Anxiety:

Anxiety:

The Best Diet for a Child With Anxiety

By Ed Donner, eHow Contributor

Dietary practices can significantly influence children's anxiety. Children are undergoing rapid growth and development so they have demanding nutritional needs. Further, they have not had time to develop tolerances and therefore may be more sensitive than adults to certain foods, additives and substances. Manage children's anxiety by avoiding foods that trigger anxiety responses and incorporating foods into their diet that enhance and stabilize nervous system, metabolic, cardiac, circulatory and endocrinological health.

Foods to Avoid

Food allergies and sensitivities can induce anxiety symptoms by directly affecting physiological systems involved in the anxiety response (e.g., by increasing heart rate) or by creating a stress response, which then triggers anxiety. Use an elimination diet to identify foods that worsen anxiety. Remove all foods from the diet that might possibly exacerbate anxiety. Then, one by one, add foods back into the diet, carefully monitoring anxiety levels. If your child does not respond with anxiety, then that food can remain in the diet.

Foods that can trigger anxiety include wheat products, refined sugar, dairy products, processed and manufactured food, foods with artificial colors, flavorings, monosodium glutamate (MSG), corn, soy, eggs, nuts, shellfish and foods that contain salicylate such as almonds, apples, apricots, berries, cherries, cucumbers, currants, oranges, peaches, peppers, plums, prunes and tomatoes.

Avoid caffeine. Caffeine stimulates the sympathetic, circulatory and cardiopulmonary systems, stimulating anxiety. Children are drawn to many snacks and beverages that contain caffeine, including varied popular sodas, hot chocolate, energy drinks and chocolate.

Avoid salty and fatty snack foods and foods with processed sugar. These foods can briefly improve mood but then cause a refractory blood sugar crash and hypoglycemia.

Dietary Practices to Enhance Well-Being

Have your child eat foods throughout the day that enhance metabolic stability. Provide a diet low in simple carbohydrates (e.g., simple sugars), high in complex carbohydrates and high in proteins. Foods that provide protein include beans, cheese, eggs, meat and nuts. Promote fresh fruits and vegetables. These provide complex carbohydrates that stabilize blood sugar levels and increase serotonin levels in the brain, enhancing mood and well-being.

Assure that each meal is well-rounded and includes foods from the main food groups of carbohydrates, vegetables, fruits, proteins and dairy. Use brown rice and whole grain products instead of white rice and bread.

Include foods that contain tryptophan such as bananas, milk, nuts, oats, peanut butter, poultry, sesame seeds and soy. Tryptophan helps the brain produce neurotransmitters that enhance mood and relaxation.

Include foods that contain omega-3 fatty acids such as tuna, salmon, herring walnuts, Brazil nuts, and olive and coconut oil.

Help your child maintain stable blood sugar levels by promoting healthy snacks of fruits and vegetables. Enhance motivation to eat these foods by preparing the food in fun ways. For example, cut apples into slices and arrange them like flower petals around a dip of nonfat yogurt or peanut butter.

Have your child drink plenty of fluids to avoid dehydration.

Have your child take a children's 100 percent multivitamin and mineral supplement on a daily basis.

In addition dōTERRA essential oils may help, without the use of pharmaceutical drugs. Here is the protocol....

Anxiety and essential oils:

This is information about doTERRA essential oils for Anxiety, The information below outlines which doTERRA essential oils can be used to help children, as well as adults, with anxiety.

Recommended essential oils for anxiety: 

Balance is highly recommended for anxiety. Balance is an amazing blend that is very grounding and helpful for recovering balance inside and outside the body. Anti-depressant, anti-anxiety, calming, soothing to the nerves, supports pancreas in processing sugar and carbs, pain relief to muscles and coordination enhancer. Apply Balance on the back of the neck, over the heart in a clockwise motion and on the wrists and rub wrists together and inhale.

Wild orange, bergamot, lime -- all give a calm sense of well being and are uplifting to the mood. This can be rubbed on the bottoms of the feet.

Lavender - calming

Frankincense - brain tonic, neurotonic, mind clearing, awareness, uplifts spirit, restores DNA and RNA

InTune - blend of essential oils selected for their ability to enhance focus and support healthy thought processes. Take InTune (which comes in a roll-on botttle) and roll it up on each side of the spine or zig zag up the middle of the back then massage it in. Put a dot behind each ear at the base of the skull and massage in. Then, roll it up the neck. Massage in.

All the above oils can be applied on the bottom of the feet, or behind the ears, if tolerated.

If the scent bothers your child, you can put the oils on the feet and then put socks on so that the smell isn't as strong, or put them on after your child is asleep.

Other oils that can help with anxiety:

Lemon, Serenity, Aromatouch, Elevation, Breathe, ylang ylang, melissa, sandalwood, Citrus Bliss, geranium, clary sage, rose, basil, cypress, marjoram.

Angie's Aloha dōTERRA website:

http://www.mydoterra.com/angiesaloha/

Consult your competent practitioner for all issues related to your own personal health. The information on this page and this site has not been evaluated by the FDA. It relates to historical application of essential oils and should not be construed as claims or medical advice.