Part of an ongoing series on how to use supplement and behavior-based plans to treat common maladies. To read the detailed supplement plan, order supplements, or download the patient resource sheets, go here to create a free patient account at Fullscript by entering your name and email address: Dr. Mark McDonald’s Fullscript dispensary
Today, the most common reason a patient comes to me is for help with anxiety.
Since 2020, anxiety has surged, as government mandates and social pressure have caused a catastrophic increase in widespread social isolation and an unhealthy focus on unimportant dangers, like contracting a cold.
As people spend less time outdoors, less time with other people, and more time alone worrying about nonsense, the inevitable consequence is an explosion in anxiety disorders.
I’ve explained in detail how to defeat this new threat in my second book, Freedom From Fear. All anxiety can be significantly minimized by consistently practicing good sleep, diet, and exercise, which I’ve addressed in previous Substacks. In fact, when people sleep poorly, they crave foods high in carbohydrates (like doughnuts) that provoke a drastic energy crash, leading them to consume even more calories for energy. Processed foods and seed oils, an American diet standard, lead to inflammation, a nearly ubiquitous pathway to all chronic disease.
Simply taking a walk for 20 minutes once a day after performing five minutes of focused breathing or somatic meditation (scanning your body from head to toe with focus and intention) can reset the sympathetic nervous system to a healthy baseline, short-circuiting the anxiety loop that leads to chronic stress and insomnia.
Many patients lack the discipline or motivation to do this work, so they come to me begging for a quick fix. “Just prescribe me Xanax or Valium.”
I always refuse. Drugs that simply anesthetize one to the pain of a life lived poorly are never a long-term solution to a chronic problem.
In place of addicting drugs, there are other options to consider. Green tea has been shown to aid in reducing anxiety when consumed at least five times a day. Apparently, the L-theanine found in the tea is a potent anxiolytic. The same goes for fish, which contains large amounts of omega three fatty acids. Chocolate, yogurt, and nuts also contain ingredients like selenium and vitamin E that reduce anxiety. Finally, herbal teas made of lavender, chomomile, and ashwagandha have been proven to ameliorate anxiety and aid in providing quality sleep.
Consuming these herbs in their natural state is ideal, but many people simply don’t have the time and energy to implement such a drastic change in their diet. I’ve developed a supplement plan that makes use of these natural anxiety relievers, and it can be easily put to use.
Below is a link to my anxiety supplement plan I provide my patients. I am now sharing it with my Substack subscribers. To access the plan, you must first create a free patient account at Fullscript by entering your name and email address: Dr. Mark McDonald’s Fullscript dispensary
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