Most people that suffer from anxiety worry that it has a physical cause. In fact, one of the main problems affecting those in anxiety treatment is the constant, nagging feeling that the physical symptoms are too severe to be something as “harmless” as anxiety, and they often look for other explanations for why they may be feeling these symptoms.
First, you need to remember that anxiety causes you to think this way. Anxiety alters thought processes so that “worst case scenario” thinking is more common. In addition, anxiety symptoms can be incredibly severe, and genuinely mimic the symptoms of major health disorders. As much as it may seem hard to believe, your symptoms very likely have no physical cause, and are simply the result of anxiety.
With regard to whether or not hypoglycemia can cause anxiety, reaesrchers in anxiety treatment say the answer is a resounding “Yes.” In fact, anxiety is one of the main symptoms of hypoglycemia. Hypoglycemia means that not enough glucose (sugar) is reaching the brain, and this causes the brain a considerable amount of stress, which leads to nervousness and anxiety.
Most of us eat large amounts of grains and sugars that cause us to have large amounts of insulin circulating in our blood. When you stop eating grains your body will take several days to lower your insulin levels. In the meantime the high insulin levels will cause you to have many symptoms such as dizziness, confusion, headaches, and generally feeling miserable.
If you eat every two hours for the first few days of your transition you will be able to avoid this temporary side effect. You will need to eat some protein, such as an egg, piece of chicken, turkey, fish or some seeds along with a vegetable such as a piece of celery, cucumber or red pepper. This will help to prevent hypoglycemia and stabilize your blood sugar.
Even after your system has adjusted, it will be wise to eat 4-6 meals a day. Eating more frequently has been shown to normalize cholesterol levels. It will also help your adrenal glands better regulate cortisol levels.
Many people ask about Equal or Nutrasweet (Aspartame). These artificial sweeteners need to be eliminated. There are more adverse reactions to Nutrasweet reported to the FDA than all other foods and additives combined. In certain individuals, it can have devastating consequences. I do not recommend the herb stevia as a sweetener, most people are addicted to grains and sugars, and stevia will stimulate the carbohydrate/sugar addiction cravings. If you are healthy you can use a few teaspoons of succanat intermittently. One should also avoid artificial chemicals like MSG.