JUST WHAT ARE YOU PUTTING IN YOUR BODY?
Believe it or not, your everyday diet or your lack of it, can be a HUGE culprit, if you suffer from ANXIETY, DEPRESSION or FEARFUL feelings. These are foods that put ANXIETY/NERVOUS-TYPE issues on ‘STEROIDS’.
I must warn you, though, that some of these are foods we ABSOLUTELY love. Yet, we’ll survive our obsessions. Just don’t let obsessions rule us! Cut back somehow, someway, or somewhere and TAP out your cravings with EFT (the Emotional Freedom Technique). (I’ll write another article on the EFT ‘tapping’ (in another article) that can help you out in all kinds of scenarios and situations, so there’s a LOT to talk about (in this arena) all on its’ own.
ANXIETY, NERVOUS, FEARFUL &/OR DEPRESSION TYPE FOODS…
HIGH on the anxiety, depressed list of items, is ALCOHOL. Even though, some people actually drink to calm their nerves, sooner or later, ALCOHOL strips you of your natural B vitamins (which actually boosts your nervous system) and causes the OPPOSITE effect of CALMNESS, along with those endless ‘dead sleep’ kind of nights. If it hasn’t happened to you, yet, keep drinking, and it will happen, eventually. Minor or minimal social drinking may or may not be okay, based on your physical health, your age, your faith, and/or your tendency to be an addictive personality or alcohol-dependent.
CAFFEINE is another HIGH CULPRIT on the anxiety, stress-induced list of items. It, too increases anxiety and nervousness, and decreases your serotonin levels. What has caffeine? You guessed it! America’s favorite drinks, no less, COFFEE, SODA & ENERGY DRINKS. When you drink COFFEE in low doses, maybe 1 a day, for example, this may be alright. If you’re a 5 - 6 cups a day kind of a drinker, LOOK OUT! Calmness will NOT be a word you can use in your future plans, especially from the Psych ward. (Don’t get bent out of shape, here..Just kidding!)
SODA & ENERGY DRINKS, on the other hand, are far more DANGEROUS than the coffee-addicted group, according to tests, statistics and surveys from various health groups across the country, as well as, from the FDA (Food & Drug Administration).
Sodas are packed with CAFFEINE and HFCS (High Fructose Corn Syrup). I’ll talk about HFCS, and the MAJOR dangers it brings, later in the article. In the meantime, Caffeine, along with the SUPER QUADRUPLE SUGAR of HFCS in a drink, is a combination no BODY should have to endure. This is a DOUBLE WHAMMY of gigantic proportions, and I’m not joking about this one. People who are brave enough to drink ESPRESSOS, may or may not realize, you can get up to 720 grams of Caffeine in one little tiny cup of Espresso. Yikes!
In addition to caffeine and HFCS, some of these drinks have artificial sweeteners. Now, we’ve taken a Soda from a DOUBLE WHAMMY to a TRIPLE WHAMMY of gigantic proportions. Now, your body is ‘screaming bloody murder’. Did you really think this combination was going to put you on the TRAIN OF CALM, rolling slowly down a hill to the land of PEACE and TRANQUILITY? THINK AGAIN, my dears. You’re not GOING to be IN a TRAIN WRECK, you ARE the TRAIN WRECK, if you catch my drift! This is definitely NOT the result you want, when you’re working with Anxiety, Nervousness and/or Depression.
Now, don’t think you’re getting a REPRIEVE, because you drink DIET SODA. The artificial sweeteners and caffeine in these are JUST AS BAD. In some cases, they’re actually worse, and it’s GUARANTEED that you are NOT going to lose 1 ridiculous pound from drinking DIET SODA. Ain’t gonna happen!
