Dark CHOCOLATE! …I can see you smiling as you get an endorphin and serotonin boost at just the thought of chocolate! With Valentine’s Day around the corner and with February being American Heart Health month it’s time to talk about chocolate. Not just any chocolate, but good quality dark chocolate.

Dark chocolate that is at least 70-80 percent cocoa is the best choice because it has less sugar (and sugar is toxic and addicting) and more cocoa, which is rich in antioxidants and flavonols (a class of plant-based compounds that provide many of the same benefits as antioxidants).

Chocolate does improve mood and create feelings of joy – we can all relate to this! And dark chocolate certainly does have heart benefits. This is important because heart disease is still the number one cause of death in the United States.

Moderate consumption of dark chocolate has been shown to be beneficial for heart health by:

• lowering blood pressure
• decreasing levels of lipids in the blood (this 2011 meta-analysis in the European Journal of Clinical Nutrition shows that dark chocolate actually decreased total and LDL cholesterol and had no major effects on HDL and triglycerides.
• being anti-inflammatory
• improving insulin resistance (a condition characterized by decreased sensitivity to insulin and associated with diabetes)

And interestingly, dark chocolate may offer protection against cancer due to the “high concentration of catechins and procyanidins”

But here are a few questions to ask yourself as you indulge:

• Do you devour the whole bar of chocolate rather than a small piece? (the key here is moderate consumption!)
• Do you binge on chocolate and then feel awful afterwards – physically (really icky!?) and emotionally (the guilt-trip deal?)
• Does it make you anxious or more stressed or keep you awake? Caffeine is found in all forms of chocolate and cacao (other than white chocolate); the darker the chocolate, the more caffeine it contains!
• Do you suffer from migraines (sadly, chocolate gives me a terrible headache two days later!)
• Do you experience breast tenderness leading up to your period?

If you answer yes to any of the above then you really should reconsider if chocolate is for you this Valentine’s Day! And give delicious carob a trial instead.

In Finland Valentine’s Day is called “Friend’s day” and is more about remembering all your friends, not only your loved ones. I wish you, your loved ones and your friends a happy and wonderful Valentine’s Day and a happy healthy heart – both physically and emotionally!

Sugar is toxic and “should be controlled like alcohol and tobacco to protect public health, according to a team of UCSF researchers, who maintain” “that sugar is fueling a global obesity pandemic, contributing to 35 million deaths annually worldwide from non-communicable diseases like diabetes, heart disease and cancer.”

This is from a Science Daily summary of a new 2012 report in Nature, Public health: The toxic truth about sugar.

I’d like to add that sugar is also contributing to mental health problems. An Australian researcher, Dr. Felice Jacka, has authored a number of studies looking at food quality and anxiety, depression and bipolar disorder. This 2010 study in The American Journal of Psychiatry found that a “western” diet of processed or fried foods, refined grains, sugary products, and beer was associated with a higher risk of anxiety and depression

While I feel that it is great that researchers recognize just how harmful sugar is, controlling it like alcohol and tobacco will only help to some extent. We also have to address the underlying neurotransmitter and nutritional deficiencies that contribute to sugar addiction.

Yes, sugar is addicting as drugs, alcohol and tobacco! If we just take the sugar away, say to keep it out of the house, only eat small amounts or only eat sugar one day of the week – we are asking you to rely on will-power and self-discipline. And we all know how effective that is!

As I recently reported at a Holistic Moms twitter party on food and mood:

“Sugar was by far the biggest offender with many participants discussing how difficult it can be to break the sugar habit”.

Rosie O’Donnell was recently on the Dr Oz show talking about her weight, her depression and her relationship with food. And she made this very profound statement: “being overweight is an accepted societal addiction”. This is what she said when talking about her own sugar/carb addiction “I think about candy bars all night during Halloween” and “I could survive on bread and butter”. And she was very honest and vulnerable when she admitted “I know this…I’m a smart person…I get this…but I can’t seem to fix it. I’m smart but I’m screwed up!”

Here are some steps to help you quit your sugar addiction and not feel deprived. I’d love Rosie, and all of you who battle with this addiction to toxic sugar, to know that there ARE answers!

Sugar is closely related to anxiety, affecting blood sugar swings, depleting you of key nutrients and much more. Sugar is covered in great detail in The Antianxiety Food Solution: How the Foods You Eat Can Help You Calm Your Anxious Mind, Improve Your Mood and End Cravings, now available in major books stores, at Amazon and via www.antianxietyfoodsolution.com.

