Lentils are a good source of protein, fiber and complex carbohydrates, and they are packed with nutrients. They provide folic acid and tryptophan, and are also an important source of iron, especially for menstruating women, whose iron needs are greater. Eating lentils with foods rich in vitamin C, such as tomatoes, green peppers, broccoli and citrus fruits helps the body absorb iron more efficiently. The soluble fiber found in lentils is good for the digestive system, lowers cholesterol and decreases insulin requirements for people with diabetes. It will also help keep blood sugar levels stable if you are prone to low blood sugar (and low blood sugar can leave you feeling anxious and stressed with poor focus).

Lentils are also quick and easy to prepare since they don’t require soaking. They are also versatile and can be made into a soup or stew or loaf, and can even be sprouted.

Lentil and Sweet Potato Soup

Heat the butter and sauté the garlic, ginger and onion. Add the spices (coriander, chilli, cumin). Stir in stock and lentils, tomatoes, sweet potatoes and bring to boil and then simmer for 20 minutes. Blend in a food processor until smooth. Add vinegar and stir well. Sprinkle with chopped cilantro and serve. Enjoy!

Sacramento State Capitol

The recent California lobby days were very successful and we feel we have made some great connections and started to build some excellent relationships. Nicole Hodson (NANP Executive Director), Julie Spero (President of NANP) and I went to the Capitol in Sacramento with lobbyist Randy Pollack. It was a whirl-wind tour of meetings over 2 days, with 16 women and men of the CA Assembly and Senate along with their staff members.

There is no new or pending legislation so it was a meet and greet. We met for about 15 minutes in each office and let them get to know what we as nutrition professionals do for our clients. Each of us talked about the health issues we work with and how we benefit our clients – demonstrating real world health issues being addressed through whole food nutrition. Nicole talked about the benefits of diet for ADHD, Julie about diabetes and diet and I spoke about the powerful impact diet has on anxiety and depression.  Nicole also talked about the National Association of Nutrition Professionals / NANP  and the board exam. Randy introduced the Alliance for Natural Health and other nutrition professionals, talked about AB575 (the CA bill introduced and defeated in 2011) and our concerns around the language that would prevent us from doing invaluable work for the people who need it most.  We also made sure they understood that the majority of dietitians tend to work in institutional settings such as hospitals, prisons and schools, while nutritionists tend to serve the individual. We also talked about consumer choice.

Some highlights

• We met with Mary Hayashi, the Assemblywoman who introduced AB575 in 2011. We believe her Republican counterparts on the committee were opposed to AB575 and that they also received negative pressure from the Nurses Association.
• Assemblywoman Fiona Ma is a champion of many health causes like Hepatitis B and Diabetes. She has invited us to attend an upcoming ‘Women in Government’ event and is interested in using us as a resource for health related speakers and articles. We have invited her to our annual NANP conference, along with Assemblyman Jerry Hill, whose district includes the city of Millbrae where our conference will be held
• We met with Jazmin Hicks, a senate fellow in Senator Vargus’ office who authored a paper on “Policy on preventative health rather than palliative health”
• We met Assemblywoman Butler who banned BPA in bay bottles
• Senator Emerson’s office is reviewing a gluten-free bill for the department of public health and we had a long discussion with staff members while waiting for our meeting
• We had some healthy (no pun intended!) discussions with various well-read and informed legislators and staff members about the importance of breakfast, gluten intolerance, the effects of diet on rheumatoid arthritis, the connection between gluten and autism, diet and ADHD and horrible hospital food

We very much appreciate the support of ANH and the fact that they hired a lobbyist. All in all an excellent and informative two days!

Please join me for a full 1 day seminar to learn about the powerful connection between food and mental health, and anxiety specifically.

“Food and Mood: 9 Steps to Calm the Anxious Mind, Improve Mood & End Cravings”

I’ll be doing 3 talks in the Boston, MA area in these locations and on these dates:

Tuesday, March 06, 2012 at 8:30 AM – 4:00 PM in Woburn, MA

Wednesday, March 07, 2012 at 8:30 AM – 4:00 PM in Waltham, MA

Thursday, March 08, 2012 at 8:30 AM – 4:00 PM in Dedham, MA

You can get all the details for the MA presentations here http://www.pesi.com/search/detail/index.asp?eventid=11239

And you can register online (above) or by phone: 1-800-844-8260

These are PESI seminars and are geared towards mental health professionals and are also open to the public. They are delivered as a live event with Q & A at various times during the presentation. I’ll be covering all the latest research on food and mental health, as well as practical steps for implementing changes.

