especially important to eat breakfast. Breakfast needs to include 20-30g of protein. Especially for active individuals.

Check out these high protein breakfast ideas ​here​.

Now there is some debate about intermittent fasting being useful once one hits perimenopause and beyond, however, if you struggle with anxiety OR are a very active individual, I highly recommend eating breakfast. Dr Stacy Sims, international exercise physiologist and nutrition scientist specializing in women athletes, argues that active individuals in perimenopause and beyond need to avoid intermittent fasting as well. You can get more information on this here:

​https://www.drstacysims.com/nextlevel​

If you do love intermittent fasting, I recommend eating within an hour of waking up and doing a 12 hour window of eating. I also think we can get the results we want without intermittent fasting.

Easy Meals for Busy Folks

My favorite recipes for busy weeknights are sheet pan meals. They take minutes to prep and the majority of the work is done for you, by your oven. I typically will make enough to ensure one day of leftovers for an easy lunch the following day.

Here's a great link to ​30 Health Sheet Pan Meals​

How to notice if nutrition improves or impacts anxiety

Pick two weeks on the calendar to plan your meals for. Try out eating breakfast, lunch, and dinner at roughly the same time each day. Consider having a simple snack either mid-morning or mid-afternoon of something like half an apple with nut-butter of your choice, or 1/2 cup cottage cheese with some fruit.

Notice how you feel throughout the day. If you skip a meal during this experiment, write down how your mood was at the end of the day.

After the 2 week experiment, decide if it felt better in your body and mind to eat consistently. Were there less intrusive thoughts, less sensations of overwhelm or intense energy in your body, less panic attacks? Did it seem like eating breakfast within an hour of waking made a difference for your morning or even your entire day?

With those notes, you can make an informed choice on how timing of meals and protein content impact your sense of self and well being.