The Real Reason You’re Anxious (It’s Not What You Think)

Dr. Berg used HRV technology extensively in his practice. He describes how patients would sit there appearing calm, yet the device showed their internal engine racing. This discrepancy helped them understand that anxiety wasn’t imaginary — their body truly was stuck in stress mode. By making this invisible overdrive visible, HRV monitoring motivates people to address the underlying physical causes (blood sugar, sleep, nutrients) rather than attributing symptoms to a mental problem.

Berg explains that the common advice to treat low blood sugar with candy or juice only feeds the insulin rollercoaster. Instead, removing sugar and refined carbs eliminates the need for large insulin surges. He highlights that protein and fats are metabolized slowly and don’t provoke the same insulin response. He also advocates not snacking, because each snack retriggers insulin. This approach not only alleviates anxiety but can also lead to weight loss and better skin.

Berg points out that many people dismiss protein as merely a fuel source, but its primary role is structural and functional — building the body’s biochemistry. He has observed that long-term vegetarians and vegans frequently develop an amino acid deficiency that surfaces as anxiety. When they introduce animal protein, their mood elevates dramatically, confirming a physical cause. He suggests using the response to animal protein as a diagnostic: if anxiety wanes, the cause was nutritional.

Dr. Berg reports that in his clinic he routinely gave B1 to anxious patients and saw their anxiety melt away in three to four minutes. This near-instant relief serves as a powerful demonstration that the anxiety was physically driven. He suggests that anyone can use this as a self-assessment: take B1 when anxious and note the change. If the anxiety disappears, the root is nutritional, not psychological.

Berg recounts his own history of drinking pots of coffee in college to combat fatigue from a high-carb diet, which eventually led to an ulcer. He connects caffeine not only to anxiety but also to the depletion of thiamine, compounding the problem. Other stimulants like ephedra-based weight-loss pills and certain medications can similarly produce anxiety as a side effect. Eliminating these allows the body to settle into a parasympathetic-dominant, calm state.

Berg ties this sleep disturbance directly to the blood sugar and dietary advice already given. He notes that many people with anxiety and poor sleep can trace their nighttime awakenings to a liver unable to do its job. By fixing the foundational blood sugar problem — cutting sugar, reducing carbs, increasing protein — the liver regains its capacity to stabilize glucose overnight, leading to uninterrupted sleep and a reduction in anxiety.

Berg opens by asserting that anxiety can be a bodily state — indecision, fear, tension — that feels like something bad will happen. He explains that the body can thrust itself into fight-or-flight through mechanisms like low blood sugar, thiamine deficiency, caffeine, and inadequate protein. Even when someone appears calm, their internal sympathetic nervous system may be stuck on high alert, which he used HRV to demonstrate in his clinic. He emphasizes that the brain depends on steady fuel from blood glucose; when that fails, survival hormones (cortisol, adrenaline) kick in to raise sugar, creating the anxious sensations. Thus, for many, solving anxiety is about fixing the body’s fuel and nutrient systems, not the mind.

Berg explains that low blood sugar triggers cortisol and adrenaline to raise glucose back up, but the true culprit is insulin pushing blood sugar down. When someone eats candy, the blood sugar rises temporarily, but insulin surges in response, dropping it again and setting up a repeating high-low cycle. This rollercoaster keeps the body in panic mode, generating anxiety. The sustainable fix is to eliminate sugar and refined carbs to reduce insulin secretion, then replace those foods with high-quality protein and healthy fats. He also advises against frequent snacking, which keeps insulin elevated. By stabilizing insulin, blood sugar stays steady, removing the trigger for anxiety.

During a seven-to-eight-hour fast overnight, the liver is responsible for maintaining stable blood glucose. If the liver is compromised — often due to a high-insulin, high-carb diet — it cannot keep blood sugar steady. A drop then signals adrenaline release to raise glucose, which jolts the person awake, often between 1 and 4 a.m. This adrenaline surge also creates anxious feelings. Therefore, the sleep deprivation and associated anxiety are physically induced. Fixing the daytime diet to support liver function and blood sugar stability can eliminate these nighttime awakenings and their daytime mood consequences.

Berg stresses that thiamine (B1) is crucial for the nervous system. A deficiency manifests as anxiety and a feeling of nervous tension. In his clinical experience, when he gave B1 to anxious patients, their symptoms vanished in about three to four minutes. This immediate effect demonstrates that anxiety was being driven by a biochemical lack, not a psychological issue. He recommends using the response to B1 as a litmus test: if anxiety dissipates quickly after taking the vitamin, then B1 deficiency is the root cause.

Berg explains that the body uses dietary protein not primarily as fuel but to build neurotransmitters, hormones, and other biochemical machinery. A shortfall in quality amino acids — particularly those from animal sources — compromises brain chemistry. He has observed that many long-term vegetarians and vegans eventually develop an amino acid deficiency that contributes to anxiety. When they reintroduce animal protein, their mood lifts dramatically, pulling them out of the anxious state. A practical self-test: if anxiety recedes after consuming more animal protein, then insufficient intake was a key cause.