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The psychological trauma of coronavirus – nutritional support for doctors, nurses and their loved ones

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psychological trauma coronavirus

If you are a nurse or doctor or providing support in any capacity in hospitals and other essential services during this coronavirus pandemic you need nutritional support.  You may be feeling on edge and anxious, worried about the future, concerned and angry about the lack of personal protective equipment (PPE), fearful for your safety and terrified about bringing the virus back to your family, exhausted and yet not able to sleep, feeling overly emotional and weepy about your patients (and decisions you are making or you anticipate having to make), and starting to have nightmares.

I’m not downplaying the enormity of the stress and trauma you are already facing and will continue to face, but we must not forget that nutrients (and nature and exercise) have a role to play in PTSD and trauma. They help to make you more resilient and mitigate some of the effects of trauma, and they also support healing and recovery.

When you feel calmer and you sleep better, you indirectly support your immune function too. There is also research that directly supports the role that GABA plays in improving immune function (more on this below).

B-complex and a multi-vitamin for everyone

If this is all that can be managed, a B-complex and a good multi-vitamin would be my first choice for everyone. I wrote this blog during Hurricane Harvey: Nutrition solutions for psychological stress after a natural disaster. It’s equally applicable now. Simply replace “after a natural disaster” with “during the coronavirus pandemic.”

My colleagues Bonnie Kaplin and Julia Rucklidge published this paper in 2015: A randomised trial of nutrient supplements to minimise psychological stress after a natural disaster. They found that folks traumatised after New Zealand earthquakes and floods in southern Alberta, Canada, showed significantly greater improvement in stress and anxiety when consuming a B-Complex and/or broad-spectrum mineral/vitamin formula.

In a newly published article in the Calgary Herald, Dr. Kaplan explains how these nutrients act as co-factors for making serotonin, GABA and dopamine and that “we should all consider a B-complex and/or a broad-spectrum nutrient formula on a daily basis to strengthen our mental resilience.”

My second recommendation is GABA and/or theanine

Supporting low levels of GABA, the calming neurotransmitter, eases your anxiety, improves your sleep and supports your immunity. When you feel calmer and you sleep better, you indirectly support your immune function too:

the physiological response to psychological stressors can dramatically impact the functioning of the immune system (from this paper)

We also have research that directly supports the role that GABA plays when it comes to improving immune function.

We want you to stay emotionally and physically strong and so does your family!

I write more about this here: GABA and theanine for easing anxiety, improving sleep and supporting immunity.  I share advice if you’re currently using GABA/theanine or have used it in the past, and a summary if you’re new to low GABA anxiety symptoms and using GABA/theanine.

Melatonin and serotonin support

I have my clients use a sublingual melatonin for going to sleep and a timed-release melatonin for staying asleep, and it’s another recommendation I’m making.

Melatonin improves sleep, helps ease anxiety and fear and may help with PTSD:

  • A double-blind, placebo-controlled crossover trial concludes that “melatonin may be an effective treatment for shift work nurses with difficulty falling asleep.”
  • Low levels of melatonin are common in military-related PTSD.
  • Melatonin modulates fear and “may serve as an agent for the treatment of PTSD”.

This in press and pre-proof paper reports on melatonin: COVID-19: Melatonin as a potential adjuvant treatment:

Melatonin, a well-known anti-inflammatory and anti-oxidative molecule, is protective against ALI/ARDS [acute lung injury/acute respiratory distress syndrome] caused by viral and other pathogens. Melatonin is effective in critical care patients by reducing vessel permeability, anxiety, sedation use, and improving sleeping quality, which might also be beneficial for better clinical outcomes for COVID-19 patients. Notably, melatonin has a high safety profile.

This is very promising for offering added protection if you are working on the front-line and for  your patients too.

Serotonin is the precursor to melatonin and the amino acid tryptophan is one of the raw materials for making serotonin. I would also include tryptophan or 5-HTP for supporting serotonin levels to help with the worry and anxiety in the head, lying awake ruminating, feelings of fear, anger, depression, worry and negative thinking.

