7 Proven Ways to Treat Anxiety Without Any Drugs

Try these natural stress-relievers when you're feeling frazzled.

Eat less fat

Weight gain and high blood sugar from a high-fat diet could cause anxiety, found a mice study in the British Journal of Pharmacology. Once the mice moved to a lower-fat diet, their anxious symptoms decreased. Plus, eating more fat seemed to make antidepressants less effective. Pick lean cuts of meat and avoid cream-based sauces and dressings high in saturated fat. Check out these tips on using less fat when you cook.

Practice yoga

Anti-anxiety drugs often work by increasing gamma-aminobutyric acid (GABA), a chemical in the brain that helps regulate nerve activity. To boost GABA levels without a pill, give yoga a shot. Studies have shown that a session can increase GABA levels, decrease anxiety, and boost your mood. Try subbing a yoga class in for your usual exercise routine to drive away anxiety. Try these morning yoga stretches for instant energy.

Take a deep breath

It sounds basic, but this advice became common for a reason. When you’re stressed, your body turns to quick, shallow breathing during its fight or flight mode. But taking a slow, deep breath can stimulate the vagus nerve, which puts the brakes on that stress response and tells your body to relax. When anxiety starts to hit, inhale with your belly—not your chest—and let the air out with a long, slow breath. Learn more about healty breathing tips here.

Use a weighted blanket

Wrapping yourself in a weighted blanket applies deep touch pressure—the same comforting sensation as being hugged, held, or stroked. The pressure can help relax your nervous system and encourage your body to produce the mood-boosting hormones endorphins and serotonin. In one study, 63 percent of users said they had less anxiety after lying under a 30-pound blanket for five minutes.

Tackle your cell phone addiction

College students who felt addicted to their phones and the Internet scored higher on depression and anxiety scales, found a University of Illinois study. Those who just used their phones to kill time and beat boredom weren’t as likely to have those negative mental health outcomes. If you feel like you’re overly dependent on your phone, designate certain hours of the day to leave the screen off. Here are other ways technology can make you sick.

Get a good night’s sleep

You might feel like anxiety is keeping you up all night, but your lack of sleep may actually drive your anxiety, suggests a University of California, Berkeley, study. Participants were shown pictures, first after a full night’s rest, then after pulling an all-nighter. Images before each picture indicated if it would be an unpleasant or neutral picture, or if it was a toss-up which type participants would see. After a sleepless night, volunteers had more activity in their emotional brain regions when they didn’t know which type of picture to expect than when they were well-rested, especially if they were naturally anxious people. The researchers say extra sleep could help calm people who find themselves worrying too much about the future. Having trouble getting a good night's rest? Find doctor-approved sleep advice here.

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6 Signs Your Diet Is Making You Tired

You'll be shocked at which common eating habits and foods make you sleepy. Here's how to switch to high-energy foods.

You rely on coffee more and more

Coffee provides you with a morning wake-up call, and maybe an early afternoon pick-me-up. However, if you find yourself reaching for the coffee cup throughout the day, you might be compensating too much. Skipping the afternoon java could also boost your energy, along with these other fatigue-fighting tricks. Before drinking that fourth cup, reevaluate your diet and try to add more energy-rich foods.

You don't snack

When starting a weight-loss plan, you may want to cut out as many calories as possible; yet Mayo Clinic warns against this tactic. Going more than four hours between meals can leave blood sugar in the basement and you feeling lifeless. A healthy and well-planned diet allows for snacking. Try noshing on fruits and veggies with hearty fiber to fill you up. Here are some healthier snack ideas.

You’ve sworn off all sugar

Yes, sugar is the health villain du jour right now. Yes, you should be conscious of hidden sugar in packaged and frozen foods. And yes, if you are eating too much sugar, take steps to cut back. But be conscious that your body also needs some sugar to function. Avoiding an apple as a snack because it has natural sugar, for example, is a sign of taking diet restrictions too far. Foods like fruit or milk naturally have some sugar—along with a wealth of energizing nutrients.

You’re not eating carbs

Don't fear carbs. Your body needs grains to function well and not feel sleepy 24/7. The key to a successful diet is a well-rounded source of fiber-rich and complex carbs, according to WebMD. Check out these healthy carbs that nutritionists want you to eat.