Do you experience anxiety, social phobia and inner tension that you cover up? Do you have poor dream recall? If yes, then read on.

On January 10^th The Holistic Moms Network invited me to answer questions at their January 10^th twitter party on Food and Mood. It was a great virtual “event” with really great questions.

A colleague, Mira Dessy, Certified Nutrition Educator and holistic health columnist, provided a great summary of much of the discussion. I added some information on sugar and cravings and I’d like to add to the discussion on zinc.

There are a subset of anxious people who do need higher amounts than the average person. From Mira’s blog “Zinc can be found in beef (grass fed is best), calf liver, venison, spinach, shitake mushrooms, and pumpkin seeds. It’s very important for pregnant women and children to get enough zinc with the addendum that zinc is a trace mineral and we do not need massive doses of it.” I agree, we don’t need massive doses but if you have pyroluria (anxiety, social phobia, inner tension you cover up – here is the complete pyroluria questionnaire) you will benefit from zinc and vitamin B6 supplements (at a minimum).

Again, thanks to Mira and read her blog to get the rest of the discussion. And thanks to HMN! Do come to the next HMN twitter party – they are a lot of fun and very informative!

Much of this information relating to anxiety and mood and food (and so much more) is covered in The Antianxiety Food Solution: How the Foods You Eat Can Help You Calm Your Anxious Mind, Improve Your Mood and End Cravings, available in major books stores, at Amazon and via www.antianxietyfoodsolution.com

While we are all aware that citrus fruit is a great source of vitamin C, a little known fact is that a mild to moderate deficiency of vitamin C may be associated with increased nervousness, anxiety and depression. We need all we can to boost mood during the long, dark, dreary and chilly days of winter. In fact, there is evidence of seasonality in anxiety and panic attacks, as there is with seasonal affective disorder (SAD) or “winter blues”, a form of depression caused by the lack of light during the fall and winter months, possibly leading to low serotonin. Together with depression and anxiety, low serotonin can also cause increased carb and sugar cravings. Eating a delicious blood orange (and other winter citrus fruit) will provide a boost of vitamin C and satisfy that desire for something sweet! I like to call these fruits “little spheres of sunshine” you can eat and enjoy to provide mood benefits as well as a boost for the immune system. (If you have a really sweet tooth this info from the HMN twitter party may help).

I encourage you to try and eat organic oranges, tangerines (or “naartjies” as they are called in South Africa) and other citrus fruit. In 2002, at a Great Lakes Regional meeting of the American Chemical Society, it was reported that organically-grown oranges contain up to 30% more vitamin C than those grown conventionally. A 2006 Italian study in the European Journal of Nutrition found that “organic red oranges have a higher phytochemical content (i. e., phenolics, anthocyanins and ascorbic acid)” and antioxidant than conventional oranges.

Here is a recipe for you to try

Orange Chicken Stir-fry

This stir-fry is beautiful, healthy, and delicious, and it’s also easy to make. It’s also simple enough that kids will enjoy it too. I like to start cooking and chop as I go to make life easy. I also pre-boil the chicken pieces so they are easier to chop up and cook quicker. This makes 4 servings and can be served with yummy baked sprouted GABA rice. Ideally all the ingredients are organic but most importantly make sure the peppers are (based on the EWG Dirty Dozen list)

2 T coconut oil for stir-frying

1 onion, chopped

3 cloves garlic, chopped

1 thumb-size piece of fresh ginger, sliced thinly

1 green bell pepper, chopped

1 yellow bell pepper, chopped

3 or 4 carrots, grated or cut into slivers (about a cup)

4 boneless organic or pastured chicken thighs (pre-boiled and chopped)

¼ head of cabbage, finely chopped

1 orange, cut into slices with skin and seeds removed (save the juice and use too)

2 T tamari (wheat-free especially if you are gluten-intolerant)

sea salt and pepper

Heat the coconut oil in a wok and add onion, garlic and ginger, stirring occasionally. While that starts to cook (about 5 minutes), chop the peppers and then add. While that cooks (about 5 minutes), grate the carrots and then add. Keep stirring occasionally. While that all cooks (about 5 minutes) chop the cabbage and add this and the chicken pieces and cook another 5 minutes or so. Add pieces of orange, juice, tamari sauce and spices and cook another 2 minutes. Enjoy!