Try to get into nature for the pure joy of it and to lower your cortisol

Do your absolute best to try and get some nature. I share some simple options in this blog:

  • Get out into nature at least one day a week i.e. do some “forest bathing”
  • Take a short detour and drive to work via a tree-lined street
  • Look at some images of nature: sit and stare at a giant poster or even watch a show on National Geographic

Beyond the pure joy of spending time in nature, there is research supporting all of the above in playing a role in reducing anxiety, feeling more positive and calm, reducing cortisol levels and helping with recovery from stressful situations.

tree-lined street

Do this workout a few times a week for mood support

Here is a great workout from Dr. Zach Bush, MD. He recommends doing it 3 x day and starting with 10 reps of each of the 4 exercises and building up to 20 reps of each one:

The Four Minute Workout is a new concept of exercise that revolves around the body’s ability to use Nitric Oxide for muscle growth. This is an efficient anaerobic workout that can be done multiple times per day. The more frequently you do it, the better your results.

In this blog, I write how signals from our large leg muscles alter our brain and nervous system and improve mood.

If it’s your loved-one on the front-lines be sure to take care of yourself too

All of this nutritional support is also important if you are the mother or husband or wife or sister or brother etc. who is anxious and worrying about your loved one. You need to be strong for them so be sure to take care of you too.

Even if you are not working on the front-line or don’t know anyone doing so, if you are experiencing any of the above emotions, you need nutritional support too.

The New York Times article

It was reading this very somber and eye-opening article in the New York Times that promoted me to write this blog: The Psychological Trauma That Awaits Our Doctors and Nurses

The angst that clinicians may experience when asked to withdraw ventilators for reasons not related to the welfare of their patients should not be underestimated,” warn the authors of the article in The New England Journal of Medicine.“It may lead to debilitating and disabling distress.

We look at veterans and thank them for their service, never being able to fully comprehend what they’ve been through. The same may soon be true of some of our health care professionals. We may think we know. But we don’t.

No-one should have to make these choices and our hearts break for you and the families who are being impacted.

Louisiana article conveys the gravity of the situation like no other

Unfortunately it is happening already. This article conveys the gravity of the situation like no other and I’ve been pouring through everything – an account from a respiratory therapist in a Louisiana hospital (published two weeks ago.) We have been hearing similar stories from Italy for over a month now. Be warned – it’s horrifying!

It does include this statement… “The medical details in this story were vetted by an infectious disease doctor, a cardiologist and an internist at three different hospitals. All of the information about ARDS, the condition that the respiratory therapist describes, was fact-checked against peer-reviewed articles and UpToDate, a resource for physicians to check current standards in care, clinical features, and expected complications and outcomes.”

Because but I’m not familiar with this publication, I also checked with colleagues who are doctors and this is medically accurate.

While we don’t want to create panic I want to understand what doctors and nurses are facing so I can help. I do also believe we all deserve to know the facts, so we can truly support our doctors and nurses, and so we take this very seriously and stay home!

My biggest wish

It is my biggest wish that we can prevent much of this heart-ache and trauma going forwards, by preventing the spread of this virus and preventing the need for ventilators by helping sick individuals recover more quickly or prevent folks getting sick in the first place.

I do know of many incredible functional medicine practitioners who are creating task forces and working behind the scenes putting together proposals to present to governors, governments and mainstream medicine.

The products I mention and eating real whole food

The products I recommend to my clients are Designs for Health B Supreme and Designs for Health Twice Daily Multi.

You can find the GABA, theanine, tryptophan and 5-HTP on the supplements blog here.