You skip breakfast

You might be in the habit of grabbing a cup of coffee and running out the door, but if you find yourself feeling sleepy mid-morning or late-afternoon, it's a good idea to reevaluate your morning eating habits. A protein-packed breakfast helps balance your blood sugar and provides a steady stream of energy throughout the morning. Check out these suggestions for healthy breakfast ideas.

You’re exercising too much

Too much exercise and too few calories can put your body in starvation mode, says livestrong.com. Rather than losing more weight, your body will go into crisis mode. This causes you to store more calories as fat and leaves you feeling like a zombie. Rather than becoming obsessive about burning calories, try to live an active lifestyle and walk as often as you can during your regular day. Here are 16 ways you can lose weight by walking.

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Weird Ways the Sun Affects Your Body (Besides Sunburn)

A better night’s sleep? Happier mood? A strange rash? Spending time in the sun has upsides and downsides you’ve never heard of.

Strained eyesight (or worse)

For many, vision problems are an unavoidable consequence of aging, but research shows that exposure to the sun can make these issues even more severe, particularly for people over the age of 40. According to a 2011 study by researchers at Fordham University, the same UV rays that can cause harm to your skin can also damage your eyes, increasing the risk of developing cataracts or other vision problems. In serious cases, this can lead to complete blindness, the study says. Fortunately, the researchers offer a simple fix to the issue: sunglasses. Here are 13 other simple ways to improve your eyesight.


Older-looking skin

“All of the signs that we as a culture consider part of looking old are mostly caused by the sun,” Dr. Reichenberg says. For the most part, this includes wrinkles and brown sunspots on the skin, he says. Dr. Reichenberg says some simple lifestyle changes, such as wearing a broad-brimmed hat or applying a daily facial sunscreen, can make a huge difference. Plus, dermatologists have a few tricks up their sleeve to erase the signs of aging overnight.

Red, blotchy skin

Years of unprotected sun exposure can lead to permanently red, blotchy skin, says Jason Reichenberg, MD, associate professor at the University of Texas-Austin’s Dell Medical School and chief of dermatology at Seton Healthcare Family in Austin. As you age, the sun thins your skin and loosens the structure around your blood vessels, causing them to dilate and generate red and brown areas, primarily across the cheeks and neck. “All of the building blocks of the skin melt, almost like an egg,” Dr. Reichenberg says. When this “melting” process happens, the collagen in your skin spreads out, allowing the blood vessels to appear through the skin. And unfortunately, this condition is irreversible once it begins. “You can’t un-cook an egg,” Dr. Reichenberg says. Here’s how to tell whether that facial rash might be something more serious.

A better night’s sleep

A 2013 study from the University of Colorado at Boulder found that natural light from the sun regulates your circadian rhythm, or internal biological clock, and standardizes your sleep cycle. According to the study, your natural sleep schedule coincides with the timing of the sunrise and sunset. When you regularly expose yourself to sunlight, your body can properly set its internal clock to align more closely with the natural light cycle, and you can count on a solid night’s sleep to carry you through your day. Here, other tips from sleep doctors for better sleep.

A boost in vitamin D levels … maybe

It’s no secret that spending time outside is a great way to load up on vitamin D. Several studies have emphasized the benefits of soaking up some sun, linking the vitamin D found in UV rays to a decreased risk of developing multiple sclerosis, osteoporosis, and even the flu. However, Dr. Reichenberg warns that too much sun can actually reverse the benefit and decrease your levels of the vitamin. “Think of it as a chemical reaction going from a pre-vitamin D to vitamin D,” he says. “When the sun hits your skin, it helps convert the pre-vitamin D to vitamin D, which is good. But there are some studies that show that getting too much sun exposure in a day will actually flip that reaction in the opposite direction.” Worried? Here are signs you might have a vitamin D deficiency.

Improved acne

In limited doses, the sun can help treat various skin conditions, such as acne and psoriasis, Dr. Reichenberg says. Ironically enough, the way it does so is actually the same way it causes skin cancer. The sun turns down the immune system on the skin, which weakens your line of defense against cancer and increases your chances of developing melanoma. However, conditions like psoriasis and acne are caused by an overactive immune system; turning your immune system's intensity down a few notches can help treat them. Dr. Reichenberg warns against relying completely on sunlight to treat acne, due to the associated risk of developing skin cancer. A healthier option: natural acne remedies and the right OTC and prescription medications for acne. Here's more advice about how to treat adult acne.