ARTIFICIAL SWEETENERS are CHEMICALS and are extremely dangerous inside our bodies. Our bodies do NOT recognize what CHEMICALS or ARTIFICIAL SWEETENERS are. They’re foreign to the human body, therefore, they wreck plenty of havoc, while you’re sipping away on a warm sunny day. They also cause major interruptions in your health. Teach yourself to read labels and eliminate ALL foods and drinks with ARTIFICIAL SWEETENERS in them, for your sake, for your kid’s sake, and for your grandkid’s sake. It’s THAT important. These sweeteners are present in LOTS of foods other than sodas. SO BE AWARE.
Time magazine did some in-depth reporting on ENERGY DRINKS and found ENERGY
DRINKS have had some deaths related to drinking them. In other words, some people died as a DIRECT RESULT of drinking an ENERGY DRINK. There were no round about ways or several years down the road talk, either. The deaths were IMMEDIATE and tragic. They also found that there were MANY adverse events or situations that came about from drinking them, because the amount of CAFFEINE they put in these drinks are unregulated by the FDA. So even the information listed on the cans are often INACCURATE or downright UNTRUTHFUL.
Time magazine compared a 6.5 gram cup of coffee with 80-120 mg of caffeine, to 2 teas (about 50 mg) and a 12 ounce Cola with 65 mg and and found ENERGY DRINKS in many top brands had 154 mg - 505 mg of caffeine. Such excessive amounts had terrible effects on the body causing blood pressure to rise immediately, blood sugar levels to spike immediately, and some instant deaths. Along with the infusion of HFCS, ENERGY DRINKS are SUPER-FAST ENERGY disasters waiting to happen.
If you’re high ANXIETY or STRESSED, you should NEVER, EVER be drinking ENERGY DRINKS, bottomline.
Time also discovered that 5-Hour Energy cited 13 deaths (in the last four years) and some spontaneous abortions, that happened immediately after drinking their ENERGY DRINK. Since 2009, 5-Hour Energy has had 90 filings with the FDA, with more than 30 life threatening results from heart attacks, convulsions and suicide attempts.
Healthline.com says caffeine primarily attacks the BRAIN., where it blocks the effects of adenosine, which is a neurotransmitter that relaxes the brain and makes you feel tired.
Normally, adenosine builds up, during the day, makes you more tired and causes you to want to go to sleep. Energy Drinks block this process. Caffeine also increases brain activity and blood adrenaline levels. All this combined in stimulating the brain promotes a state of arousal and a hyper-alertness. Because these drinks affect the brain so broadly, Caffeine is called a psycho active drug. In addition, caffeine stimulates the nervous system.
So, if you’re drinking ENERGY DRINKS or any other kind of CAFFEINATED DRINKS BEFORE bed, in most cases, I’d say you’d better get out your dancing shoes or turn on the TV for an all night marathon, because the brain will be planning to PARTY like it’s 1999, and there’s not a DARN thing you can do about it, right then!!!
Some people claim Caffeine has some positive benefits and IF it does, it definitely does NOT outweigh the DANGERS it promotes inside the body. Even small amounts of Caffeine, doubled with Super Sugar is MOST ASSSUREDLY, NOT a winning combo. So it makes sense that we ALL need to be ‘on top of our game’ when taking care of our precious bodies. One of the ways we can be ‘on top of our game’, is by not IGNORING the dangers that lurk right in front of our eyes, even when the dangers are downright DELICIOUS. Just A little bit of DELICIOUS goes a LONG way, so keep that in mind.
SUGAR, SUGAR, SUGAR! We ALL love it. Right? I know. I know. Me too. So, we need to talk. Just cut back. Don’t eat cookies, pie, starchy foods, sodas, ice cream, brownies and everything else with SUGAR in it, all in one week. (Mess up the chessboard, people, so to speak). For 3 days, eat some really wholesome foods that fill you up and feed your soul; then, do a little starch and sugar on the 4th day. You do know that starch (potatoes, pasta, etc) turn into sugar AFTER you eat them, right? Then, for the next 3 days, do half and half…some processed foods (you don’t seem to be able to give up) and some really, really good food for you, your body and your emotions.