If you are working in a hospital or medical setting or essential services

  • Please reach out if you need help with any of this – how to implement these recommendation or where to get the products
  • If you’re already doing this please share so we can encourage others to support themselves

And if your loved ones or friends in healthcare need support

  • Please share this blog with them and help them get access to these nutrients
  • I also encourage you to read my book – The Antianxiety Food Solution – How the Foods You Eat Can Help You Calm Your Anxious Mind, Improve Your Mood, and End Cravings – and give them the highlights about eating real whole food, quality animal protein, organic veggies and fruits, fermented foods, healthy fats, avoiding caffeine and sugar, eating for blood sugar control etc.
  • Please share if you know ways we can get this information (and nutrients) into the hands of more of our front-line workers
  • My focus is nutrition and nutrients but they also need someone to talk to so give them a call and be a listening ear. Also, help them find an online therapy service if they feel they need it. It’s encouraging to see more and more of this being made available.

One final comment – these are the bare essentials. In an ideal world, with more time, it would be best to work with a functional medicine practitioner and nutritionist and figure out your exact nutritional needs.

GABA and theanine for easing anxiety, improving sleep and supporting immunity

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gaba theanine

Stress and anxiety suppresses immunity and so does poor sleep. One root cause of anxiety and poor sleep can be low GABA (gamma-aminobutyric acid) levels.  When you boost low levels of GABA (the neurotransmitter) with the amino acid GABA (it has the same name as the neurotransmitter) or theanine (another amino acid), you feel calmer and you sleep better, and you indirectly support your immune function too. We also have research that directly supports the role that GABA and theanine may play when it comes to improving immune function.

This paper, Psychological Stress, Immunity, and the Effects on Indigenous Microflora, describes the field of PsychoNeuroImmunology which

has clearly demonstrated that the physiological response to psychological stressors can dramatically impact the functioning of the immune system, thus identifying one way in which susceptibility to or severity of diseases are exacerbated during stressful periods.

It’s important that we keep all this in mind as we deal with the coronavirus pandemic and during other times when we may be exposed to infections.

The authors also share that psychological stressors impact the microbiome contributing to increases in markers of inflammation even when there is no infection. As you may recall from the recent Anxiety Summit 5: Gut-Brain Axis there is a bidirectional communication between the gut and the brain, with poor gut health having a direct impact on anxiety levels.

The sleep-immunity connection

Here is some of the research supporting the sleep and immunity connection:

Sleep is considered an important modulator of the immune response. Thus, a lack of sleep can weaken immunity, increasing organism susceptibility to infection.

Sleep abnormalities affect immune function in a reciprocal manner, leading to changes in proinflammatory cytokines, such as tumor necrosis factor, interleukins 1 and 6, and C-reactive protein. The multitude of systems that react to sleep loss suggest effects beyond the central nervous system and include total body functioning.

The GABA and theanine anxiety-immunity connection

Here is some of the research supporting the more direct role GABA and theanine may play when it comes to immune function (and act as a relaxant and anti-stress nutrient at the same time):

GABA could work effectively as a natural relaxant and its effects could be seen within 1 hour of its administration to induce relaxation and diminish anxiety. Moreover, GABA administration could enhance immunity under stress conditions.

A number of recent studies have suggested that theanine administration can improve the body’s immune system….one particular study highlighted the use of theanine as an intervention to decrease the incidence of upper respiratory tract infection symptoms via enhancing gamma and delta T-lymphocyte function.

The authors cite one study where “administration of 200 mg theanine was found to have an “anti-stress” effect on pharmacy students” and “regulate dopamine and serotonin levels in the brain through the release of the inhibitory neurotransmitter GABA.”

The  low GABA type of anxiety

When you have the  low GABA type of anxiety you’ll feel physically tense and overwhelmed, fearful and not be sleeping well. You may lie in bed stiff and tense and may also have unwanted thoughts and experience monkey-mind. It’s common to self-medicate with alcohol to stay calm or you may also use carbs to relax. When you use the amino acid supplement GABA, you get quick and very effective relief – when it’s used sublingually.

Already using GABA/theanine or have used it in the past?

If you are already using GABA or theanine you may find you need extra during this time of added stress.  You don’t want to make the mistake of thinking “This is serious, I need to double-up.” The best approach is to monitor your low GABA symptoms and consider using an extra dose during the day or possibly more at night or possibly more at each dose. Use the trial method to monitor your response.

