Rick Osborn | Life Coach, Nutrition Consultant & Graphic Designer

These are the apostle Paul’s inspired words of encouragement for those of us who tend to get bogged down in the muck and mire of everyday existence. They come from a profound understanding that for those who have a true faith in God – that He will watch over and protect – no matter what’s going on in your life. To give you the full context of this passage, I’ll quote it below. It comes from Philippians 4: 4-9. It’s one of my favorite biblical passages. I’ll quote it from the Amplified Bible, as it tends to explain certain terms by defining them in parentheses.

4 Rejoice in the Lord always [delight, gladden yourselves in Him]; again I say, Rejoice!

5 Let all men know and perceive and recognize your unselfishness (your considerateness, your forbearing spirit). The Lord is near [He is close].

6 Do not fret or have any anxiety about anything, but in every circumstance and in everything, by prayer and petition (definite requests), with thanksgiving, continue to make your wants known to God.

7 And God’s peace [shall be yours, that tranquil state of a soul assured of its salvation through Christ, and so fearing nothing from God and being content with its earthly lot of whatever sort that is, that peace] which transcends all understanding shall garrison and mount guard over your hearts and minds in Christ Jesus.

8 Also, whatever is true, whatever is worthy of reverence and is honorable and seemly, whatever is just, whatever is pure, whatever is lovely and lovable, whatever is kind and winsome and gracious, if there is any virtue and excellence, if there is anything worthy of praise, think on and weigh and take account of these things [fix your minds on them].

9 Practice what you have learned and received and heard and seen in me, and model your way of living on it, and the God of peace (of untroubled, undisturbed well-being) will be with you.

For those of us who have a particular problem with focusing on the negative (ah, that would be me), I bolded verse 8. I find that if I keep that particular passage in the forefront of my mind, that it’s easier to traverse difficult moments during the day. It’s a way that I can proactively affect my life. I must continuously remind myself that there’s no place in my mind and life for the negative. The only thing negativity does is propagate more negative, stress and anxiety. Does the phrase “sick with worry” sound familiar?

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Join me today in meditating upon the truths that are written above. If we practice them, then I truly believe and know that God’s peace (as stated above in vs. 7), which truly does pass all understanding, will pervade our hearts and minds – even through the difficulties that we are facing.

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Much of what I write about comes from experience relative to my own personal life, as well as to those whom I’ve helped in the past. The topics of anxiety, panic, stress and depression are not ones which I’ve written much about yet, but are ones that I have researched quite thoroughly - for the purposes of self-help as much as for anything. These problems, at their most basic level, can be a “bear” to deal with. I know, because they’ve been a very real part of my life for as long as I can remember.

With that in mind, there are some very key nutritional guidelines that one can implement to help alleviate or at least minimize symptoms of such issues. If you are one who is struggling with anxiety, depression, high stress, panic disorder or even OCD (obsessive compulsive disorder), here are some basic dietary recommendations that I believe may help you better cope -

1. Stay away from Splenda (sucralose), Nutrasweet (aspartame), Sweet & Low (saccharine). Also, beware of generic brands of the same. There is a lot of information out there about the dangerous neurological effects and symptoms of these artificial sweeteners. They are known for their ability to either cause or increase anxiety symptoms. I’ve experienced this personally. You can find out more about it by doing a simple search on the internet or you can read more about them in Mercola’s book, Sweet Deception: Why Splenda, NutraSweet, and the FDA May Be Hazardous to Your Health. Personally, I used to use a lot of Splenda, but found that it was followed by extreme moments of anxiety, along with it’s related symptoms of dizziness and a spacey or disconnected feeling in my head. If I ingest these chemicals now, I can almost immediately feel the same effects after using them. Keep in mind that many, many foods use these artificial sweeteners, including most chewing gum brands. If you want your head to stay clear and feel normal, stay away from them. This includes ALL DIET SODAS.
2. Avoid MSG (monosodium glutamate) like the plague. MSG is a taste “enhancer” that increases the sensitivity of your taste buds so that foods taste better and thus, are more addicting. Unfortunately, nowadays MSG is in virtually every kind of processed food out there. Even more unfortunate is that much of the time, MSG is hidden in the ingredients label of foods - masked by one of its forty or so “other” names. Again, you can easily find a list of these names by internet search. Don Colbert also has an informative writeup on MSG in his book, The Seven Pillars of Health, which I highly recommend. Monosodium glutamate is known to cause a variety of adverse reactions, some of which are depression and anxiety/panic attacks, as well as a host of other anxiety related symptoms. It’s not an easy task, but avoiding this harmful “FDA approved” chemical has shown to greatly relieve anxiety, panic and depression for many people.
3. Control your caffeine intake. I love coffee, tea and chocolate as much as anybody. But, too much caffeine is not good, at least not with regards to those who are prone to anxiety, depression, panic and high stress. Personally, the first cup of coffee or two enhances my mood, increases my productivity and gives me a general feeling of satiety. Anything more than that and I need someone to “talk me down off the ledge.” Large caffeine doses (200 mg or greater) may produce negative mood effects. If you’re a generally moody person, perhaps you need to watch your caffeine intake. High dietary doses have been known to increase anxiety ratings and induce panic attacks in the general population. Individuals with panic and anxiety disorders are especially sensitive to the effects of caffeine. Although highly anxious individuals tend to be more likely to limit their caffeine use, not all individuals with anxiety problems naturally avoid caffeine, and some may fail to recognize the role that caffeine plays in their anxiety symptoms. Again, keep in mind that sodas also contain a high content of caffeine.
4. Minimize your sugar intake. Like many, I also have a sweet tooth. Eating processed sugars, besides making you fat, plays havoc with your moods due to the wide fluctuations in blood sugar levels. This may be one reason why so many overweight people struggle with anxiety and depression. Their moods rarely stabilize due to constant blood sugar fluctuations. Temporary happiness and a fleeting feeling of satiety come with eating foods high in processed sugars, creating this up-down-up-down syndrome. This can lead to a vicious cycle and an addictive way of eating. As for sugars, stay away from white refined sugar and anything that contains it. If you see the words “high fructose corn syrup” on a label, move on to something else. Furthermore beware of hidden words for sugar on labels, such as dextrose, maltose, glucose, sucrose, etc. These are the food industry’s way of tricking you into believing that there’s not so much sugar in food items. If you have to have sweetener in your coffee or tea, try Stevia. It may not taste as good at first, but you will grow accustomed to it. I actually like it quite a bit now. And I can tell you, I feel much much better when I don’t ingest a lot of processed sugar. If you feel you must eat sugar or sweets, do so at the end of a large meal, so it will more slowly released into your blood stream. This will help keep your mood stable as well as minimize weight gain.
5. Minimize or eliminate alcohol use. I won’t overemphasize this point, but in general, when alcohol is used repeatedly as a stress reducer it can lead to addiction. While alcohol may cause an immediate euphoric feeling and relieve stress for a brief period of time, too much can actually cause stress through the releasing of hormones in the body. Alcohol has also been shown to cause the user to feel depressed and no longer be effective in relieving stress or anxiety. Other negative effects of alcohol on the body include but are not limited to: addiction, physiologic damage to organs and brain, depression and hopelessness. If you’re prone to high stress, anxiety and depression, your best bet is not to use it, but rather find healthier ways to cope.

