Hi guys, I have done two 7 day water fasts in my time, and each time after around day 4 , my social anxiety is COMPLETELY gone, like I never had anxiety in my life. I can’t even make myself nervous. Does this make any sense, does anyone know the science behind this ?
So far fasting has helped with mine. I guess this all can be categorized under anecdotal evidence but here’s my experience.
I have trigger foods. Things I absolutely cannot eat if I plan on being remotely cognitively functional that day. For example certain drinks like green monster, they cause a short in my thought process. I cannot explain it, but it’s like my thoughts are spinning. It’s a strange sensation.
It isn’t the caffeine content, because if I drink white monster, it usually calms my mind. (I have ADHD).
But certain sweeteners and sugars, they mess with my brain. There’s other food additives that act similarly. Maybe it’s high fructose corn syrup?
This all sends my anxiety and social anxiety into over drive as my thoughts cannot be made coherent in my own mind.
I had a coworker. He was in the super low BMI category. Not by an eating disorder. Just grew up on Whole Foods, home made meals, lots of veggies and lean protein. He was telling me one day at work he got a ticket over the weekend because the officer thought he was drunk. The guy said he had McDonald’s for the first time in years. It made him feel high and sedated and he couldn’t function.
It wouldn’t surprise me at all to find out it’s due to your microbiota recuperating from any potentially harmful foods you may generally be eating.
I can’t begin to tell you how sensitive I am to different foods and how eating the wrong things quickly leads to anxiety and brain fog.
The gut is very important with mental health. Perhaps 4 days is enough time for your gut to heal (improve?) from whatever it’s usually struggling with and generally to become more efficient and healthier.
Anyway, congratulations on the two 7 day fasts. For me it’s quite the achievement. I’m excited to think about when I’ll be doing fasts that long. :)
I think fasting/keto increses GABA and it acts similar to a drug called Phenibut which helps with anxiety, alcohol withdrawal, insomnia, depression, stress, and many other conditions. Russian (USSR) astronauts’ were using it to help them to be more productive while sleeping less. I don’t know how popular it is in the wolrd, but in Russia it’s offen prescribed even for small children.
UPD: I used it the the past for anxiety, but now it’s way harder to buy it.
My theory is that when you are fasting your body holds on to every bit of energy you have. Things like nervous twitching and micro movements slow down a lot when fasting (which can be interpreted to your metabolism in the sense your body slows down) to preserve energy. When you are holding onto the calories, the energy you burn from unnecessarily being anxious in conditions that aren’t harmful is wasteful, and I think your body overrides your mind so that you can not waste energy on it.
I’ve noticed that my muscles become more supple and I believe it is because holding in stress within them burns more energy then feeling relaxed. Just my semi-half baked thought
Fasting helps my anxiety and depression significantly. (I think I read this once but please don’t quote me)Your body cleanses itself and removes all the toxins which results in a cleaner bloodstream. Cleaner bloodstream means clearer thoughts and a brightened mood.
I do 2-3 days fasts every so often and my anxiety, depression and negative emotions get obliterated.
I used to smoke weed to feel really good and now I just do extended fasts and it works the same lol.