I have been promising you guys an update on my anxiety/mental health, so this post is a roundabout way of answering that question. I don’t know if I have enough information to write an entire post solely on my mental health right now because, to be honest, I’m in a really good place. During the past five years, I struggled with crippling anxiety, panic attacks, and Seasonal Affective Disorder (SAD) during the winter months. There were days when I didn’t want to get out of bed, and when I finally did, I wanted to press “fast forward” until the moment I could get back in bed at night (I talked more about my experience in this People article). To bring it back to the present, I’m currently not taking any medication for anxiety, yet I feel better than I have in a long time, have more energy, very low anxiety, and haven’t even felt the slightest bit affected by SAD this year. So… what’s different? I think there are probably a lot of contributing factors (for example, learning to say “no” more often, or my newfound love for yoga), but one thing drastically changed over the past year that I think made the biggest difference. And that’s my eating habits.
So… What Changed?
At the very core, there are some very fundamental things that changed in my diet: I cut out almost all processed foods, added a daily green smoothie, focused on food quality, started counting nutrients instead of calories, and the most important part: I always have ingredients or a prepared meal on hand for breakfast, lunch and dinner. The last one is really key – I never allow myself to skip meals or get to the point of being overly-hungry.
I’ll give you a little comparison.
The Past
Let’s rewind back to three or four years ago. I would wake up, realize that I didn’t have any ingredients to make breakfast, so I would decide to skip it. After working a few hours, I would head to the bakery next door for a cinnamon roll and a sugary coffee drink. I would spend the rest of the morning in “work mode,” and then around 2pm realize that I was absolutely starving and, again, didn’t have food in the house. I might order a Jimmy Johns sub or get in the car and pick up a Chick-Fil-A chicken sandwich, fries and a Coke. When dinnertime finally rolled around, I would heat up a Lean Cuisine in the microwave (I seriously thought this was a “healthy” dinner!). For dessert, I might have a glass of wine and some candy.
The Present
Here’s a snapshot of one day last week: I woke up, made two scrambled eggs (pasture-raised) with a teeny bit of grass-fed butter, along with a cup of coffee. Mid-morning, I whipped up a green smoothie with spinach, banana, ginger, turmeric, mango, and celery (you can find my recipe here). For lunch, I had a huge veggie and spinach salad already prepared in my fridge. I got a little hungry while I was working in the afternoon, so I ate a handful of raw almonds and cashews. Chris got home from work around 5:30, and around 6 we started cooking one of our favorite meals: Italian meatballs (from organic, grass-fed beef) with spicy tomato sauce and spaghetti squash. For dessert, I had two squares of my favorite dark chocolate.
It wasn’t until about six months of eating this way, that one day it dawned on me… I hadn’t had a single panic attack in the past six months. And what about anxiety? It was almost completely absent from my life… in fact, things were going so well that I hadn’t even noticed my anxiety was gone. It took me a while to realize the root cause for this, but when I did it was like a lightbulb going off in my brain – the realization that how you eat can actually help fix – or fuel – anxiety. Looking at my past diet, I recognize now how my huge spikes of hunger seemed to “prime” my body for an anxiety attack, and the foods I chose were over-processed, full of chemicals and preservatives, and contained almost no nutritional value. My energy levels were incredibly unstable, and I may have been meeting my caloric needs for the day, but there is no way I was hitting my nutrient needs!
Here’s a little breakdown of exactly how I eat these days.
My Current Eating Habits
Cut Out Processed Foods
If it has an ingredient list with names you can’t pronounce, cut it out of your diet! If it has preservatives and refined white flour or sugar, don’t even keep it in your house – these items are empty calories and can lead to spikes in blood sugar and insulin levels. I rely on whole foods for nearly everything I put in my mouth – that means lots of fruits and vegetables, greens, nuts, seeds, eggs, herbs and spices, etc. We cook almost every single night in our house, too, so we know exactly what’s in our meals. This cookbook has been a wonderful addition to our kitchen – we’ve made probably a dozen recipes from it and every dish has been amazing.