If orange in your main-course doesn’t appeal to you, serve the orange slices with coconut milk for a delicious dessert, or simply peel and enjoy!

Are you looking for the next “healthy” sweetener and have a sweet tooth? If yes, then read on.

On January 10^th The Holistic Moms Network invited me to answer questions at their January 10^th Twitter party on Food and Mood. It was a great virtual “event” with really great questions.

A colleague, Mira Dessy, Certified Nutrition Educator and holistic health columnist, provided a great summary of much of the discussion. I’m doing this post to add to it and to clarify a few things…

I think this is a great statement Mira made: “The chat started with a discussion of whether or not folks noticed if there were certain foods that made them anxious or affected their mood. Answers were fairly consistent across the board with responses including sugar, caffeine, gluten, McDonalds, and processed food.” I love that gluten was a hot topic and want to add the possible issue with GMO grains.

But what I’d really like to address the whole sugar discussion. With regards to this statement on Mira’s blog: “Sugar was by far the biggest offender with many participants discussing how difficult it can be to break the sugar habit” and this recommendation which didn’t actually come from me “choose lower process sweeteners such as sucanat, evaporated cane juice crystals, honey, molasses, maple syrup”. I believe that if you replace white sugar with equal amounts of any of the above then it’s an issue. Ideally, a moderate amount of fresh fruit should satisfy your desire for something sweet and you shouldn’t have a sweet tooth. And you should not be seeking out the next “healthy” sweetener that comes on the market! If you do, it’s a message that you need to address your diet, nutrient deficiencies, imbalanced brain chemistry or even an addiction, or candida. This may apply whether you’re craving “healthy” sweeteners, stevia or xylitol sugar, or foods with artificial sweeteners. I asked this question “why do u eat sugar – comfort, calming, energy?” and these were some of the responses: “all of the above” and “I’d need to lose both arms to stop myself from eating sugar”. It really doesn’t have to be this way! You can quit and not have to use willpower and not feel deprived!

We didn’t have time to get completely into the individual amino acids (a future Twitter party ??) but they are incredible for stopping cravings in their tracks and improving mood. For example if you eat sugary food to calm down perhaps its low GABA and you may benefit from GABA supplements. Here is a Low GABA questionnaire.

Again, thanks to Mira and read her blog to get the rest of the discussion. And thanks to HMN! Do come to the next HMN twitter party – they are a lot of fun and very informative!

Much of this information relating to anxiety and mood and food (and so much more) is covered in The Antianxiety Food Solution: How the Foods You Eat Can Help You Calm Your Anxious Mind, Improve Your Mood and End Cravings, available in major books stores, at Amazon and via www.antianxietyfoodsolution.com

Join me for a virtual Q and A session on Food & Mood!

Tuesday January 10^th 7pm PST / 10 EST

I’ll be answering all your Food & Mood questions on twitter – for one whole hour. Join us and learn more about The Antianxiety Food Solution, the mood-food connection and the Holistic Moms Network.

Do you wonder why zinc is so important and what depletes our zinc levels? And the best food source of zinc? What about the importance of healthy fats and proteins? And the gluten-mood connection? Do you remember your dreams and do you know what brain nutrient helps both your dream recall and your anxiety? If you’re super-anxious are eating loads of nuts a good thing or a bad thing?

Go here to make it easy, follow along, ask your questions and comment http://tweetchat.com/room/holisticmoms

My twitter handle is @everywomanovr29 and Holistic Moms Network is @HolisticMomsNet

The hashtag is #holisticmoms (this will find all related tweets)

There will be some fun giveways! Hope you can join us!

Thanks to The Holistic Moms Network for hosting me. They have a great explanation about Twitter parties work and how to use tweetdeck.

About The Holistic Moms Network “The Holistic Moms Network is a 501(c) 3 non-profit organization connecting parents who are interested in holistic health and green living. We encourage moms to trust their instincts, parent from the heart, use their innate sense of what is best for their children, live in balance with the Earth, and learn about the pros and cons of all healthcare and parenting options.

Living healthy and living green is not an endpoint, but an ongoing journey. No matter where you are on your parenting or holistic living journey, you are welcome at HMN! We are a diverse and open-minded community, a place where your choices are respected and where you can learn and become informed! Many of us are new to this journey, others more experienced. Wherever you are, you can benefit from the wisdom, support, and resources that Holistic Moms have to offer!”