Someone in my facebook community said she was conserving her GABA and noticed her anxiety was creeping back up. Now is not the time to cut back on GABA.

If you’ve found benefit from GABA or theanine in the past but are not currently using it you may very likely feel the need for the additional support right now.

New to low GABA anxiety symptoms and using GABA/theanine?

If you suspect low GABA symptoms and are new to using the amino acids and do not have my book I highly recommend getting it and reading it before jumping in to taking supplements: The Antianxiety Food Solution – How the Foods You Eat Can Help You Calm Your Anxious Mind, Improve Your Mood, and End Cravings. (get it out of the library if you’re watching your expenses.)

There is a complete chapter on the amino acids and one for pyroluria, plus information on real whole food, sugar and blood sugar, gluten, digestion and much more.  If you’re not a reader there is now also an audible version.

Here is the Amino Acids Mood Questionnaire from The Antianxiety Food Solution and additional information on Anxiety and targeted individual amino acid supplements: a summary

Please also read and follow these Amino Acid Precautions.

This lists The Antianxiety Food Solution Amino Acid and Pyroluria Supplements that I use with my individual clients and those in my group programs.

Stay tuned for the webinar I’ll be hosting and until then check out my interview on the Best Sleep Ever Summit. We may also make the GABA Quickstart online group program (with Facebook support and a live Q and A) available if there is enough interest.

In summary, anxiety and sleep deprivation are not good for your immunity, and theanine and GABA can ease anxiety, improve sleep AND enhance immunity. With the expected surge in coronavirus cases, I do hope this has helped you to connect the dots.

bouquetofhope

From our garden to you … a little “bouquet of hope” as you navigate this awful time. I’m thinking of you self-isolating and sheltering-in-place and appreciating you if you are working in a hospital or doing other essential work!

Please share your experiences with GABA and theanine and feel free to ask questions. Let us know if you were aware of the connections to immune function and if you’ve noticed your immune system is stronger when using GABA or theanine?

Botox injections (cosmetic or non-cosmetic): are they a root cause of anxiety and panic attacks?

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botox injections

New research shows Botox injections are being considered for severe depression and bipolar disorder because it stops frowning and this lack of frowning has a positive impact on neurotransmitters and mood. I recently posted this on Facebook and asked this question:

I’m curious if you have had Botox injections or would consider it (for cosmetic reasons) or perhaps for migraines, dystonia, proctalgia fugax or depression/bipolar?

If you have had Botox injections are you happy with the result or did you have any adverse effects like increased anxiety, panic attacks or anything else?

The response was varied with most folks saying they would never consider using Botox for cosmetic reasons, some folks saying they used Botox for cosmetic reasons and had issues and some folks saying they’ve used Botox for cosmetic reasons and love it, and others who have used Botox for non-cosmetic reasons.

All the practitioners who commented have concerns about Botox saying results are mixed with some of their clients having severe reactions and some doing fine. As I looked further into this topic I’ve gained additional insights and my biggest concern for you, and my community, is that Botox can lead to very severe anxiety and panic attacks.

I encourage you to keep an open mind about my Botox concerns if you have chronic anxiety that is not resolving and it started (or got worse) after receiving Botox injections, or if  you’re considering Botox injections.

Anxiety, panic attacks, inability to handle stress, body shaking

I gained my biggest insights from the Botox Dysport (Side Effects) Support group. Someone suggested I look into this group and I requested an invite to join so I could learn more. So many of the members of this support group  report anxiety, panic attacks, inability to handle stress, body shaking and problems connecting socially.  This is what one member shared:

…just joining the dots, I’ve been unwell for a few years since getting Botox but didn’t put it together until having it last week and going into panic attacks / ER.

Since then extreme anxiety and I’ve ended up in a mental health facility on benzodiazepines (ativan/valium). Reactions / withdrawal has been severe, have started to put it all together whilst reading through this page.