Count Nutrients, Not Calories
Did you know that you can be meeting your caloric needs for the day, but still be “undereating?” This can easily happen if you aren’t hitting your nutrient scores for the day. Calories are not a good indicator of the worth, nutrition, and vibrancy of a food – they’re a metric of energy, not nutrition. A rice cake has less calories than an avocado, but which do you think has more nutritional value? When you’re eating nutrient-dense foods, you don’t even need to count calories – your body is intelligent, it will let you know when you’re hungry and when you’re full. If you really listen to those hunger cues and fill up on satisfying whole foods, your body will naturally reach homeostasis and you’ll be able to maintain your perfect weight. And counting nutrients is honestly fun. I actually have turned it into a little competition with myself, to see just how many nutrients I can pack in during a day!
Drink Water All Day Long
Another big change in my diet was drinking more water. For a long time, I “didn’t like the taste of water” and I hardly drank any at all throughout the day (I probably didn’t like it because it tastes plain when compared to sugary sodas). Looking back, I’m almost positive I was in a constant state of dehydration. Research has even linked mild dehydration to depression and anxiety, and it totally makes sense when you think about it: every system in the human body counts on water to function, and the brain is no exception (in fact, about 75 percent of brain tissue is water). Long story short, dehydration causes your brain to slow down and not function properly, which can lead to a whole bunch of cognitive problems, including feelings of anxiety and depression. Over the past year, I cut out pretty much all sodas and sports drinks and started thinking of water is an important nutrient that I need to continue to take in throughout the day.
Prepare in Advance
This last point is absolutely KEY for me. In years past, I never used to plan out my meals and this often lead to me skipping breakfast or lunch and then feeling overly hungry and searching for any food I could get my hands on. I really think these spikes of hunger indirectly impacted my spikes of anxiety (even though I didn’t realize it at the time). Now, I make sure to plan ahead. I do all of our grocery shopping on Sundays and spend at least a few hours preparing lunches and snacks for the week. Because we cook so often, we usually have healthy leftovers in our fridge at pretty much every moment in time. Because our refrigerator and pantry are so well-stocked, I never have to question what I’m going to eat or feel tempted to run out for fast food. My energy levels feel stable all day long, and my body never has to worry about whether or not it’s going to get fed on time. It truly has been life-changing.
I do want to put a disclaimer out there that this is just the story of what worked for me. I’m not encouraging ANYONE to go off of their anxiety medication or anything like that. But regardless if you do suffer from anxiety or not, these are all great tips and will still benefit your body and mind. As Hippocrates said a looong time ago: “Let food be thy medicine and medicine be thy food.” After having experienced the benefits myself, I truly believe in the power of good nutrition and eating whole foods, especially vegetables!
I’d love to hear your thoughts and opinions below!
Have a great Monday, everyone!
I completely agree with you! Once I started focusing on food habits and things I was doing to make ME happy, like working out, going on walks, and having a pamper night once a week I noticed my anxiety almost completely subsided. And now when I do eat poorly and things start to derail from there, it all comes back.
Love your motivational Monday’s! They’re some of my favorite blogposts ❤️
I also changed my eating habits a while back and saw a noticeable difference. I suffer from debilitating anxiety and taking care of myself is the number 1 way I can control it. I also recommend going totally caffeine free. I did this about 8 years ago and I sleep way better, I am way more hydrated and I am less pron to panic attacks because I am not amping up my system
Loved this post! Can you do an updated workout routine post soon? Thanks!
Thank you for sharing!! I also had such terrible panic attacks that at one point I couldn’t even drive, my mom or my little sister had to take me everywhere. I heard about food being a trigger 3 years ago and transformed my diet, now it is almost exactly like yours (I 100% gave up gluten, though I eat a lot of grass fed meat which is a staple in my country).
It’s so important that someone like you with a voice and many followers talk about this, because it’s such an “easy” solution to literally a life changing problem. Thank you 💛
This is such a great article and I totally relate! I am sure that I could help eliminate some of my anxiety and depression with being more prepared!! I am going to order that book and try to get motivated to be more prepared. Thanks so much. Best always, Violet
This is extremely helpful so thank you for sharing! I am going to try adopting some of your habits.
To clarify, what do you mean by counting nutrients? Do you have certain nutrients you want to eat per day?
I love this post! Thank you for being so open and sharing your experience. I too have terrible anxiety (though mine has some postpartum roots) but today is literally day 1 of overhauling my diet! I opened my phone and saw this post 💖 meant to be for me. Can you elaborate on how you count your nutrition throughout the day? Thanks so much 😘
I love that top!!!! Where is it from and still remember your comment regarding switching from coffee to tea…I am doing the same!