[Please note this USA time, click this world time zone converter and use US/Pacific to find your date/time and join in from wherever you are, be it Australia, South Africa, Sweden, Malaysia or anywhere else – be sure to let us know where you are tweeting from!]

If you can’t make it use the hashtag #holisticmoms later to find the tweets. Of course, much of what we discuss about anxiety and mood and food (and so much more) is covered in much detail in The Antianxiety Food Solution: How the Foods You Eat Can Help You Calm Your Anxious Mind, Improve Your Mood and End Cravings, available in major books stores, at Amazon and via www.antianxietyfoodsolution.com

It’s a new year and I wish you all the very best with abundant health and happiness, zero stress and anxiety and much success in all areas of your life. Here are my resolutions for you so you can have a great mood all year long.

Whatever your health goals are, make it all about getting healthy – the end result will be better quality of life and a better mood. Weight loss may be at the top of the list for many of you. If you want to lose weight, don’t go for quick fad diets but rather eat real whole food and address nutritional deficiencies and biochemical imbalances. Just one example: burned out adrenals can lead to weight loss resistance as well as sleep problems and an inability to handle stress, leading to increased anxiety.

1. Always, eat real whole food – make some changes, fine-tune things, try something new each week or a new recipe (like this delicious cabbage caraway recipe). Find an Asian or Indian market and explore and have fun – I found fresh guavas one time!
2. Plant a garden – flowers give you joy and pleasure, veggies give you joy and pleasure and real whole food, and herbs do the same. If you don’t have space for a garden, grow something on your balcony or kitchen window sill or find a community garden
3. Laugh a lot! Watch comedy shows and movies, take up a new fun hobby, get out and ride a bike, play with the kids (or nieces and nephews). A few years ago we learned to windsurf and we have such fun and laugh so much doing it!
4. Get out in nature! We were recently in Yosemite and as usual, the grandeur and beauty of being in nature just takes your breath away and just leaves you feeling so relaxed, calm and totally inspired and ready for anything and everything!
5. Exercise for the joy of it and not because you feel you have to! Take up windsurfing, play tennis, ride a bike, get back into dancing – whatever grabs you, do it!
6. Don’t tolerate how you feel and don’t tolerate unpleasant things in your life – you deserve a wonderful and happy life. Get help if you need it – work with a nutritionist, holistic health professional, life coach or business coach.
7. Educate yourself about healthy living and be a savvy consumer. Read books, attend workshops, follower bloggers and follow legislation. The Alliance for Natural Health is a great resource.
8. Value the love and support of your family, friends and community

Happy new year to you! I hope our paths cross and I’d love to hear some of your resolutions for 2012.

January 8 through 14th is National Folic Acid Awareness Week and I would like to bring awareness to how important folic acid is for our mood.

Of course, we also need to raise awareness that adequate folic acid intake is important for the prevention of birth defects and this is well covered here http://folicacidinfo.org/.

Back to mood…folic acid and vitamin B₁₂ are B vitamins that are important for depression, and given the links between anxiety and depression, they may also be helpful for anxiety. They also support heart health, which is important if you suffer from anxiety or panic attacks, which stress the heart.

A 2009 study found that supplementing with 800 mcg of folic acid, 500 mcg of vitamin B₁₂ (cyanocobalamin), and only 3mg of vitamin B₆ daily for six months improved the general well-being of people with celiac disease, while also helping with anxiety and depression. I have found this to be true for those with gluten intolerance too.

You also need to watch your alcohol consumption. Many of the nutrients depleted by alcohol are important for preventing anxiety: zinc, vitamin C, magnesium, fatty acids, antioxidants, and the stress-busting B vitamins, such as B₆ (pyridoxine), B₁ (thiamine), and folic acid.

Smoking and exposure to secondhand smoke also result in nutrient depletions: vitamin C, vitamin E, folic acid, and vitamin B_{1 .}

There are a number of foods that are a great source of folic acid: leafy green vegetables such as spinach and turnip greens, legumes and eggs. I’m not a big fan of the grain products that are fortified with folic acid because they are typically processed foods and because of the gluten mood connection.

Liver is another excellent source of folic acid, and vitamin A, vitamin B₁₂, and other B vitamins, and, of course, iron and protein. Nutrient dense and very healing, organ meats and have been considered a valuable food by many cultures for centuries. If you have unfond memories of beef liver, try liver pate, chicken or lamb liver. You can also freeze liver, then grate it and add it to dishes like meat loaf.

