The thing about anxiety

Is you can try a million things, but is this the thing that actually works?

I wrote this piece for The Telegraph recently, and then I had so many friends, acquaintances, long lost relatives (a stretch, but you get where I’m going) asking for all the details, cut n paste in whatsapp, access behind the paywall etc, that I wanted to share my original unedited feature here. Anxiety is such a complex, viscerally irritating and wide reaching beast and over the years I have tried a gazillion things, from hardcore medication (that is now considered ‘dirty’ and banned FYI) to CBT, hypnotherapy, deep avoidance and every AR - that’s another story for another time. I didn’t particularly consider probiotics, it seems too simple in one way and arduous in another. Anything that requires a nutritional overhaul, for me, implies sucking the joy I have left out of life. When the health desk asked me to take the commission I was hesitant, but then I thought it could only be good for me. And guess what. IT WAS.

This is what three months of poop testing, probiotic taking and only slight (I promise) diet tweaking did for me. It’s not a cure-all, but the biology makes sense and logic itself is a strong anti-anxiety conduit for me personally. So. Here you are, complete with a very generous discount code at the bottom because in general, better health is more expensive than I’d like it to be. Let me know your thoughts, I love and appreciate having more high-functioning, hiding-it-well anxious people to make me feel more ordinary!

HEADLINE: I upped my intake of probiotics for three months and it genuinely helped my (clinical) anxiety

The phrases ‘Gut instinct’ and ‘trust your gut’ are born from so much more than a metaphorical flutter in your stomach. In fact they have roots in the ancient understanding of the gut as a center of instinct and emotion, with the ancient Greek believing that the stomach was the seat of emotion. The idea of "gut feeling" is referring to our enteric nervous system - a complex network of neurons that line the walls of the gastrointestinal tract. Sometimes called the "second brain." This network has over 100 million neurons, (which by the way is more than your spinal cord) and can sense, process, and respond to information without checking in with your actual brain. Which means that sometimes, your gut really does know what’s up before you do.

So here is my theory; Perhaps, as someone with a high functioning anxiety disorder, I have been going wrong all these years in treating my ‘first’ brain, when I should have been treating my second. Since my 20’s I’ve had a hypersensitive nervous system, with the full spectrum of anxiety symptoms to go with it; adrenalin spikes at the most inconvenient, incongruous times, racing heart, dizzy spells, spiralling thoughts, nausea et cetera. And I’ve tried pretty much everything to manage it, from cognitive behavioural therapy (CBT) to hypnotherapy, meditation apps to anti-anxiety medication. Some things have worked better than others, but I have come to accept it’s going to be an ongoing project, but I’m excited about my next tactic.

The connection between our gut and brain - otherwise known as the gut-brain axis - is a well-established but still evolving area of study, and recently it’s been suggested that increasing your intake of probiotics – the live bacteria that help maintain a healthy gut microbiome – can significantly reduce anxiety symptoms, effectively acting as a form of nutritional psychiatry. It makes perfect sense when you understand that your gut bacteria can influence the release of the stress hormone cortisol, and a diverse and balanced biome helps produce mood-regulating chemicals like serotonin and dopamine. An imbalance can send distress signals to the brain, potentially fuelling anxiety. Naturally I decided to test this theory out on myself, but I’d need some expert guidance in the form of registered Nutritionist Jessica Shand (DipCNM, mANP, mGNC), who would need a snapshot of my current gut health to get me started.

I took a Stride Biome test to establish a baseline for my microbiome. Stride uses advanced DNA sequencing to work out the diversity and balance of your gut bacteria, (via an only mildly mortifying DIY stool sample) then produces a lab report with insights into which strains of bacteria you have and which you might be lacking. My results showed a few key imbalances, including low levels of anxiety-reducing strains Bifidobacterium and, most notably, a complete absence of Lactobacillus – another critical GABA (a calming neurotransmitter)-producing species that also helps to regulate cortisol, our primary stress hormone. Ah. So this might explain a few things. Armed with this knowledge, Jessica helped me work out a gut-brain reset game plan.

First up, supplements. She explained that not all probiotics are created equal when it comes to reducing anxiety. “There are specific strains like the ones you’re low on - Lactobacillus rhamnosus and Bifidobacterium longum - that have been shown in some studies to reduce symptoms of anxiety and improve mood,” she told me. “Research is still ongoing and findings can vary on specific, but these strains in probiotics may help modulate the gut-brain axis by reducing inflammation, influencing neurotransmitter production such as serotonin and dopamine, and enhancing gut lining integrity, all of which are thought to play roles in emotional regulation and therefore anxiety.”

Jessica suggested the Seed DS-01® Daily Synbiotic, a standout in the probiotic world. It combines both prebiotics (the fibres that feed good bacteria) and probiotics (the beneficial bacteria themselves) in a single formulation. This is important because it ensures the probiotics can survive the journey through my digestive system and reach my colon, where they can actually make a difference to support not just digestive health, but also mental wellbeing. It’s designed to replenish those missing Lactobacillus and Bifidobacterium strains, boosting GABA production and regulating my cortisol response, therefore (potentially) helping to turn down my anxiety at its biological source. Translation: A science-backed shortcut to a more balanced microbiome, which, for someone like me, is wildly appealing.

But it’s not just about popping a daily pill. To truly support a healthy brain-gut axis, I need to create an environment where the good bacteria can thrive. That means making some dietary and lifestyle tweaks to set me on the best possible path.