I love that top!!!! Where is it from and still remember your comment regarding switching from coffee to tea…I am doing the same!
I loved reading this because i totally relate and Im pretty sure Im also dehydrated 99% of the time but i guess its more that I dont feel thirsty so i dont drink water. Even with meals I never NEED a drink which is odd. I have to force myself to drink water more often.
I do believe nutrition is a big factor in my anxiety as well so im gonna make some changes to my diet as well!
Absolutely agree with all of these tips! I feel so much better when I eat healthier! I am going to get that cookbook, looks so good!
Olga
http://www.littlethingsolga.com
Love this, I’m a college student (so already hard to eat well lol) and I’m far from home. Its been hard but I’m going to try some things you suggest 🙂 Love you! Happy Monday
This was such an interesting read! Thank you so much for taking the time to write about this topic and share from your experience. Last Friday, I saw a therapist for the very first time to discuss the depression and anxiety that I believed for so long that I’ve been dealing with. I was diagnosed that day with GAD (Generalized Anxiety Disorder) and learned how severe mine is. The depression is something that she wants to re-asses over time and with more therapy visits. I didn’t realize you dealt with something similar and struggled with anxiety, too!
It’s nice to know what has helped you for the past 6 months. I’ve come a long way with my eating and I do way more cooking at home; as well as am being mindful of the types of meals I make. My husband and I have cut out a lot of bad things (like processed meats, too) but still have a ways to go! One thing that I really do need to work on is not skipping meals, however. I meal prep and plan very well for our dinners throughout the week. But I need to work on doing better with that for breakfast and lunch, too. Your post just inspired me to be more mindful and considerate of that. So thank you!
I’m very happy for you and that you’ve seen such wonderful improvements! <3
xx
Key
https://storiesbysuddreth.com/
I can 100% vouch for this. I used to have anxiety attacks and get frequent massive migraines, usually spawned by hunger. I also couldn’t go for more than two hours without eating something. I even went to a migraine neurologist who told me to take like 3 different drugs — YUCK! So instead I decided to work on my diet first to see if that helped. I listen to the Ultimate Health podcast which you recommended (thx) and also read a few books about nutrition. I cut out processed sugars (I still have honey), processed foods, and soda and incorporated more whole fresh vegetables into my diet. I have a spinach/kale and fruit smoothie every morning with a pasture raised egg or oat bran to make sure I start my day off packed with nutrients. I stopped skipping meals and prioritized eating at relatively the same time every day. I’ve been doing this for about 4 months and I have only had like 2 bad headaches the entire time (after I caved and had a coke and a couple donuts haha). I have more energy, my anxiety is almost none existent, and I can go a normal amount of time without eating anything. I feel balanced and very happy!
BTW I love your motivational Monday posts. I have read all of them and follow your instagram and appreciate that your work is thoughtful, honest and helpful to others. While there are some expensive things on your blog, I love that you try to find more affordable clothing options that look great for your readers. Many people to use their money for their kids or bills, etc, and can’t afford to spend a ton on their wardrobe. Your affordable options highlight that you don’t have to spend a ridiculous amount of money to kill it in the fashion department. I think more fashion bloggers need to be doing that. Thanks and keep up the great content 🙂
Wow, this is truly inspirational…to think of food as being necessary for its nutrients as opposed to thinking of it as “good” or “bad”. It’s necessary to fuel the body. Thank you Caitlyn for sharing your story!
Thank you for sharing this!! I’ve been struggling with depression and anxiety too and I think implementing these tips will really help.
I really love this blog post. Although I do not have anxiety or other mental issues, my daughter does. I shared this post with her. I also love all your post, especially your healthy recipes.
YES YES YES to all of this!!!! LOVE it so much and thrilled you’ve seen such amazing changes. Very happy for you!
xo Laura Leigh
http://louellareese.com
Isn’t insane how much your diet influences everything in your body including your mood!!?! I totally agree, and see a difference when I am nourishing my body versus eating more of a celebration diet, haha. It is such positive reinforcement to eat well because of how great I feel mentally and physically, when I eat good foods!! Way way back in the day, when four humors medicine was practiced, a lot of treatments would be changes in diets, so it is crazy that diet can be linked to mental health for hundreds of year! Love this post so much! 🙂
xx Libby
https://premedwearspearls.blogspot.com/
Great post Cait! Could you please do a blog post on how you count nutrients and what nutrient goals/ratios you aim for each day? Thank you!