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Beat the Heat! Tricks to Stay Cool in the Summer

These clever, low-cost moves will help you keep your cool when the weather's hot.

Beat the heat: Peppermint tea mist

Brew a pot of peppermint tea, then stick it in the fridge. Once it's nice and cold, wonderhowto.com suggests pouring some into a spray bottle and misting yourself with it. Better than water, the menthol in the tea will give your skin a tingly, cool feeling. Here are other surprising uses for tea you probably haven't tried.

Beat the heat: Chrysanthemum tea

Whether it's hot or cold, chrysanthemum tea is served to lower body temperature, according to China Daily. It's also been said to soothe heat rash, experts told Natural Health.

Beat the heat: DIY air-conditioning

Freeze a couple of water bottles and place them in front of a floor or desk fan, and you'll enjoy a much cooler breeze with your makeshift air-conditioner. Wikihow.com advises adding salt to the water first to beat the heat longer; apartmenttherapy.com skips the bottles altogether in favor of a bowl of ice water.

Beat the heat: Aloe vera

You know aloe vera naturally soothes sunburn, and its cooling properties also work to help you beat the heat. Blogger Crunchy Betty offers different recipes to make spray of it, combining witch hazel and peppermint oil. Here are aloe vera uses you might not know.

Beat the heat: Spicy food

If you're already sweating, why would you want to sweat more? Professor of food science at Penn State University Luke LaBorde offers this answer: eating spicy food increases blood circulation and makes you sweat, so you'll feel cooler as the sweat dries. Dr. Oz explains that the capsaicin in hot peppers encourages your body to sweat more without raising your body temperature.

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Mosquito Bites: 10 Weird Reasons You’re Getting Bitten

Mosquitoes buzz: Whom they love to bite, where they like to hang out, and which repellents they hate the most.

1)Hate getting bitten up?

Blame the ladies. We don’t like to admit this, but male mosquitoes do not eat human blood: They get all their nutrition from plant nectar. We females need your blood, which contains a protein that helps our eggs develop. After we have a blood meal, we can lay anywhere from 100 to 400 eggs.

2)When it comes to West Nile, end-of-summer bites may do more harm

It’s simple logic: We bite birds who have the West Nile virus; then we bite humans and spread it. By summer’s end, we’ve had more chances to bite infected birds.

3)We love when you work up a sweat

You think we’re drawn by the aroma of your “sweet blood,” but it’s really the carbon dioxide you exhale that makes us beeline toward you. The harder you breathe, the more CO2 you emit, so you’re especially attractive after a jog. Here's how your microbiome makes you a mosquito magnet.

4)Smelly feet are simply delicious

In fact, scientists have shown that we find your tootsies ten times more alluring than Limburger cheese (but really our favorite body part is your hand). Here's how to avoid Zika virus-carrying mosquitoes, who particularly love smelly feet.

5)If your home’s landscaping is well tended, we won’t like it as much

We like to hang out in thick, overgrown vegetation. The darker and more humid, the better. If you keep your lawn mowed, pool skimmed, and bushes trimmed, your backyard won’t be very appealing. Removing puddles of stagnant water is also a great way to repel us—that’s where we like to lay our eggs.

6)We’re thrilled when you buy DEET-free repellent

DEET, along with picaridin, is among the stronger types that help keep us away. Each type blocks different receptors that allow us to track you down. We’re also not big fans of lemon eucalyptus and the compound IR3535, although these are a little weaker than DEET and picaridin.

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Diabetes Fatigue — Get Your Energy Back

Fatigue is one of the most common and most disabling symptoms of diabetes. What causes all this exhaustion and how can we get our energy back? Some studies have reported that as many as 85% of people with diabetes experience fatigue, defined as excessive tiredness that interferes with one or more life functions. As a Diabetes Self-Management reader named Donnah wrote, “Since being diagnosed with Type 2 diabetes, my housework suffers dramatically, I don’t do half of the things that I used to do with my child. When I do find the time and energy to do things, I am easily worn out and need to rest. I can’t even keep a job. I am on disability because of it and I hate this.”

