do you ever wake up with anxiety and have you wondered what was causing it?
well today we're going to talk about one small habit that could be causing or
contributing to your morning anxiety. So make sure you stick around to the end, as
I'm going to give you five tips to stop you
waking up with anxiety. If you haven't met me before, I'm Dr. Janelle Sinclair
and on this YouTube channel we discuss natural remedies for depression and
anxiety. Subscribe and hit the bell button to be
notified about our new weekly videos. So let's discuss that small little habit
that could be giving you anxiety in the morning. Here's what it is: having a small
sweet snack in the evening. I know I know this sounds really simple and it doesn't
sound like it could make much of a difference, but it does. So let me explain
what this habit does is that it can cause reactive hypoglycemia.
Reactive hypoglycemia is low levels of glucose or sugar in the blood in
response to what we eat. And what is the problem with low blood sugars? Well the
brain can't function without fuel and if there's not enough sugar in the form of
glucose in the bloodstream your body starts to worry because it must protect
the health of the brain at all costs. Do you know what the body does if your
blood sugars drop too low? It actually gives you a shot of cortisol and
adrenaline also known as epinephrine. That's right the body raises your stress
hormones to help raise your blood sugars. Yes, cortisol and adrenaline
are the stress hormones and they're known to cause anxiety and panic attacks. So
the simple fact is that when your blood sugars drop too low in response to what
you've eaten, it can cause an adrenaline rush and therefore anxiety
so that biscuit, that hot chocolate or even that milk in your tea in the
evening could be contributing to your morning anxiety.
This doesn't happen to everyone but for people with anxiety, hyperglycemia or low
blood sugars is usually very important. But isn't it sugar what the brain needs
you might ask? Yes it needs glucose in the bloodstream but unfortunately
when we eat sugar it spikes our blood sugars up, and our body lowers the blood
sugar in response. Then you end up in the situation that, instead of having
high blood sugars, you end up with too low blood sugar.
I created a comprehensive video about six months ago on this very important
topic. It's key for anxiety, so check that out if you want to understand this more.
Now let's discuss my five tips to stop you waking up with anxiety. So tip number
one. And this is pretty obvious now, but don't eat sugary foods, processed carbs
or alcohol before you go to bed. The simple fact is that if you eat sugar or
sugary foods, even a small amount, you could be contributing to morning anxiety.
So next time you wake up anxious, ask yourself: what did I eat last night? Tip
number two to stop you waking up with anxiety. Eat protein and fat at the last
meal or snack of the day. If you have protein and fat in your meal, that will
help stabilize your blood sugars throughout the night which will lower
the risk of anxiety and reactive hypoglycemia in the morning. If you get
anxiety at periods throughout the day, this is a good habit to follow at all
your meals. So maybe for dinner consider eating meat and at least three veggies
or salad and protein with a tablespoon of olive oil for an evening snack you
could have an apple with almond butter, a chia seed pudding, or a protein smoothie
with berries and flaxseed oil. Have you tried any of these suggestions before? I'd
love to hear from you. If you've got any other suggestions for people in the
community, why don't you write them down and the
comment section below this video. Tip number three: sweeten any drinks in the
evening with stevia instead of sugar and avoid adding milk. If you're really
sensitive to reactive hypoglycemia, it is possible that even just a small
amount of sugar or milk in your cup of tea could be contributing to the spike
and then the crash and your blood sugars. Tip number four to stop you
waking up with anxiety: consider chromium supplementation. Chromium is a great
supplement for anyone that gets "hangry", has sugar cravings is overweight or has
anxiety. By supplementing with chromium your body can become less sensitive
to what you eat. There's nothing worse than having to be controlled by your
meal times is there? And making sure that you eat every two hours. So give chromium
a go. Check out my video on blood Sugar's in