This list, while not all inclusive, will help those who suffer from anxiety, panic, depression and high stress. If you are someone with a propensity for the above named problems, watching what you eat can greatly help you cope. The truth is - food is medicine. Furthermore, bad food is bad medicine.

If you’re suffering from anxiety, panic, depression and stress - apart from your life circumstances - take a look at your nutrition. While you may not be able to fully rectify your anxious and stressful situation, you can control what you eat.

What you put in your mouth will directly affect your emotions and mood.

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Are you slowly committing “foundational suicide”?

Are there cracks in your structure?

Are you trying to stand on quicksand?

Is it that for all of the struggling and fighting, you just keep sinking deeper?

Are you looking for solace, safety, security and relief from the hardships that you’re facing?

Well, there is hope. Whatever your situation, it’s important to remember that you’re not alone. Furthermore, maybe it’s time to look down and inspect what exactly it is that you’re standing on - or what you’ve built your life upon. Perhaps it sounds a bit cliché, but this IS your life and this IS a valid question.

My best advice - Make sure your structure exists on a real, right and firm base!

Let me explain. Look at what the Psalmist, King David of Israel (known as “a man after God’s own heart”) wrote so eloquently in Psalms 18:2 -

“The Lord is my Rock and my Fortress and my Deliverer; My God, my Strength, in Whom I will trust; My Shield and the Horn of my salvation, my Stronghold.”

WOW! Could it be that God Himself is the answer to what’s plaguing you? According to David, that’s an overwhelming and amazing “YES”.

For clarity sake, let me just explain what this passage means on a very practical level.

Let’s focus on the key words in Psalms 18:2:

Lord - one who is in the position of power and authority. The fact that David calls God this shows that he’s acknowledging God’s sovereignty in submitting himself to who God is.

Rock - firm, solid, strong, hard, crushing, dense, lasting, unyielding. A “Rock” is foundational material. You can’t sink into rock. The fact that David calls God his “Rock” shows that David is acknowledging God’s power and strength in his life.

Fortress - a safe and secure place, where you are protected and not vulnerable to attack. The fact that David calls God his “Fortress” indicates that he realizes that the Lord is watching over him, providing protection, security and refuge.

Deliverer - one who rescues, emancipates, frees, redeems. The fact that David calls God his “Deliverer” shows that David knows that the Lord is is the One who will carry him out of his difficulties, suffering, sorrows, fear, danger and destruction.

God - is God is God is God. Many definitions come to mind, but the word alone implies omniscience, omnipotence, omnipresence (all knowing, all powerful, present everywhere). The fact that David calls Him his “God” shows that he is acknowledging his personal relationship with the supreme Deity.

Strength - mental power, force, vigor, firmness or courage. David’s acknowledgment of God being his “Strength” show that he’s empowered by God and that he is emboldened to face life’s struggles because of this.

Shield - protection, force field, blocker, armor, resilience, guard. This goes hand in hand with Strength, but shows that David realizes that the Lord surrounds him with his protection and repels the attacks of evil and the enemy.

Horn - signifies strength and protection, like the horn(s) on an animal. The fact that David calls God the “Horn” of his salvation shows that he knows that God keeps him safe and secure, the protector of his salvation.

Stronghold - high tower, fortress, place of security away from danger. Again, the fact that David calls God his “Stronghold” indicates his knowledge that God has him in a safe place and is keeping him from danger.

David, someone who experienced pain, disobedience and sin on several levels knew God intimately. Not only did he know Him, but from the above scripture it’s easy to see that he derived great comfort and reassurance from this personal relationship. David sought to know God - experience Him and worship Him on a regular basis. He had a real, thriving relationship with God and communed with Him regularly. Read Psalms 63 and you’ll see what his daily meditation consisted of with the Lord. Through his steadfast faith and reliance upon God (and His attributes), he stood firm, faithful and consistent in the midst of adversity.

Ok, so what do we need to remember about this? Well, if we have a real relationship with Christ/God, then we have a real and solid foundation upon which to stand, to build a solid future and move forward. To quote a verse from an old, but great hymn -

“On Christ the Solid Rock I stand, all other ground is sinking sand . . .”

What are you standing on?