Ask Raymond Francis

Question: I have been experiencing a lot of anxiety attacks. Some of them are just overwhelming with heart palpitations and chest pain that can last for hours afterwards. My doctor’s answer is antidepressant drugs. I know that is not addressing the causes, only treating the symptoms. Do you have any suggestions? Anonymous – Hillsboro Beach, FL

Answer: You need to work with someone who can help you with this, as it can be quite complicated. I suggest a medical practitioner who specializes in alternative approaches to these problems. There are many safe approaches to reducing anxiety. There is no need to resort to prescription drugs, which are certain to cause you a host of new problems due to their toxicity. As with any health problem, you most likely would not be experiencing it if you were eating a healthy diet. Ninety cents of the American food dollar is spent on processed foods that are toxic garbage. If you eat garbage, your body won’t work right. Garbage is something that will not give your body what it needs to keep you healthy and is unfit for human consumption. Yet this is what most people eat every day – processed foods from the supermarket. Due to the low-quality food we eat, more than 90 percent of the U.S. population is deficient in omega-3 fatty acids. An omega-3 deficiency can cause anxiety. Most people don’t consume enough fresh vegetables, and vegetables contain flavonoids, such as hesperidin, quercetin, and curcumin, which have been shown to reduce anxiety. Most Americans are deficient in magnesium, and magnesium is a natural calmative agent, reducing the over reactivity seen with anxiety disorders. White tea can be helpful, and a high-quality white tea is now available from Beyond Health.

White tea is rich in a flavonoid called epigallocatechin gallate. This flavonoid has been shown to clam the brain and reduce anxiety. One thing that you should especially look out for is to not eat any excitotoxins. These are chemicals that can excite your brain and cause all kinds of problems. Aspartame, the artificial sweetener found in most diet sodas and many diet foods is especially neurotoxic and can cause anxiety attacks. Glutamates, a class of compounds added to processed foods to enhance flavor are another source of problems. Glutamates can excite nerve cells to death. The most well- known is monosodium glutamate (MSG). However, something can read MSG-free and still be loaded with glutamates. You have to read labels very carefully. Glutamates can be disguised as vegetable protein, hydrolyzed proteins, isolated protein, natural flavoring, spices and sodium or calcium caseinate.

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