Get a Grip on Stress and Anxiety

Julian Whitaker, MD

Our country is stressed out, what with the war in Iraq and the ongoing threat of terrorism. The stressors of the modern world are magnified by continuous and up-close television and news exposure. We virtually live every conflict and its aftermath 24 hours a day. If this doesn't cause stress and anxiety, nothing will.

Go on a Media Diet
I have excluded almost all conflict coverage from my life. I don't watch it on television, read about it in the newspaper, or listen to the endless radio dialog and debate. Whenever the news is dominated by belligerent reports, I tune it out. When the presidential election was in an angry quagmire, I stopped listening. On September 11th, I saw the plane fly into the building one time and turned off the TV coverage of 9/11 for good. (And no, I don't feel "out of the loop" when it comes to current events—the important stuff always gets through.) None of us can take in all of this televised mayhem without being seriously affected.

We are drawn to reports of tragedy and disaster like moths to a flame. It takes discipline to go on a media diet. However, once you institute it, you will find that you have less anxiety, sleep better, focus more easily, and feel less drained.

Here are some additional suggestions that may be helpful in overcoming stress and relieving anxiety.

Get Outside
One of the best antidotes to stress, anxiety, and mental exhaustion is to stop what you're doing and go take a walk outside. The exercise helps, but there's more to it. Getting outside in the larger environment forces you to get outside yourself. Indoors, everything can be very close, which causes introversion of thoughts and feelings. Our everyday language actually describes this condition: we feel "boxed in" or "trapped."

However, if you simply walk outside and turn your attention to the clouds, planes, buildings, trees, cars and other objects around you, the sense of being boxed in or introverted tends to vanish. It's almost like flipping a switch in your brain. This exercise gives you a much lighter perspective and more energy. I have found this to be as good a stress and anxiety reducer as any I have ever come across.

Amino Acids Stave Off Anxiety
Another remedy for anxiety is L-theanine, an amino acid found almost exclusively in tea leaves. In fact, green tea—the most popular non-water beverage in the world—owes much of its prominence to this little-known amino acid.

Though green tea contains caffeine, it is widely known for its relaxing properties. This seeming contradiction is explained by green tea's abundance of theanine, which works on two different fronts to counteract caffeine's stimulatory effects. First, theanine increases alpha brain waves, producing a state of calm alertness. Two separate studies have shown that people who took 200 mg of theanine experienced significantly increased alpha waves within 30 to 40 minutes without any drowsiness.

Second, theanine boosts levels of gamma amino butyric acid (GABA), an amino acid that tones down the brain's response to stressful situations. GABA in turn boosts levels of dopamine and serotonin, neurotransmitters that soothe nerves and actually help create a sense of well-being. (Theanine boasts a few more claims to fame: improved concentration, immune system support, decreased blood pressure, and reduced symptoms of premenstrual syndrome.)

Guard Against Stress with Adaptogens
Adaptogens are a group of medicinal plant compounds that help modify hormonal responses and protect your body from the negative impact of chronic stress. Probably the best-known adaptogen is ginseng (Panax and Siberian), which has been shown to enhance the immune response, prevent free-radical damage, and increase resistance to stress, fatigue, and disease.

A lesser-known adaptogen is Rhodiola rosea, known as Russian rhodiola. Rhodiola also reduces symptoms of stress-related fatigue and improves short-term memory and concentration. How it works is still under investigation, but animal studies suggest that rhodiola reduces levels of the stress hormone cortisol, while maintaining healthy levels of mood-regulating neurotransmitters.

The Old Standbys for Anxiety
Finally, don't forget the old standards: Exercise, prayer, meditation, yoga, and deep breathing are all proven to decrease stress and anxiety, and consequently improve your overall health. Find something that works for you and just do it.

Recommendations
If you'd like to work with a Whitaker Wellness physician to reduce stress and relieve anxiety, call (800) 488-1500 or click here to schedule an appointment.

For help with anxiety, replace your coffee with green tea and take theanine supplements, 200-400 mg per day in divided doses. Theanine is nontoxic and will not cause drowsiness. Try ginseng or rhodiola to boost your body's defenses against stress-related problems. Dosages and potencies of ginseng vary, so look for a standardized extract and use as directed. Take 100-300 mg of a standardized extract of rhodiola per day as needed.

To order these supplements, call (800) 810-6655.

My book, Stress, Anxiety, and Depression, provides an overview of natural therapies for anxiety and other problems. To order it, call (800) 810-6655.

References
Hubbard LR. The Problems of Work. Los Angeles, CA: Bridge Publications, 1989.

Juneja LR et al. L-theanine: A unique amino acid of green tea and its relaxation effect in humans. Trends Food Sci Tech 1999;10:199-204.

Kelly GS. Rhodiola rosea: A possible plant adaptogen. Altern Med Rev 2001;6(3):293-302.

Mason R. 200 mg of Zen; L-theanine boosts alpha waves, promotes alert relaxation. Alternative Complementary Ther 2001;7:91-95.

Modified from Health & Healing with permission from Healthy Directions, LLC. Copyright 2006. Photocopying, reproduction, or quotation strictly prohibited without written permission from the publisher. To subscribe to Health & Healing, click here.
[Back to Articles]

Anxiety

Get a Grip on Stress and Anxiety

Become a member for FREE

Whitaker wellness is now a blue shield, blue cross and united health care provider!

About Us

Dr. Whitaker

The Clinic

Therapies

Health A-G

Health H-Z

Success Stories

More