HIGH FRUCTOSE CORN SYRUP (HFCS) is what I call ‘Killer Sugar’ and here’s why. HFCS is in a thousand different foods (in other words; too many of the foods we eat. It helps contribute to Type 2 Diabetes, high triglyceride levels and metabolic syndrome - and all of these boost HEART DISEASE, according to the Mayo Clinic.
They say that HFCS metabolizes into FAT way more rapidly than any other sugar and it’s 20x sweeter than table sugar, according to organicconsumers.org. Dr. Mercola says the number 1 source of calories in the U.S. is HFCS. He also says that fat has 250% more calories than sugar, and that most of this comes from drinking soda.
On top of all that, HFCS is developed from corn and all corn is now genetically modified (a GMO food) through and through. Dr. Mercola says HFCS should NOT be in anyone’s diet, AT ALL. So, we must ALL learn to read labels. HFCS is in more products than you can count and is in the lead for the U.S. obesity epidemic. It’s NOT ONLY in some of the things you regularly eat, it’s in cereals, fruit juices, cakes, pies, pastries, ice cream, preserves, canned fruits, jellies, salad dressings, sauces, and MORE….
There are a LOT more foods on the ANXIETY list, like Ketchup, Frosting, Soy Sauce, All kinds of Processed Foods, and more. I’m simply including the MOST PREVALENT ones in this article.
Once you begin doing your diet a little differently, you have the opportunity to improve your diet even more, as you get stronger and develop a stronger discipline, making your FOOD and FOOD CHOICES, even more powerful.
So let’s take a QUICK LOOK at some MORE CALMING FOODS & SUPPLEMENTS:
So, what makes us CALM…especially when it comes to food? When you look up foods that are calming, you’ll find Turkey (with the amino acid L-Tryptophan in it); Asparagus, which also has L-Tryptophan in it and balances moods; Pumpkin Seeds (which are rich in zinc, which helps the body manage stress); Shiitake Mushrooms (which has magnesium that is the anti-stress mineral; Extra Virgin Olive Oil, Omega 3s, Tuna, Turmeric and more.
However, the MOST POWERFUL Calming elements are HERBS and SUPPLEMENTS.
Anyone suffering from Anxiety, Depression and/or Nerve conditions can get SCULLCAP, VALERIAN, and CHAMOMILE Herbal Tea or Pills. These are generally excellent to calm the mind and the body. They also cause SLEEPINESS, so they’re best taken at night. Tulsa Tea, with Holy Basil is also good. The Kava Kava Herb is supposed to be a Calming Herb and a whole spectrum of B vitamins is GREAT for nerves.
So, even when you’re eating and drinking products that aren’t that good for you, you can easily go to Sprouts, Trader Joes, Whole Foods, Erewhon and other Health-type stores and get some of the Herbal Teas or Pills I just mentioned above, to begin helping your Anxious feelings.
SO WHAT IF IT’S NOT THE FOOD? WHAT ELSE HELPS?
According to author Louise Hay and people who understand that certain feelings, emotions and belief, many times are the underlying elements underneath specific conditions. In the case of
ANXIETY - (it’s been said, according to mental professionals) the emotional BASE belief for some people is NOT trusting the flow and the process of life enough, and with
NERVES - represents communication. Receptive reporters and not being able to communicate with ease and joy, and with
DEPRESSION - it can represent anger, where one feels they do not have a right to have anything, or it’s a feeling of hopelessness.
Subconscious feelings that people hold deeply are not always thought of cognitively or consciously. When this happens, the situations that really help RAISE YOUR SEROTONIN levels (to higher levels in your brain) and make your moods change are:
EXERCISES YOU LOVE
RUNNING
DANCING
WALKING
YOGA
DEEP BREATHING
PILATES
TAI CHI
GARDENING
REDISCOVERING OUTDOORS (& Smelling the Roses)
KICKBOXING
MARTIAL ARTS
GI CONG &
MEDITATION
This list is just a few things you can do to help CALM your ANXIETY. MEDITATION and proper DEEP BREATHING exercises are generally FREE and work VERY, VERY well for ANXIOUS-TYPE behavior, along with a BIG hot cup of SCULLCAP & VALERIAN tea.