Whenever I do a workshop, I ask folks to raise their hands if they ate liver as a child and most of the time, the majority raise their hands. Then I ask who still eats liver and I usually have one to four people raise their hands! Grandma and mom did know what they were doing! I encourage you to try some liver this week!

Much of this information relating to anxiety and mood and food (and so much more) is covered in The Antianxiety Food Solution: How the Foods You Eat Can Help You Calm Your Anxious Mind, Improve Your Mood and End Cravings, available in major books stores, at Amazon and via www.antianxietyfoodsolution.com

Carob is a delicious alternative to coffee or hot chocolate as it doesn’t contain caffeine. It has a definite chocolate-like flavor and is something I recommend to my clients who may be looking for a healthier alternative or who can’t tolerate coffee or chocolate. Carob is originally from the eastern Mediterranean region, Northern Africa and the western part of Asia. Ceratonia siliqua or carob is also known as locust bean gum.

Consider trying carob if you are anxious and stressed. There are a subset of those with anxiety who are more prone to the anxiety-provoking effects of coffee and some very sensitive people may even find the caffeine in chocolate to be too stimulating.

In fact a 2002 study found that carob may actually have calming effects. It is also antioxidant rich, contains the polyphenol gallic acid which has been shown to help metabolic syndrome, it has been shown to lower total and LDL cholesterol, it has chemoprotective properties and helps with digestion.

Here is a recipe for a delicious beverage you can make using carob powder:

Carob Cinnamon Delight al la Trudy

¾ cup of boiling water

1 Tablespoon carob powder

¼ teaspoon cinnamon

Coconut milk (full-fat) or fresh raw cream (if you can tolerate dairy)

Boil the water, add carob and cinnamon and top up with coconut milk (or cream), stir and enjoy! The carob tends to settle a bit so you’ll probably need to stir it again when you’re half way through drinking it.

If you are going to give up coffee it’s good to have some alternative beverages on hand You could try delicious herbal teas (such as licorice, lemon-ginger, and mint), coffee substitutes such as Dandy Blend, rooibos or green rooibos (herbal teas from South Africa that appears to have health benefits similar to those of green tea), or one of my favorites – carob!

I’d love to get your feedback on how you enjoyed this and any variations you’ve tried.

Enjoy!

This questionnaire will help you identify whether you may have low levels of GABA. Check off any of the symptoms below that apply to you:

Anxiety and feeling overwhelmed

Feeling worried or fearful

Panic attacks

Unable to relax or loosen up

Stiff or tense muscles

Feeling stressed and burned-out

Craving carbs, alcohol, or drugs for relaxation and calming

If you checked off 3 or more symptoms, you may have low GABA levels.

You may benefit from taking a supplement containing GABA. GABA is the most important calming neurotransmitter, and is also an amino acid. Low levels of GABA are associated with anxiety, agitation, stress, and poor sleep. If you have sufficient GABA, you’ll feel relaxed and stress free. You won’t have anxiety or panic attacks, and you won’t eat sugary foods or other starchy foods or feel like you need a glass of wine in an effort to calm down.

Try some yoga, which has been shown to raise GABA levels. It’s also important to do whatever you can to reduce stress in your life. In addition to yoga, try tai chi, meditation, taking walks outdoors in a peaceful environment or taking a vacation.

It’s amazing how many women tolerate low-grade anxiety. I’m working with a client at the moment, who came to me because she has low energy and arthritis. It turns out, based on the Low GABA Questionnaire, she has low grade anxiety and stiff/tense muscles. Based on her Low Serotinin Questionnaire she also has mild depression, imposter syndrome and negative self-talk. When I asked why these were not on her list of health objectives, she said they were just so much a part of her everyday life, that she really didn’t think there was anything she could do about it. I’m pleased to report that there is plenty we can do and did do and she is feeling a LOT better after a few short weeks!

Worry and anxiety can be a result of low GABA and also low serotonin, so you may check off anxiety in both this questionnaire and the Low Serotonin Questionnaire. I’ll address this in a future post.

This questionnaire is taken from chapter 6 of The Antianxiety Food Solution: How the Foods You Eat Can Help You Calm Your Anxious Mind, Improve Your Mood and End Cravings, now available in major books stores, at Amazon and via www.antianxietyfoodsolution.com.