Anxiety is a normal part of the body's response to stress, which allows you to cope with threats or dangers by flooding your system with "fight or flight" hormones. However, anxiety also can interfere with everyday life, causing panic attacks, depression, sleeplessness, digestive problems, and lowered resistance to infection. Effective stress management is essential to the management of anxiety, and the diet needs to contain adequate nutrients to stabilize blood sugar levels.

Recommended vitamins:

• Vitamin B complex -- 25 to 50 mg daily
• Vitamin B-1 -- improves mood
• Vitamin B-6 -- essential for a healthy nervous system
• Vitamin B-12 -- helps to produce feel-good brain chemicals
• Pantothenic acid -- needed to make anti-stress hormones
• Folic acid -- reduces homocysteine levels, which can increase depression
• Vitamin C -- boosts the immune system
• Vitamin D -- controls calcium absorption
• Vitamin E -- helps brain cells to get oxygen

• Calcium -- increases relaxation (500 to 1,000 mg daily; older women may take 1,500 to 2,000 mg)
• Chromium -- stabilizes blood sugar levels
• Magnesium -- a muscle relaxant, crucial for nerve function (250 to 500 mg daily)
• Multi-trace mineral formula
• Zinc -- boosts brain function (15 mg of elemental zinc once or twice daily)

• Amino acids -- tryptophan alleviates insomnia
• Chamomile
• Hops
• Inositol hexanicotinate: 250 to 500 mg daily
• Kava
• Skullcap
• St. John's wort / Phenol complex -- improves mood (300 mg one or twice daily)
• Valerian -- helps encourage sleep

• Wholemeal pasta
• Brown rice
• Wholemeal bread
• Oats
• Fresh fruit and vegetables
• Low-fat dairy products
• Pumpkin seeds

• Fast-releasing or refined carbohydrates such as sugar, white bread, white rice, and refined cereals -- cause blood sugar levels to fluctuate, affecting energy levels and mood
• Sugar
• Stimulants such as coffee and caffeinated soft drinks -- cause jitters
• Alcohol -- increases depression
• Aspartame
• Monosodium glutamate (MSG)