Happy you are feeling well. Was wondering how you track your nutrients I think this is a great idea to focus on vs calories any apps you use?
Such inspiring advice!! I’ve been struggling with anxiety, and I definitely think my essentially junk food diet has something to do with it. I’m going to try to cut out processed foods and focus on nutrients and see how it goes! Thanks for always being the best!💞
I love this!!! I eat a Paleo diet (grain, gluten, dairy and refined sugar free) and it has made the biggest difference in my life. I truly feel amazing! Thank you for being so open and honest!
Thank you for putting this out there ! I’ve dealt with anxiety since I turned 31 and I’m just now trying to manage it through diet and exercise. I applaud your bravery for acknowledging dealing this issue!
I absolutely loved this post! It has inspired me to look at my diet and how it really needs to change as I suffer from anxiety and depression. My top priority is to swap out soda for water! I’m curious, how do you properly track nutrients? I used to count calories which was terrible. Counting nutrients sounds much more healthy! Also, where do you purchase Nellino’s Hot & Spicy Sauce that you recommended? Would love to try it! I live in Charleston so there are quite a few grocery stores in the area.
Thank you so much for sharing this post!!! The tips are so helpful. You talked about how you made it a competition with yourself to see how many nutrients you pack in a day… on your next post, could you possibly discuss ways that are best for keeping track of the nutrients? Certain apps? Again, I loved the post. Thanks for sharing! 💖
As a pastor, can I mention one more thing that, in my experience, can effect someone’s mental health — reading these scary, spooky thrillers. I’m not being weird —as you know, the spiritual realm is very real and many women open themselves up to negative emotions by what they feed their mind. Focus on all the good, uplifting, inspiring novels that are out there.
Joanne, I think you’re out of line telling Caitlin what books she should focus on, especially as you are a member of her book club. I’ve been following Caitlin for many years and she has done lots and lots of book review posts and the majority are thrillers. She enjoys them, we in the book club enjoy them, that’s why we joined and we knew what to expect when joining the book club. If you don’t like ‘spooky thrillers’ then perhaps it would be in your best interest to join a different book club rather than trying to suggest that Caitlin change what she reads! I’ve seen your comment in the book club and now here – give it a rest!
I have to agree with Joann. I am not in the book club but I am a counselor and I have seen the link between what we read and mental health, especially if we read thrillers before lights out. Maybe those who love the books could try a fast from it like some do caffeine or other things and see if it makes a difference in sleep or anxiety.
I found that I had to stop suspenseful shows, movies, and most of the news, to help my peace of mind and anxiety. Not being in her book club, I can not speak on the books, but things other than food can certainly influence our mental health.
I loved this blog post. I am curious to hear how you stay healthy while you travel. I’m pretty good with eating healthy at home but it’s a challenge when I travel or go out to eat. Do you have any tips on these situations?
This post is so important for the world we live in. I know all these things to be true, I am on the same journey and this is encouraging me even more during weak moments. Thank you for being vulnerable enough to share your mental health process with us. I’m certain it will help many and for that you should know you are making a difference . So well written, informative, and encouraging! I’m thankful for bloggers out here such as yourself spreading such hope and positivity…oh and amazing style obviously! 💖
A great update. I think we often forget the value of quality nutritious food. It’s why even at times in the past when I went vegetarian, I was actually still eating unhealthily.
In our household we recently have been focusing on NUDE food. The plan was to reduce plastics and waste, but it worked out that we eat so much healthier as most nude food that isn’t packaged is good old fruit and vegetables.
Deneale | Goldfields Girl
http://www.goldfieldsgirl.com
This is great!!! So happy for you!! I found out I had a intolerance to certain foods this year and have also changed my eating habits. I fill ten times better. Love what you said about counting nutrients. Can you share more snacks and healthy meals you eat daily? I am always looking for new healthy foods to try.
I love how you shared your experience on eating well. It affects so many things seen and unseen. I too have experienced the positive side effects of a healthy lifestyle. Your shared tips and recipes continue to inspire me. I love the content on your blog. Job well done.