You can listen to some ole school folks who give you advice about your trials and tribulations who suggest “Awww sweetie, just put on your Sunday best and go out and click up your heels for awhile”, OR your can “Llsten to the WISE words of your grandparents, great grandparents, and your great great grandparents, who said: “Slow down, stop and smell the roses, and then KNOW & TRUST that Divine, Omnipresent Spirit has your back”, and you’ll have ABSOLUTELY nothing to worry about.
Janeska Smith Asante was born in New York, New York on a frigid winter night in November. Her mother had gone to New York to keep her pregnancy a secret from her parents, even though she was at least 26 years old. To hide her pregnancy, even further, she weighed the idea of throwing Janeska over the Brooklyn Bridge, for at least 24 hours. However, she couldn’t do it, and less than a month later, Janeska ended up living with her Cherokee grandmother, on a steep hill, in a great little yellow house, smack dab in the middle of the country…Omaha, Nebraska.
Her grandmother was a diabetic and she was often sick; so before even attending school, Janeska’s grandmother taught her to grow herbs and food in the garden. She taught her how to wash dishes, clean the house, and wash clothes. At 4-years-old, she was responsible for giving her grandmother Diabetes shots and putting her to bed with HER doll (who happened to be larger than Janeska).
All of her grandmother’s friends, became Janeska’s friends. They were all over 80 and looked at Janeska as their helper and their pathway to healing. Everyday, she was creating herbal concoctions (from the garden) and preparing them for her grandmother’s friends.
There were no children who lived in her grandmother’s neighborhood. So, Janeska just read health and healing books (most of the day) that came from her grandmother’s church, the Sharon Seventh Day Adventist Church of Omaha.
Janeska thought this was normal, for kids, since she didn’t have anything to compare it to, yet.
Her granddad was a Seventh Day Adventist (SDA) minister and health and healing was a HUGE topic in the SDA Church Community. Her grandmother didn’t really pay much attention to the Health aspect as she should, yet Janeska absolutely LOVED this information. She thought that the food part of the Adventist teachings were fabulous and she spent every chance she got reading and experimenting with the herbs and remedies taught (from the Bible, from Jethro Kloss, from Ellen G. White, and other ‘whole body teachers’ of our time.
She was healing the elderly before she entered nursery school and she realized she came here with a gift and a knowledge far beyond her years. She even kept her grandmother from getting her leg cut off that doctors insisted must happen, simply from what she knew and studied, at the ripe old age of 4.
This is HOW it all started. Throughout the rest of her life, she continued to research and practice what she knew. After graduation from the University of Nebraska, with a degree in Journalism, she tripled her research and study, helping many people along the way. After that, she became Certified in Hypnotherapy & Neuro-Linguistic Programming (NLP). She added an emotional component of her healing practice, which many people don’t realize is at the core of their illnesses.
Janeska is also a Self Realization Fellowship member, founded by Paramahansa Yogananda, who initiated and taught Mahatma Ghandi Kriya Yoga and meditation, which is also a huge part of the Mind-Body-Spirit Connection she uses when it comes to health and healing. She became a Kriya Yoga initiate, like Ghandi, in 2018.
She created a Customized Chart for clients and others, to see what areas they need help in. She sends the chart out through email and does online sessions for whomever requests it.
Once she analyzes the Chart, she gives recommendations in all areas of one’s being…Mind, Body & Spirit, so each person is guided to the right things to do to correct inharmonies in the body.
Over the last 3 - 4 decades, Janeska has created a wide range of skills. She’s the author of 3 books (revolving around health and politics), wrote news for KABC (American Broadcasting Company), been a researcher of Mind, Body, Spirit Health, done Event Planning and Produced Events, been a former assistant editor for Essence Magazine, and founded ‘It’s All Connected, Inc.’, a Mind, Body, Spirit Company, which is currently spreading its message of self-healing and inner joy, to all those souls in search of these things.
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