How not to panic when you’re feeling anxious

Plus, why you might have allergies your grandparents never heard of [View this email online]( [NPR Health]( June 4, 2023 by Andrea Muraskin This week: When it feels like anxiety is taking over, use these simple strategies to [bring panicky feelings under control](. Plus: Wallet-friendly ways to [replace ultra-processed foods with healthy alternatives](. And: A closer look at allergies – what they are, why they’re getting worse, and [what we can do to avoid reactions](. --------------------------------------------------------------- [SOS! I'm feeling anxious — what can I do?]( Kaz Fantone/NPR Disney and Pixar’s 2022 computer-animated film [Turning Red]( is a story about puberty and self-actualization, with a twist. The morning after a mortifying incident involving her mother, thirteen year-old Meilin Lee wakes up to find herself in the body of a giant, fluffy, smelly, red panda. Over the course of the film Meilin learns that "her panda" transformations are brought on by strong emotions like anxiety and rage. However, she can transform back into human form by calming herself – which she does by picturing her best friends in a warm group hug. Meilin’s instincts are on the mark, according to Britt Frank, psychotherapist and author of [The Science of Stuck]( when it comes to managing anxiety. “When you’re overwhelmed, ask yourself “What are some things [or people] that make you feel safer?” Frank suggests. It could be a trusted friend, a comfort food, or watching the same TV show you’ve seen a hundred times. Other strategies Frank suggests include grounding yourself through your five senses to activate the parasympathetic nervous system; and using a mindfulness technique to check in with physical sensations. "We're trying to help your body understand that it's not globally feeling terrible,” Frank tells NPR’s Life Kit. [Read Frank’s quick tips to quell anxiety, or listen to the 20-minute episode for more guidance.]( [Also: Daily meditation may work as well as a popular drug to calm anxiety, study finds]( --------------------------------------------------------------- Newsletter continues after sponsor message --------------------------------------------------------------- [How to level up your diet without breaking the bank]( [Cutting back on ultra-processed food in your child's diet doesn't have to be a huge lift. Learn shortcuts and smart swaps, like giving them nuts for a snack instead of chips. Even if they're salted, the higher protein and healthy fats in nuts are an added benefit.]( Meredith Rizzo for NPR Last week we shared some new research on the health effects of ultra-processed foods, those packaged items that come with long lists of ingredients you can’t find in your kitchen. Even with evidence that people who eat ultra-processed foods [tend to ingest more calories and gain body fat]( it’s hard to resist these things when they’re ubiquitous, cheap, tasty, and require little prep. Children in particular are drawn to foods like chicken fingers and frozen pizza. And according to a 2018 study, ultra-processed foods make up 67% of the average American kids’ diet. So senior science correspondent and busy mom Maria Godoy went on a fact-finding mission to learn how parents – or any of us – can replace ultra-processed foods with healthier alternatives. One sneaky culprit is products we consider healthy – like flavored yogurt, which contains added sugars and other additives. Instead, opt for plain yogurt and add fresh fruit. Don’t want to stretch your grocery budget at a time when groceries are freakin’ expensive? Try Latin or Asian markets for lower prices on produce. Frozen or canned-in-water is fine too. Maria’s also got tips on [finding less-processed alternatives, kid-friendly substitutions, and making it easier to cook at home.]( [Plus: 10 strategies to help busy parents get food on the table]( [Why our allergies are getting worse — and what to do about it]( Getty Images Ultra-processed foods are creations of the industrial age, and they represent part of a big shift in human diets in the last 200 years. The change in our diets – more fats, more sugars, less fiber – means a change in the diet of the bacteria that live in our guts and help us digest foods. Our guts are also lined with immune cells. And the interaction of an altered gut microbiome with the immune system may be a factor in the rise of allergies across the world, according to Theresa MacPhail, medical anthropologist and author of the new book [Allergic: Our Irritated Bodies in a Changing World](. In the U.S., nut allergies in children, hospital admissions for asthma and prescriptions for EpiPens have all tripled in recent years. Where food allergies are concerned, MacPhail says allergists’ prior efforts to protect young children backfired: “We were, as just normal best practices, telling parents to not only avoid certain allergenic foods like peanuts, strawberries, eggs, milk when they were pregnant, but also to avoid giving them to their younger children until after the age of 3 — and it turns out that was exactly the wrong advice,” MacPhail says. The guidelines were changed after 2016, after an Israeli study found that children introduced to peanut paste as babies were much less likely to develop peanut allergies by age 5. Now physicians recommend feeding a tiny amount of peanut butter to babies without known risk factors as young as four months, and monitoring for reactions. Early exposure has also been shown to be protective, MacPhail says, when it comes to allergies to animals and plants in our environment. Is there anything we can do as adults? Maybe start with taking fewer showers. [Read more of Macphail's insights about allergies or listen to her interview on Fresh Air](. [Also: Rising temperatures prolong pollen season and could worsen allergies]( [Living Better: What it takes to get healthy in America – a special series from NPR Health]( [Good health depends on more than daily exercise and a healthy diet. Access to safe housing, good schools and a decent job are important too.]( Si-Gal/Getty Images Face masks are now rare, testing requirements have been dropped, and with the end of the COVID-19 public health emergency on May 11, the U.S. health care system is returning to business-as-usual. But we’re still seeing thousands of deaths per day -- not from COVID, but from chronic, preventable diseases like complications from Type 2 diabetes and liver disease. The pandemic was a wake-up call that for many Americans, the system is often stacked against their efforts to stay well. In our 2023 series, Living Better, we’re telling stories of communities and individuals who have bucked the trends by improving people's health outcomes and their lives. We’re sharing new ideas that deserve to be spread, and smart policies that deserve to be funded. [Learn more about the special series]( and [explore our reporting thus far](. Before you go: [Grammy Award-winning musicians Marcy Marxer and Cathy Fink sing about the unexpected humor they encountered during Marxer's seven-year fight with breast cancer in the concert film, All Wigged Out.]( Todd Rosenberg/Community Music Inc. - Musical comedy 'All Wigged Out' is about fighting cancer [with humor and humanity]( - Scientists zap sleeping brains with electricity [to improve memory]( - Medical students aren't showing up to class. What does that mean [for future doctors?]( - For many, a 'natural death' may be preferable to [enduring CPR]( - We asked, you answered: How do you feel about the [end of the COVID-19 ‘emergency’?]( We hope you enjoyed these stories. Find more of [NPR's health journalism]( on Shots and follow us on Twitter at [@NPRHealth](. All best, Andrea Muraskin and your NPR Health editors --------------------------------------------------------------- Listen to your local NPR station. Visit NPR.org to find your local station stream. 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