Is that your fourth cup of coffee for the day? Then that explains your run-away anxieties over small matters that others take on as normal life events – moving house, having a baby, credit card bills, and the eternal battle with the bulge. Anxiety can be triggered by poor eating habits and excessive coffee and alcohol intake. If you are guilty of the two bad habits, it is time now to change your lifestyle.

Anxiety can be caused by any number of things, including your diet and lifestyle habits. Keeping your coffee intake and drinking light to moderate can go a long way towards keeping your anxiety under control. Caffeine, after all is a stimulant – and if you’re a heavy coffee drinker, you may be fueling your anxiety.

Excessive caffeine and alcohol intake upsets your natural chemical balance, making your nervous system work overtime. Caffeine’s stimulant effects cause elation at first and then an anxious state when it starts to wear off. Try reducing your coffee consumption or even breaking the habit – you’ll be surprised how much calmer and more naturally energetic you’ll be.

Alcohol is of course a depressant. Again, there is elation at first, followed by a fatigued, often anxious state. You should reduce or eliminate your alcohol intake if you want to reduce the frequency and severity of your anxiety attacks. It’s fine to have a drink or two on occasion, but if alcohol tends to cause you to become more anxious, then it should be avoided altogether. Make sure to drink enough water every day; dehydration causes your moods to destabilize and can also set off anxiety or panic attacks.

Eating smaller levels can also keep your anxiety under control. This keeps your blood sugar level steady; start with breakfast since this kicks off your metabolism for the day. Choose a healthy diet with lots of fresh vegetables, fruits and whole grains. A healthy diet boosts your serotonin levels, which gives you a sense of well-being and calm.

You should also incorporate tryptophan-rich foods into your diet. This amino acid is necessary for the production of melatonin and serotonin, which regulate moods and help you get restful sleep. Foods which are good sources of tryptophan include nuts, bananas, oats, dairy products, soy-based foods and poultry.

You also need plenty of fiber in your diet to combat anxiety. This regulates blood sugar. Menopausal women need extra calcium to reduce depression, fatigue and irritability. Anyone with anxiety issues may want to avoid the following foods which are problematic for many people – corn, shellfish, eggs, dairy product, wheat and nuts.

Limit salt intake because the body already produces sodium and potassium and eating salty foods increases the sodium levels in the body. Too much salt causes water retention and impacts on high blood pressure; worse, it makes one moody; so avoid junk foods; these have high sodium content. If you are into artificial sugars, avoid then. Some of these aggravate panic attack symptoms.

Your diet has a lot of bearing on your overall anxiety level and a good diet can make anxiety attacks less frequent and less severe. However, if your anxiety is getting the best of you, see a doctor for their advice.