Anxiety & food - flare-up - Desperate for tips

[CharlieF]

Hi, I'm new to this forum. I am desperately seeking advice on my longstanding anxiety & food sensitivity condition (interrelated). This has flared up recently after major life events & stress.

I've had the condition for 20+ years and it's not pleasant, but I have worked hard to find answers & manage it as best I can. But recent events have hit me hard & the symptoms are flaring up badly.

I basically have a kind of gut or immune system reaction (expressed as anxiety & fast heartbeat) every time I eat food, but the reaction is tolerable and only lasts 1-2 hrs if I’m in good shape. The reaction is also not that bad if I avoid a handful of trigger foods - esp 'rich' foods with high amines, salicylates and natural MSG.

I've tried so many things over the years - meditation & short breaks before meals, careful food selection, keeping stress low, deep breathing, digestive enzymes, cardio exercise, high doses of oregano oil in the morning to keep bad bacteria low (this is essential for me). But it’s still a burden.

Lately after some stress I am struggling to eat anything without feeling sick & getting rapid heartbeat. Lately as well I seem to be reacting to Vitamin B tablets which I take daily & have found essential to maintain good energy & mood.

Any tips? I am desperate. I literally can’t relax most of the time. Thank you in advance.

[tranzcrybe]

Anxiety can effectively turn your body into 'combat' mode - ready to fight or run, and definitely not settle down to a hearty (slow/calm inducing) meal. Your aversion sounds more like the association with food rather than the foods themselves (although certain foods can react with anyone by their unhealthy ingredients).

So I see you have tried a plethora of remedies with no success - here's one that might be worth a try...

While on a particularly rough ocean voyage, I was suffering significant land-lubber-itis (seasickness). A kind passenger showed me a simple pressure point treatment that somehow did the trick. It rests on the underside of your left wrist and applying a little pressure can alleviate queasiness. For practicality, you could wear a wrist band and add a button or any 'lump' to simulate the light pressure required (not too much, remember).

Start with small meals/snacks and let me know if you have any success.