First, We Make the Beast Beautiful: A New Journey Through Anxiety—A Personal Journey Through Anxiety and Self-Discovery

by Sarah Wilson

Anxiety renders us delicate. Having your fight-or-flight response permanently switched to “on” triggers a whole stack of cortisol to circulate in your body which, among other things, down-regulates your digestive and reproductive systems. Hence, the high number of anxious women with PCOS and fertility issues, as well as gut-based complaints such as bloating, indigestion, heartburn, diarrhea and constipation . . . sometimes all at once. Elevated cortisol also causes poor absorption of key nutrients, particularly brain-essential ones such as the B-group vitamins, omega-3 fats, zinc, iron and magnesium. Plus, anxiety makes us fat. And reduces bone density, leading to osteoporosis. Oh, and the inflammation associated with anxiety has a dastardly flow-on effect. The so-called “modern” metabolic diseases such as obesity, type 2 diabetes and heart disease are all about inflammation, which is why there’s a higher incidence of these kind of diseases among the anxious. Anxiety can cause all of these things. But it’s a two-way street—bad health habits also cause anxiety. How do you modulate all this? Meditation works. So does walking. So does getting your gut in order.