Unless you’re totally zen, anxiety isn’t something you welcome with open arms. But when anxiety hits you during a flight, it can be even more discomforting because there is nowhere you can go. It can be frightening to experience an anxiety attack on a plane. Managing it is critical because a full-blown panic attack is not something you want to experience ever — especially during a flight.
Rather than panicking, it is better to remind yourself that anxiety is the mind creating scenarios, most of which will never happen. Being proactive is another way you can ease anxiety, and food happens to be a great way of doing this.
Before you purchase every sugary treat you come across, you might want to consider healthy snacks to munch when you feel nervous as sugar will only lead to higher blood sugar levels and more anxiety. The following are seven healthy snacks you can munch on to ease in-flight anxiety.
Blueberries
There’s something about how blueberries look that makes you think they came from a fairyland where fruit wear crowns and are all royalty. But their looks aren’t the reason why they ease anxiety. Blueberries are rich in antioxidants, especially vitamin C and flavonoids. The latter two are known to help strengthen brain health and, as a result, help ease anxiety.
Turmeric-flavored snacks
From popcorn to nuts, turmeric is a spice that can be easily added to enrich the flavor of healthy snacks. What’s even more remarkable about turmeric is that it has powerful health properties. Researchers have observed the potent anti-inflammatory properties of turmeric. This spice can lower inflammation in areas of the brain that manage anxiety, stress, and depression.
CBD gummies
Cannabinol (CBD) is the new trending natural compound that people are using to ease anxiety, stress, depression, PTSD, insomnia, and many more mental and chronic health issues. However, you should not confuse CBD gummies with weed gummies. As per the TSA guidelines, you can carry CBD products with less than 0.3 percent of THC on a flight, whereas it’s not legal to carry weed gummies high in THC content. CBD can ease anxiety by stimulating the ECS receptors into releasing more of the happy chemical known as serotonin in the body.
Yogurt
Fresh, unassuming, and wholesome, yogurt is generally a staple in our diet when we are young. But yogurt is just as beneficial to us when we grow up. The probiotics in yogurt have critical benefits for our bodies, including our mental health. Probiotics can prevent free radicals in the mind and the body from causing nerve damage to the brain. Free radicals are harmful molecules that enter our body through pollution, smoking, junk food, and more.
Granola
Granola, especially the home-made kind, is another great snack to fight in-flight anxiety. Load your granola with anxiety-fighting foods such as oats, which has an adequate level of amino acid tryptophan. The latter is converted to serotonin in the body. Almonds help boost the granola’s taste, but they’re also fantastic because they are rich in vitamin E. The latter is said to be an essential vitamin to prevent anxiety.
Citrus
Similar to blueberries, citrus is also rich in vitamin C and antioxidants. With these two powerful properties, citrus, and even bell peppers, can help ease inflammation and avoid brain cell damage. The result is less anxiety.
Dark chocolate
If you want something sweet, but you don’t need your blood sugar level to go nuts and cause you more anxiety, you can always try a few pieces of dark chocolate. Dark chocolate has a fair amount of flavonoids, which are part of the antioxidant family whose work is to help the brain function optimally. Flavonols improve the blood flow in the brain, thus enabling us to handle stress better.
So there you have it, seven snacks to help with your in-flight anxiety. Of course, these potent healthy foods should not be consumed exclusively on planes. Preferably, you should include them in your diet, together with other anxiety-fighting foods such as salmon, turkey, chamomile, green tea, chia seeds, and dairy products to arm yourself well against anxiety.
Join the discussion One Comment