Having chatted honestly, Jessica totally gets that I am not a card-carrying member of the Intensive Healthy Lifestyle club, and so her advice is to make realistically achievable changes. To be sustainable, my habits need to be ‘better than’, rather than drastically overhauled, I.e. definitely not a strict protocol that might add to my anxiety overwhelm. “Have the coffee! You’re a mother of two young kids, just don’t have it first thing in the morning as it will spike your cortisol levels.” she tells me. “Drinking it after a protein-rich breakfast is more beneficial as the food intake primes the body and blunts the harsh impact of the caffeine.” This I can do. Even better, swap out the second or even third cup for a Sixways Hormone Balancing Decaf. (“It contains maitake functional mushroom plus inositol and vitamin B6 to support blood sugar balance and hormonal health, and I promise it doesn't taste of mushrooms!”)

Interestingly, a probiotic-rich diet isn’t a million miles away from what I was eating before, but having a solid awareness of what I was consuming, and why, made me much more motivated to stick to it. Jessica advised me to incorporate a variety of plant-based, fiber-rich, and fermented foods into daily meals, think kimchi, sauerkraut, kefir, miso, and live yoghurt, (the fermentation produces natural probiotics). Plus prebiotic fibres (the food that good bacteria thrive on), including garlic, onions, and bananas. A lot of the meals and recipes she suggested are already what I like to eat, just with some gut-loving substitutes. My usual turkey mince bolognese is good, but a lentil ragu is better for an extra dose of fiber, supporting my digestion and therefore the growth of beneficial bacteria. A potato and spinach curry can be upgraded to a chickpea and cavelo nero, prebiotic-tich one. Both, by the way, are delicious, comforting, hearty - just good, in all senses.

So, for the next few weeks, I committed to this Gut-Reset protocol. Probiotic supplements on an empty stomach, more (delicious) probiotic-rich food – Plus cutting down on (but not avoiding entirely - see above) known gut disruptors like processed foods and alcohol – the last of which I struggled with more than I’d like to admit, such is the constant battle of the overly anxious. Jessica suggested swapping a mid-week wind-down glass of wine for Motherroot, a sort of sweet-spicy, alcohol-free alternative that actually supports digestion and stabilises blood sugar with a ginger and apple cider vinegar blend. I mix it with soda and actually love it for an after kids bedtime treat. Also, just the idea that I am putting something good into my body rather than the guilt of another glass of wine does wonders to relieve my morning-after anxiety all on its own.

It’s not an immediate switch-flip, but I stuck to the protocol for three solid months, and as the days turned into weeks, I started to notice subtle but significant shifts in my mood. The first most notably at a time when I’d feel the most overstimulated anxiety spike that would present as extreme impatience. Attempting to get my kids out the door so I could make the right train to get me to an important, (therefore bonus anxiety-inducing) meeting on time. I was able to pause instead of react. It was like a small presence of kind that allowed me to reason with myself, reason with my kids and extinguish the bomb threat that would’ve made the whole schedule meltdown. It could also have been the better sleep (I have been taking Arrae Calm Alchemy on Jessica’s recommendation too and I’ve noticed a deeper more solid nights sleep). And so it continued. More often than not mornings felt less like waking up with anxiety as my first involuntary thought, and more like a gradual stretch into the day. The daily urge to doom-scan (it sounds ridiculous but will be familiar to anyone with anxiety) felt less prominent, sometimes there was a total absence of doom in fact, and I found myself approaching potentially stressful situations with a bit more patience and less catastrophic thinking.

It wasn’t always easy to stick, and yes I strayed back to the mid-week wine when my resolve slipped, but Jessica encouraged me to remember I’m going for ‘better than’, not gut perfection, so I decided not to let this cause me anxiety in itself. The benefits quickly outweighed any motivational negatives, since, Interestingly, my gut itself seemed to be responding too. Without getting too graphic, my digestion felt more ‘efficient’ and my bloating – a near-constant, very unwelcome guest – significantly reduced.

While I’m not suggesting that a few spoonfuls of sauerkraut will cure anyone’s anxiety disorder, the cumulative impact of the probiotic plus these small changes has been surprisingly profound, perhaps key to this particular project. it’s hard to ignore the psychological lift that comes from simply feeling better in your own body and choices. I feel more resilient, a bit more hopeful, and at times when I’d previously noticed otherwise, have a kind of mental clarity that I’d almost forgotten was possible after kids.

Of course, this is an ongoing journey rather than a magic bullet - It’s never going to be as simple as popping a pill and waking up panic-free. Building a healthy gut is a long game, a mix of the right supplements, diverse plant fibres, fermented foods, and stress management techniques, is a constant work in progress.

Still, the idea that I might be able to influence my mood from the inside out – to literally feed my happiness – is a compelling one. There’s something incredibly empowering about knowing I can influence my mental health whilst improving my overall health, since for me this experiment was about finding a more holistic approach that addresses the root causes rather than just the symptoms. And the logic, the science behind it helps to act as an anchor too. For now, I’m trusting my gut – in the truest, most biological sense of the phrase - and am optimistic that this approach might be the missing piece in my personal anxiety puzzle. And if nothing else, my digestive system is certainly grateful.

THE MINOR CHANGES (that were easy cos I like everything in the ‘after’ section too:

WHAT I ATE BEFORE:

Breakfast
Skimmed milk cappuccino

Lunch
Chicken salad or sandwich

Dinner
Sausage and leek pasta

Snack
Salted popcorn

WHAT I ATE AFTER:

Breakfast
Kefir yoghurt, seed granola, berries

Lunch
Wrap with chicken, mayonnaise, kimchi, shredded carrots and cucumber

Dinner
Butterbean and cavelo nero stew with brown rice

Snack
Date bark, made with nut butter, dark chocolate and salt flakes

THANK YOU for getting to the end. I hope it’s helped or will help - and with that in mind the lovely people at SEED (who did not know I was writing this feature, it was a genuine rec from Jessica) have shared a code to get started should you want to. Here, tell your anxious friends!