Page 57 - Advance Copy: Todd Kaufman, Author

HOW TO MANAGE ANXIETY & END PANIC ATTACKS
minutes. Not surprisingly, everyone was on time at the end of the ski day to collect their little one on time!
How well do you know about that after lunch carb crash? It can be almost impossible to stay awake after eating a large amount of carbohydrates. The brain needs to shut down: A complex process that includes your sugar levels makes you incredibly tired and moves your brain into sleep mode. Whether it is a sugar rush or a carb crash, these symptoms represent some serious physical changes happening in your brain. Many of these changes can encourage panic and anxiety and increase your cortisol set point.
It is unfortunate, but many of us give more attention to the fuel we put into our cars than the fuel we put into our bodies. It would never even occur to us to top up our diesel engine car with gasoline, or vice versa.
If you want to end your panic attacks and manage your anxiety, you need to ensure that your brain has the right fuel for the job.
The human body (including our brain) functions best with a constant supply of fuel. In an ideal world, we would graze all day and night, consuming small amounts of food at least every two hours. In doing so, our sugar levels would remain balanced and our body would not be triggered to store fats. Yet we have to sleep, and for the average human that includes 7-8 hours of solid rest. Interestingly, sleep provides a period of fasting. Fasting is also known to improve brain function. Your mom was right: Get your sleep, and breakfast (or “breaking fast”) is the most important meal of the day!
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