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Ah, yes. Stress. So subjectivein so many ways, and yet anow-recognised diseasethat can have damagingphysical and mental implications. Asa long-time sufferer ofPTSD and anxiety, I havepractised transcendentalmeditation every day,exercised a lot, and hadnumerous psychologists whohave helped me immeasurably.I’ve spent years healing andnurturing my mind withtalk- and body-centredtherapy (the work of Besselvan der Kolk in this area islife-changing). But it wasn’tuntil I started researchingnutritional psychology thatI realised it was my diet thatwas fanning the flames ofmy stress.It makes sense. After all,when we are nervous, anxiousor stressed, we can feel it inthe pit of our stomach. There’san inextricable link betweenour head and what some callthe second brain, our gut.Our bellies house parts of ournervous, hormonal andimmune systems, meaningthat the health of yourdigestive tract can influenceyour mood. Anxiety causesinternal inflammation, and the brain is the most vulnerablearea to these effects.Eating to help anxiety is not just about healthy food, it isabout getting the correct balance of vitamins, minerals, pre-WHAT’SEATINGYOU?A healthy antidote toanxiety can be found inthe kitchen, discoversLorraine Pascale``````and probiotics. Probiotics are friendly bacteria thatare excellent for your stomach and health, whileprebiotics help nourish these organisms and providea healthy internal environment for favourablebacteria to flourish. So when you “pro” your biotics,make sure you “pre” them too. Although things likemiso, kimchi and apple cider vinegar are all excellentsources for both, they can be difficult to eat everyday, so supplements help to balance. I take Culturelleprobiotics and Bimuno prebiotics.Other nutrients which have been found to helpare: omega-3s found in oily fish like sardines, wildcaught salmon, anchovies and trout (or supplementwith Igennus Pharmepa); B vitamins, which youwill find in things like rice milk, meat and dairyproducts, oatmeal, peanuts, eggs and spinach;magnesium and zinc found in seafood, avocados,black beans, bananas and pumpkin seeds have acalming effect that decreases stress. Try one teaspoonof Lamberts MagAbsorb magnesium and 15mg ofzinc picolinate every day. Curcumin found in thatsimple pot of turmeric at the back of your kitchencupboard has been shown to reduce anxiety andeven enhance the effects of some anti-depressants.Take 3g daily with black pepper to aid absorption.So do we give up our other stress-bustingtechniques to feast solely on anchovies and avocados?No. Eating right for your anxiety is not a panacea. But it canserve to take the edge off the inevitable dramas we endureand ground the body in a steady, strong baseline. Keep calmand eat well. Q``````The healthof yourdigestivetract caninfluenceyour mood``````CALMING BANANA-BREADPANCAKES3 medium bananas (about 100geach without their skins)300g soy, oat, regular or rice milk200g flour (I prefer gluten-free)2tsp baking powdera large pinch of salt2tsp ground ginger2tsp ground cinnamonMakes about 8 pancakesPut the bananas into a bowl, addthe milk, flour, baking powder, salt,ginger and cinnamon and mashtogether. The banana will be a bitlumpy but that is OK. Put a little oilin a pan and fry the pancakes, twoat time, for about two minutes oneach side or until they are cookedright the way through. Serve withyoghurt, almonds and berries.FRANCO RUBARTELLIWELLNESS SPECIAL