glossary-anxiety

There are many different causes underlying anxiety from a Chinese Medicine perspective.  Depending on which set of symptoms you might be exhibiting, you would eat a different set of foods accordingly. 

Set A (Heart and Spleen Qi Deficiency): anxiety, obsessive worry, palpitations, insomnia, fatigue, low appetite, gas and/or bloating, pale tongue, weak pulse

Foods to eat:  sweet, bitter, and warming foods, red wine (in moderation), sweet potatoes, chick peas, red and black beans, polenta, rice gruel, gou qi zi (goji berries) – made into tea or cooked into soups, blackstrap molasses, buckwheat, licorice root

Foods to avoid: cold or raw foods, dairy (except in small quantities, preferably aged cheese; yogurt; or other fermented dairy products)

Set B (Heart Fire) :  anxiety, insomnia, dry pharynx and/or mouth, flushed face, headache, red eyes, agitation, mouth uclers, dark or difficult urination, and red tipped tongue

Foods to eat:  sour, bitter and cooling foods, watermelon (especially the white portion of the rind), lemons, rhubarb, bitter melon, celery, bitters (in moderation)

Foods to avoid: spicy, fried, ginger, garlic, excess of alcohol

Set C (Liver Qi Stasis) : anxiety, irritability, fluctuating moods, pain in the hypochondriac region (flank/sides), tense muscles, IBS (irritable bowel syndrome), dusky tongue with distended sublingual veins

Foods to eat:  sour and green foods, radish, lemons, leeks, chives, celery, sesame seeds, seaweed, vinegar, kale, tomatoes, garlic, ginger, cilantro

Foods to avoid: avoid overconsumption, alcohol (only temporarily relieves condition), coffee

Set D (Kidney Qi Deficiency) : anxiety, fearful, lower back or knee pain, low libido, pale tongue

Foods to eat:  black, salty and/or warming, walnuts, oysters, shellfish in general, wild game, root vegetables, onions, cherries, oats, millet, black pepper, black soy beans, chestnuts

Foods to avoid: cool or cold foods, raw foods (esp. fruit), cold drinks