By Anonymous, Tue, July 12, 2011
Obsessive-compulsive disorder (OCD) is a mental condition that impacts millions of people ever year. Recent estimates have shown that as much as five percent of the population may have some form of OCD, be it mild or extremely serious. As such, it is important to understand the symptoms and byproducts of dealing with OCD, and also, what foods and drinks aggravate the condition or aid it. By making the correct dietary decisions, a person dealing with the disorder is more likely to alleviate a lot of the accompanying stress all the while living a healthier, more balanced lifestyle.
Before committing to any one path of eating, it’s important to understand what OCD is. OCD is a natural mental disorder that while incurable, is extremely treatable. It generally brings about feelings of obsessions and compulsions, both of which are completely and entirely unwanted. It forces people to go about their day to day lives all the while attempting to cope with undesired, irregular obsessions to do something. These obsessions, in turn, lead to compulsions which sufferers feel as though they absolutely have to do.
Eating and committing to a well thought out and balanced diet is a key step in battling OCD. A nutrient-rich diet and healthy foods is necessary for the proper functioning of the nervous system, which in turn impacts anxiety and stress levels. In order to lessen the impact of OCD, reducing sugars and simply carbohydrate is a good first step. Instead, sufferers should opt to go for whole grains and natural foods. This, coupled with proteins (both in meal and snack form) should provide the desired energy boost to last the day without any of the negative side-effects.
Also, given the notable link between hypoglycemia and OCD, it’s important to keep blood sugar levels at normal levels.
It’s also worth mentioning that coffee and other caffeine-filled objects contribute to stress, which in turn makes OCD worse. So regardless of whether a person chooses to drink soda, tea or coffee, it’s important to remember that they’re doing so at the expense of their wellbeing. Instead of a caffeinated beverage, it’s important to go for the decaf varieties which off a lot of the same test, less the OCD worsening side-effects.