💕RP
I have to admit, I owe you a genuine apology: I first came across your blog for the fashion, then signed up for Blog emails. In the beginning there were quite a few judgy eyerolls. I’m reading about this beautiful rich girl…seemingly perfect and naive to what real life in the working middle class is. I am a 35 year old mom of 3, including a set of 5 year old twin boys 😳 living on a farm so far beyond her prime years of living in the suburbs as a fashionista. However, a sense of respect began to form. Although your outward beauty is apparent, the honest and transparent grace in which you express in your blog are most admirable and beautiful.
I 100% agree with this! I also have had horrible anxiety and mixed with SAD it makes the winters unbearable. I started eating Keto this year and have noticed a huge improvement in my anxiety! I live in Canada and there has been so little sunlight this winter that SAD is still around but I’m managing to regulate it without medication this year which is always a plus!
I am loving all these Motivation Monday posts! This one especially! Even though there is still room for me to inprove on my eating habits, this for sure has made a difference in my mental health. Thanks for sharing this!
This blogpost is absolutely fascinating! I do struggly from anxiety and it has been especially severe the past 6-8 weeks – to a point where in my head I almost accepted that this was the mental state I am now living in and I had NO idea how to make myself feel better even the slightest. What I notice now is that I have tremendiously increased the amount of artificial sugar I am eating currently, as it is a little bit of a “quick fix” (chocolate = endorphines and energy), but it is absolutely clear that sugar actually fuels anxiety. I am so going to try out your tips you are listing here and will stick to them for an extended period of time!
xx Janine
https://walkinmysneaks.blogspot.com
Love this so much. I know that my diet typically affects my mood and levels of anxiety. I am much more anxious when hungry or when I have too much sugar or caffeine during the day. Eating balanced and healthy is ideal for good physical and mental health!
Loved this informative and honest post, Caitlin. The cycle you described of finding yourself hungry and in a poor mental state after eating late or skipping meals due to not having groceries on hand is all too familiar. Eating less processed and more whole foods has been a goal of mine ever since pre-pregnancy (and fell to the wayside after becoming a busy mom), so I’m happy you’ve gotten yourself into a good place and routine early on. I needed this reminder to make that goal a priority again!
I would love to know how you count the nutrients! I have the app Lose It premium and it breaks down macros, fiber, sugar- do you use something else that will show you Vitamin A , B etc?
I have been in hospital for similar things years ago and I was eating absolute junk for about 6 weeks straight at that time in my life along w using tons of plug in scented oil bulbs…. I think that had a serious impact on my health.
I see a lot of patients who only eat fast food 🙁 it’s really sad. So many conditions are life style based but it’s really hard to make changes.
I switched to plant based diet a month ago and I have a lot more energy. I learned that you like what foods are familiar to you and you have to just keep eating new foods until you get used to them. I like salad now! Absolutely crazy- bc I grew up being a picky eater eating mainly carbs like bread and maybe some fruit with no vegetables ever.
Hi Caitlin! I love that you wrote about this because I know you will reach the masses and this needs to be shouted from the rooftops! Whole, non-processed foods are the key to quality health and disease prevention! If you or anyone else wants to learn more, I’ve found Dr. Mark Hyman’s podcast, the Doctor’s Farmacy, incredibly helpful! His book – Food, What the Heck Should I Eat is even more amazing! Thank you so so so much!
This is excellent. Could you elaborate more on what you use to count your nutrients?
Love you and love your blog! Thank you for being willing to be so raw and open with your personal life, your health and what has worked for you. I think it helps to spread awareness and and also open the door for dialog. Love the ideas and encouragement for healthy food choices as well!!! XOXO
I love your motivational Monday posts. I have been making little changes in our life based on the information you provide. One big one for our household is phasing out as much plastic as possible. I was wondering if you have done any research on Tervis tumbler type plastic? I have given up my daily water bottle and have switched to bringing a tervis to fill throughout the day but is this plastic harmful too?
Hiiiii! I just found you randomly today! (I’ll call it a God thing!). I have GAD-generalized anxiety disorder. Currently on Prozac & struggle with many of things mentioned above. I carry an Ativan with me @ all times “just in case”. Can you explain the counting the nutrients part!? I don’t know how much of what I need. When I was on lexapro I gained almost 20 LBS & I need to lose weight & desperately want to feel better.
