Most people, at one time or another, feel moments of stress. They may feel panicked after just missing another car while driving on the road, or find themselves fearful of being late for an important meeting or appointment. When someone feels a chronic sense of panic, worry, and fear without notably severe stimuli, though, they are often diagnosed with having what is known as generalized anxiety disorder. Suffering from a chronic sense of anxiety is a common affliction, particularly in the West. People who are diagnosed with this disorder are describedas suffering from an excessive amount of worry over situations that aren’t perceived as intense as their reaction to them. They have a harder time concentrating than most, and experience a shortness of breath, palpitations of the heart, and sweat a lot. It is also common for people diagnosed with this disorder to suffer from insomnia and a general sense of restlessness in any given moment.

Western medicine doesn’t make a specific claim as to the cause of generalized anxiety disorder, though it is commonly accepted that the condition is in response to a stressful environment and even biological factors. Western medicine offers a variety of therapies including the prescribing of antidepressants and anti-anxiety medication, cognitive behavioral therapies, relaxation techniques, and other counseling techniques. The formal diagnosis of generalized anxiety disorder is typically reserved for patients who exhibit symptoms over the course of six months or more.

In Ayurvedic medicine, conditions based on nervous disorders are primarily associated with the Vata dosha. This dosha represents the energy of the body related to movement and elimination, and sits in the large intestine. Properly balanced Vata energy facilitates healthy movement of the body and manifests this quality by sending the body messages through the nervous system. When waste matter isn’t properly removed from the system as a result of elimination problems like constipation, toxic matter builds up and uses the nervous system to spread throughout the body.

This imbalance of the nervous system triggers a variety of dysfunctions associated with thought, the senses, and movement. At the heart of these imbalances is an overpowering feeling of anxiety. Vata energy can become aggravated when we do things related to excessive thought and movement including talking too much, traveling too much, and exercising too much; it is also aggravated by food deprivation, eating too many dry foods, and generally depriving the body of moisture and lubrication. When we experience a severe combination of these habits and also endure significant amounts of stress in our day-to-day life, we can often experience a derangement of our senses in the form of chronic anxiety.

Like many Vata-related disorders, anxiety is first treated from the seat of this dosha in the large intestine. Patients suffering from anxiety are taught to lubricate their elimination with the intake and topical application of oils. They also work to ground the more manic aspects of their imbalances through the consumption of certain foods, and heal their nervous system with massage, breathing techniques, yoga postures, and other therapies.

By grounding themselves and resolving nervous system complaints through these various therapies, a patient will be able to settle the excessive fluctuations in their mind that lead to anxious, fear-based thoughts.

Figs (fresh)

Zucchnini

Milk (in moderation)

Berries

Beets (cooked)

Oats (cooked)

Mangoes

Carrots (cooked)

Rice (white basmati)

Apricots

Asparagus

Ghee

Peaches

Sweet potatoes

Mung beans

Apples
Pears
Watermelon
Cauliflower
Broccoli
Tomatoes
Celery

Eggplant
Corn
Oats (dry)
Barley

Avoid raw and cold foods

Most legumes including green lentils and garbanzo beans