Condition Spotlight: Anxiety

Have you ever awakened with a foreboding feeling? An instant angst that makes you feel like you’re already behind?

Do you struggle to fall asleep or wake up at night and find that your thoughts take over and a panicky feeling prevails? These are a common issues for many of my clients and at times, myself.

Anxiety plays a role in many health conditions and can be debilitating for some, enough to inhibit them from social engagements, create digestive issues, and possibly contribute to hormone imbalances.

One effective way to support your brain and body in staying calm is to increase your levels of an amino acid called gamma-aminobutyric acid, or GABA for short.

Key takeaways

Support GABA and decrease anxiety by:

What is GABA?

Known for its calming effects, GABA is your main inhibitory neurotransmitter. GABA’s primary job is to inhibit the activity of nerve cells throughout your nervous system. This helps your mind disengage from the alert, wakeful state and transition to relaxation and eventually, sleep. Think of it like the brake pedal on stress and anxiety.

Supplementation

While you can purchase GABA from your health food store, I am not a huge fan and typically do not recommend it in my practice. This is because GABA requires a good gut/brain barrier integrity and most Americans struggle with that. If the blood brain barrier is compromised, taking GABA in supplement form can actually increase anxiety, so we don’t even want to go there!

The good news is that there are precursors you can supplement that help our body to produce more GABA. These are the amino acid Taurine, Vitamin B6 (Pyridoxal 5 Phosphate), and Magnesium.

Ashwagandha, Passionflower and Valerian Root are gentle herbs that encourage relaxation and tranquility of mind and may increase GABA production. GABA can also be synthesized in the gut by beneficial bacteria. Eating fermented foods that are rich in probiotics, such as sauerkraut, kimchi, miso, and kefir, can help to increase GABA levels.

Also, consider adding a good multi-strain probiotic to your daily regimen. Specific strains of good bacteria, like Lactobacillus rhamnosus, Lactobacillus paracasei, Lactobacillus brevis and Lactococcus lactis have been shown to boost production of GABA.

Movement

Getting your body moving is another way to boost GABA. Regular exercise helps to increase GABA signaling in the brain. Adding 20-30 minutes of movement and physical activity to your day is a great place to start.

Studies show that meditation and meditative movement practices, like yoga or tai chi, have numerous benefits, including increasing GABA and easing stress and anxiousness. Research has also shown that people who meditate have increased levels of GABA and reduced levels of the stress hormone cortisol.

To-Do list

Another recent tip that has helped me to increase my sense of calm is a “Brain Dump.” I keep a white board in my kitchen and whenever something comes to mind, I scribble it on the board. Grocery items, to dos, don’t forgets, big ideas… my white board gets filled up during the day.

I have a tabbed journal that I add items which are big picture or project ideas. Other items also find their way to master lists by the end of the day. I then prioritize the To Do’s are then prioritized on a weekly task page and ultimately write my next day’s list as a start to my bedtime routine. I erase the white board so it’s fresh for the next day. This all helps ease my mind and release the internal chatter as I begin to unwind and restore from my day.

Give some of these tips a try and let me know. Did you sleep better by making a TO-DO list the night before? Or by drinking some Passionflower Tea before bed?