Caitlin, with your level of influence I’m so glad to see you writing posts like this. Thank you for being vulnerable. Some bloggers post about this kind of thing (healthier eating) to be “trendy” but it’s clear from your regular posts that this IS in fact your lifestyle. I think that it’s great that you were able to make the connection to how food affects moods and our brain. I’ve been researching optimal nutrition an health since my late teens and now 20+ years later I’m so glad I learned what I did, when I did. My diet isn’t perfect but I feel it gave me a huge edge and my lifestyle was so clean that when I got pregnant 7 years ago and had my daughter 6.5 years ago, I hadn’t even had so much as a cold during my pregnancy. She is one of the healthiest babies/kids I know-no ear infections ever, illness beyond a simple cold and to this day she is so incredibly bright and herself loves veggies as I’ve made it a priority to juice for her, present veggies at every meal and limit the junk. When she does have candy/treats, I make sure they are organic and don’t contain terrible oils or too much sugar, and water is the drink of choice.
I’m sorry you had to go through such a dark time for 5 whole years, but God works all things together for His good for those who love him. Sharing this info with your 1M followers is sure to benefit others! 🙂
I’m so happy that this helped your anxiety, Caitlin! I have anxiety and panic attacks every now and then, but never wanted to go the medication route unless absolutely necessary. Since I’ve started meal prepping and eating more at home, as well as going to the gym a few times per week – I’ve been able to notice a difference! I really think you’re onto something here. It’s amazing how a lifestyle change with food can help other areas of our lives.
Make Life Marvelous
I am so happy for you!!!:-)
I don’t have an anxiety background but I can totally agree that even without anxiety you feel so much better just eating home cooked meals and leave out processed food!!
I read ‘Body Love’ by Kelly LeVeque two years ago and it totally changed my thinking about food. I highly recommend it, it is full of research:-)
Now I work out every day for half an hour and don’t eat processed food and lost 20 pounds with that even if that wasn’t my goal. My goal was to be fit and healthy and I can totally relate to your feeling so great:-)
Xx Kirsten
Thanks for sharing! I need to try these tips.
http://www.thegirlswhobrunch.com
Love this! Very helpful, I am trying to stay healthy and control my anxiety as much as I can. Thanks for sharing
I’ve been following you for a few years now and I am really interested in your diet. I was diagnosed with a hormonal imbalance that can only be cured with a healthy diet. I recently read the book How Not to Die (per your suggestion— AMAZING! I seriously might read it again). Do you eat mainly plant based and eat meat sometimes? Do you exclude dairy? How do you keep your protein up when you eat mainly plant-based meals?
Hey Alex, yes I mainly eat plant-based! I do eat dairy and meat occasionally, but only the highest quality available. So for chicken and eggs I look for pasture-raised and organic, and for beef and milk I look for grass-fed and grass finished, organic, etc. As for protein, a lot of plant foods are actually pretty high in protein like lentils, chickpeas, beans, quinoa, wild rice, chia seeds, nut butter, etc. I think if you eat a varied diet you will be fine! I heard most Americans actually get too much protein in their diet and you can get enough from a vegetarian diet without even really trying!
Hi- I really enjoyed this read. My boyfriend is going through some anxiety difficulties and it has really been insightful to read about your tips! Thank you!!!
Hi!! Thanks for sharing your post , I screen shorted your entire post in pieces to my daughters who have shared to me their struggles with anxiety!! Is there a way for them to read this by me sharing whole post? Thank you again!!❤️❤️
As someone who struggles with anxiety and panic (and who also is over 45) it never dawned on me that my eating habits could be contributing to my issues. THANK YOU for sharing this. I’m going to start working on meal plans for the week and try to incorporate more healthy options.
Thank you for sharing!
Random, but I’m trying to switch to a non chemical toothpaste, is there any you use or could recommend?
Hey I’m a new follower and I’m really enjoying all your content! I saw you focus on a lot of vegetables and Whole Foods are you a vegetarian or no?! I am and I can relate to anxiousness when I let myself get too hungry sometimes I feel like I lack in protein to fill me up what are forms of protein you eat throughout the day to keep you full and satisfied?!
I was vegetarian for a while! but when I started trying to get pregnant I started eating meat again for fertility!