Causes of fatigue

How does diabetes make you tired?
• High blood sugar makes blood sticky, so it can’t get through the capillaries as easily to bring oxygen to cells. You know how you get sleepy after a big meal? High blood sugar can mean having that feeling all the time.

• Insulin resistance keeps glucose out of body cells, so they don’t have fuel.

• High blood sugar also causes inflammation. Remember how exhausted you get with the flu? That is, in part, inflammation. The same thing happens with poorly controlled diabetes.

• Hypoglycemia, or low blood sugar, can cause fatigue.

• The mental stress of coping with diabetes can wear out your mind and spirit.

Many other conditions besides diabetes can cause fatigue. If your sugars are under control, but you still lack energy, consider being tested for:

• Sleep apnea, which causes exhaustion and is very common in diabetes. If you wake up tired, ask your doctor for a sleep test.

• Anemia, or a lack of red blood cells or hemoglobin (the protein responsible for transporting oxygen) in the blood.

• Low or high thyroid.

• Low sex hormones, especially testosterone.

• Chronic infections, such as oral, urinary tract, or vaginal infections, which are common in diabetes. Any of them can make you tired.

• Immune and other potentially related conditions, such as chronic fatigue, fibromyalgia, or multiple sclerosis. All of these are more common in people with diabetes.

Then there are things you can’t be tested for, but perhaps can change.

• Deconditioning. If you don’t move, your body gets weaker.

• Stress. This keeps your heart rate and blood pressure up, which drains your energy.

• Bad diet. Sugars and refined grains leave you tired. Consider eating a lower-carbohydrate diet.


• Shift work. Changing hours of sleep and activity confuses your body, and it may be difficult to get the sleep you need.

• Overdoing things. Running yourself ragged will wear you out.

• Depression. If there’s no reason to get up, your body won’t want to.

How to get your energy back

• Sleep better. It should be obvious, but our society denies it. We need to sleep. Before electricity, 9–10 hours a night was normal. Now we’re lucky if we get 7, and many people with diabetes get far less. See a couple of articles on getting better sleep here and here. Ask your doctor to be checked for sleep apnea.



• Naps are also great. It’s totally normal to be sleepy around 1 PM and 3 PM. That’s why many cultures encourage a siesta (rest) in those hours. Most jobs frown on napping, but if you can find a way, embrace your nap.

• Control your glucose better. Do what you can to bring your sugar down, whether it’s diet, exercise, supplements, or medicines.

• Get tested for anemia, thyroid, and other possible causes of your fatigue.

• Ask a pharmacist if your medications could be causing fatigue.

• Try juicing. A reader named Kat commented that since she started “juicing green leafy vegetables in the morning, with some wheatgrass…and eating a higher-protein and -fat, lower-carbohydrate diet, I have shaken off…the extreme fatigue that I used to have every day.”

• Supplements. Ginseng, vitamin B12, magnesium, alpha-lipoic acid, acetyl-L-carnitine, and coenzyme Q-10 are recommended by several authorities.

• Drink water. Dehydration often causes fatigue.

• Get outside more. Sunshine tells your body to wake up. If you can’t get sunshine, maybe buy a full-spectrum light that mimics the sun’s effects. Compact fluorescent lights (CFLs) marked “cool white” or “daylight” are also better than standard incandescent bulbs.

• Breathe. Try to stop what you’re doing every couple of minutes and focus on your breathing for a minute.

• Do some kind of gentle movement like walking or tai chi. Stretch your arms and legs. Sitting or standing still is tiring.

• Do some relaxation. Take breaks. Rest. Meditate or pray.

• Consider counseling for anxiety, depression, or high stress.

• If possible, spend time with people or animals who make you feel alive, not the ones who wear you out. Can you think of one person or creature who makes you feel better?

• Find something you love and apply yourself to it. You might even find something to do on the Internet. My blog The Inn by the Healing Path is full of stories of people healing by committing to what they love.

• Resist the madness. Our society is all about more, more, more. Faster, faster. This approach would fatigue anyone. Let’s focus on quality of life over quantity of stuff done or acquired. Find your personal balance between work, play, improvement, service, and rest.

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