“I have anxiety, so in looking for holistic ways to manage it,
I cobbled together my own anti-anxiety diet, including healthful
foods, supplements and meditation,” says Moody. “Now I feel like
I can live my best life and while before, anxiety defined me, now
it merely comes along with the journey – and most importantly,
I still get to have my journey.”
Moody went through a time when her anxiety had such a negative
impact on her life, she became agoraphobic and was barely able
to get out of bed, much less leave the house. Trying to go anywhere
would produce panic attacks. One day, the lifelong writer decided
to put her journalism skills to use and began emailing the
professors of neuroscience at Stanford and researching as much
as she could on how diet factors into anxiety. She gathered as
much information as she could.
“First and foremost, when it comes to diet, one of the biggest
things related to anxiety is blood sugar – I once had a guest on
my podcast who said, ‘Anxiety is a blood sugar issue until proven
otherwise’ and that’s true,” says Moody. “Make sure your meals have
a lot of healthy fat and protein and fiber, so that’s the magic trifecta.”
Experts agree. Studies have revealed the positive results diet can have
on mental health, including eating protein with breakfast to help keep
blood sugar steady, complex carbohydrates, hydration and avoiding
food sensitivities, plus adding omega-3 fatty acids to a daily plan.
Moody advocates putting good stuff in the body rather than taking
so much out. To do otherwise can lead to feelings of deprivation.
“Wellness should make your life better instead of stressing you
out and diet plays a huge role in that,” she says. “Food is one of
life’s greatest choices, but I’m in awe of its healing properties.”
Moody loves making food that helps the body feel good and
energized after eating it. Long term, she hasn’t taken as many
sick days or had as many panic attacks since changing her
lifestyle to embrace her anti-anxiety diet.
“To tune in to how your body actually feels is intuitive eating,
listening to your body – because we are trained over time with
marketing and media messages, that people don’t often know
how to tune in after they eat something,” says Moody. “For
example, if you are craving a fast food cheeseburger, sit there
afterward to see how you feel and don’t assume that bad feeling
is the norm or a baseline.”
For the University of California Berkeley graduate, Garden of Life
products are important items in her toolbox to keep anxiety
at bay and stay healthy overall. She is a staunch advocate for
Dr. Formulated Probiotics Mood+ and swaps in the Raw Probiotics
Ultimate Care if her gut is taking a beating. When exposed to
more pathogens, such as when traveling, Moody says she is never
without Garden of Life’s mykind Organics Oil of Oregano, six drops
in eight ounces of water.
“Oregano kills good and bad bacteria so only take when you are
sick or are exposed to sickness or large crowds and if you’re using
it long-term, replenish with good bacteria like Ultimate Care probiotics
four to five hours later so they are not in the stomach at the same
time,” says Moody. “The best part is supplements like this one come in
tiny bottles, so they are TSA approved to bring on any trip.”
Moody loves all things elderberry,
including mykind Organics syrup
and gummies, which she uses
preventatively, along with Garden
of Life unflavored Grass Fed Collagen
Peptides. She begins each day with her
own recipe for her chocolate cherry
cardamom smoothie, brimming with
all good things. It contains:
• 2 scoops of Garden of
Life Unflavored Collagen
Peptides
• 3-4 cups of loosely packed
leafy greens, like spinach
or mixed greens
• Two cups of frozen pitted
cherries
• 1 avocado
• 2 Tablespoons raw cacao
• ½ teaspoon cardamom
powder
• 1 banana
• Pinch of fine grain sea salt
Moody’s smoothie makes two servings, perfect for yourself and
your wellness buddy, or to save for the next day.
“All smoothies should have a pinch of sea salt in them which
produces more digestive juices to digest it better,” says Moody.
“And always include spices and seasonings.”
One of her best secrets to always have plenty of leafy greens is to
freeze them. Moody cautions that raw kale is hard on the gut and
the thyroid so much better for the body when cooked. So, for her
smoothie, stick to softer leafy greens, which conveniently come in
bags chopped and washed.
“Stick those bags right in your freezer for space to have plenty
for smoothies, because while you wouldn’t want that frozen
lettuce texture for a salad, putting them in a smoothie is fine,”
she suggests.
Moody’s recipes are food for the soul, too. In her book Healthier
Together, Moody has designed more than 100 mouthwatering
recipes for two and best of all, they are gluten-free, dairy-free and
plant-centered. Readers can discover how to make dishes like her
cardamom banana bread pancakes with candied coffee walnuts,
chocolate tahini brownie bites, cornflake “fried” chicken and her
fan-obsessed General Tso’s cauliflower. Her approach isn’t limited
to couples or even neighbors – along Moody’s tour to promote
wellness and on her podcast, she hears stories of how friends near
and far are embracing the recipes.
Named on Epicurious’s lists of best cookbooks for spring, Healthier
Together accompanies Moody’s other books, including The Actually
Delicious 10-Day Detox, which she wrote after years working in
the health and wellness world. It includes ten three-meals-a-day
recipes for diners short on time and long on health with the goal
being fewer leftovers, with shopping lists. She is also the author of
Glow Pops: Super-Easy Superfood Recipes to Help You Look and Feel
Your Best: A Cookbook, her go-to account of foods in the fast lane of
healthful eating.
Follow along on Moody’s adventures on her website at
LizMoody.com and on Instagram at @lizmoody. Catch her
podcast on Apple, Google Podcasts, Stitcher and Spotify.
Extraordinary Health ™ • Vol 39 47