Submitted by Alexander Bischoff on Sun, 12/13/2015 - 14:01

HALT is an acronym for the term Hungry Angry Lonely Tired.

HALT was originally coined by Alcoholics Anonymous to address common drinking triggers that allow members a gauge to follow and remedy before reaching for a first drink.

It is an excellent guide for alleviating anxiety that may otherwise be unable to be pinpointed and treated.

Notice that ‘Hungry’ is the very first clue and for good reason. When we do not eat proper meals our blood sugar levels could suffer. A healthy person can survive several hours if not days without eating but one struggling with PTSD may not fare as well. Add in being tired and this is a perfect storm for suffering any of the above symptoms.

It is essential for those suffering from PTSD to maintain a regimented, healthy diet to keep systemic blood sugar at an optimum level and reduce lingering depression or feelings of anxiety.

According to a posting on Healthy Place by author Michele Rosenthal. food choices for PTSD are described,

“The biggest problem with PTSD and nutrition habits, however, has less to do with bones and a lot to do with your brain and what it needs to optimally function. Your brain runs on the simple sugar, glucose, which can be found in grains, fruits and vegetables, refined sugar and dairy products.

In order for you to have the energy you need to be able to manage emotions, create a sense of calm and make good decisions your brain needs enough glucose to run all of its systems at the same time.”

The relationship between PTSD and food is as important as talk therapy and medical intervention. In fact, if food choices are regarded as more akin to ‘medicinal eating’ rather than unhealthy, anxiety ridden binging, PTSD symptoms may become more manageable.

At Open4Nutrition we clear away the clutter and open your eyes to the many choices you have to catapult your health.

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