Recent 2011 food mood research by Dr Felice Jacka,  looked at the eating habits of 5731 Norwegian adult men and women. They  found that “those with better quality diets were less likely to be depressed” and that a “higher intake of processed and unhealthy foods was associated with increased anxiety.”

The fee of $79.99 includes course materials.

The 9 steps are 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

Here are book reviews by Dr Winston Chung, child psychiatrist and Mira Dessy, Certified Nutrition Educator

Learn about the top 5 foods that make you anxious, 3 nutrients that improve anxiety and 2 simple lifestyle changes. I share all this on a call with Connie Bennett, author of the fabulous book Sugar Shock! How Sweets and Simple Carbs Can Derail Your Life – and How You Can Get Back on Track. You can listen to the interview here.

The Top 5 foods

(1)  Caffeine – we self-medicate so we can function. If you quit you may need to address the reasons you are tired: burned out adrenals, low thyroid or anemia
(2)  Sugar – depletes us of key nutrients that help with anxiety (zinc, magnesium and chromium) and fills us up so we don’t eat healthy food. It also leads to a roller-coaster of mood swings because it affects blood sugar. It’s very addicting and willpower may not be enough – and the amino acids help so much
(3)  Gluten – which is found in wheat, rye, barley, teff, kamut, spelt and oats. Affects digestion and causes “brain allergies” leading to mood problems, including anxiety and depression. At least 80% of my clients feel better mood-wise off gluten
(4)  Junk food that is loaded with trans fats, additives, MSG, artificial sweeteners like sucralose, GMOs, wheat
(5) Not getting enough good quality protein – amino acids are building blocks of neurotransmitters. Grass-fed red meat has good levels of omega-3s, zinc, B vitamins and iron. Salmon, sardines and pastured eggs are great sources too  

Connie felt better when she quit coffee but then she felt so much better when she also quit sugar….

3 nutrients that reduce anxiety

(1)  Tryptophan and 5-HTP help with raising serotonin and balancing brain chemicals – so you’ll feel happy, confident, calm, and have no afternoon/evening cravings. Low serotonin is associated with the type of anxiety that’s your head such as when you have ruminating thoughts
(2)  GABA is a calming neurotransmitter and if your levels are good you’ll feel relaxed and not drawn to wine or sugar to calm down.

The amino acids are amazing and help you feel great mood-wise and quit sugar so you won’t feel deprived and won’t have to use will-power.

2 lifestyle changes

(1)  Yoga helps to raise GABA levels; get out in nature and go for a walk
(2)  Getting enough sleep is big too

All of this and much more 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

Connie’s book Sugar Shock: How Sweets and Simple Carbs Can Derail Your Life – and How You Can Get Back on Track, is really a fabulous resource for all the facts on why sugar is so harmful. As someone who loves research I really appreciate all the excellent references and that she drew from so many experts. Connie’s second book will be coming out soon… Beyond Sugar Shock: The 6-Week Plan to Break Free of Your Sugar Addiction & Get Slimmer, Sexier & Sweeter.

There is an initiative in CA to label products that contain GMO (Generically Modified Organisms) ingredients. Label GMOs is a great site for everything you need to know and the Facebook page is http://www.facebook.com/labelgmos

“Help ensure the safety of food for California families and children. Let’s get labeling of genetically modified foods on the Ballot for 2012.”

“Because this is a California Ballot Initiative, we need in-person, physical signatures. We cannot gather online and have until April 22nd to gather 800,000 signatures to get this on the 2012 California Ballot.”

I think these statements say it all:

“We Currently Eat Genetically Engineered Food, But Don’t Know It”

“GMO Corn is regulated by the Environmental Protection Agency as an Insecticide” – wow! I did not know this!

“Today, as much as 86% of corn in the U.S. is GMO” so if you’re eating processed foods you are eating GMO ingredients.

“also potatoes altered with bacteria genes, “super” pigs altered with human growth genes, tomatoes altered with fish genes, and fish altered with cattle growth genes”

You can read more from Label GMOs here and I know you’ll want your food to be labeled.

The Millions Against Monsanto Facebook group is growing by the day and has some great resources for learning about GMOs   Millions Against Monsanto. It’s an open group so feel free to join and learn and comment.

This was a pretty sad and poorly researched GMO article in the Sacramento Bee http://www.sacbee.com/2012/02/19/4272670/label-this-one-do-not-touch.html

But good to see how many people are not putting up with poor reporting like this! One good thing is understanding how the uninformed think.

You can read some of my earlier posts on GMOs, where I talk about why GMOs are unhealthy and also labeling of GMO salmon in California last year.  At this stage we just don’t know enough about the possible long term consequences to our physical and mental health.

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