I’m realising that my decline, immune system failure (chronic epstein barr) fatigue, loss of motivation, loss of appetite, shaking in my body, muscle atrophy, anxiety, no motivation to connect socially, can’t handle any stress, can’t relax, tinnitus, breathing trouble and the list goes on is from botox…. scared to say the least as doesn’t seem to be a solution, I was worried to get Botox originally and obviously am eating myself up with regret, thought I would share if anyone has a similar story.

There are many similar posts to this one and it’s heart-breaking, especially because they say they are not being heard by their doctors.

I had a short online conversation with one of the moderators and she shared they suspect Botox is impacting the hypothalamic-pituitary-adrenal (HPA) axis leading to high cortisol and causing their anxiety symptoms. Many of the members find relief with Seriphos, which is a phosphorylated serine product I’ve had great success with. Here is my blog post on Seriphos for anxiety and insomnia related to high cortisol.

I asked if any of the members find GABA or serotonin support helpful and for some GABA helps ease the physical tension and for other members tryptophan or 5-HTP helps ease the worry type of anxiety. However for others, the amino acids seem to have a paradoxical effect and make symptoms worse.

I’ve never been in favor of Botox for cosmetic reasons simply because I’m not a fan of putting foreign objects/toxins into the body and because I believe in aging gracefully with confidence. I do find that many women feel the need for cosmetic Botox injections and other ways to try and look younger (such as breast implants and hair dye) because of low self-esteem and lack of confidence caused by low serotonin.

Botox for non-cosmetic purposes

Botox is also used for non-cosmetic purposes. Some of my neurologist colleagues also have concerns about cosmetic use and will only use Botox injections for the following:

  • severe cases of dystonia
  • migraines (to relax forehead muscles)
  • proctalgia fugax /rectal spasms

Botox may also be used for multiple sclerosis (MS) symptoms, pelvic pain and bladder issues, for TMJ, after a stroke and for chronic anal fissures in colitis (sphincter spasms can prevent anal fissures from healing).

I would love to see safer approaches for non-cosmetic Botox injections being researched and explored by practitioners. For example:

Botox for mental health – we can do better with nutritional psychiatry

At the beginning of this blog I mentioned the new research that shows Botox injections are being considered for severe depression and bipolar disorder because it stops frowning. This lack of frowning has a positive impact on neurotransmitters and mood.

A study published in 2018, Clinical analysis of 86 botulism cases caused by cosmetic injection of botulinum toxin (BoNT), reports that botulism is a severe side effect of Botox injections with symptoms including: “headache, dizziness, insomnia, fatigue, blurred vision, eye opening difficulty, slurred speech, dysphagia [difficulty swallowing], constipation, and anxiety.”

The authors report these symptoms occur in the first 36 days after the Botox injections and that all symptoms resolved after botulinum antitoxin serum injections.

This conclusion clearly doesn’t address why there are so many folks in the Botox Dysport (Side Effects) Support group continue to experience long-term severe symptoms.

We also have research reporting a possible connection between Botox injections and thyroid autoimmunity.

I feel we can do better especially with what we know about nutritional psychiatry, the use of targeted individual amino acids, nutrients like lithium orotate, the gut-brain connections and everything covered in my book The Antianxiety Food Solution (my Amazon link) and on this blog.

A note of appreciation

I’d like to end with a note of appreciation to everyone who commented on my Facebook post, to the members of Botox Dysport (Side Effects) Support group on facebook (with over 5700 members as of this writing).

I’d also like to thank Diane Kazer for asking bold questions about Botox injections as part of her Non-Toxic Beauty Revolution summit. It starts next week – tune in to learn more about Botox, Breast Implant Illness, toxins in your cosmetics and so much more. In my interview we also talk extensively about the low serotonin/low self-esteem connections which I feel is a big missing piece for helping women who feel the desire or need to use cosmetic Botox in order to feel good and love themselves.

Diane writes about Botox here: Is Botox Safe? Top 3 Concerns & What to do if you’ve had it, sharing a brief history of botox, what she has uncovered about toxicity issues and possible detox solutions.

She also created this list of 58 Botox Illness Symptoms which she gave me permission to share here. She compiled this list from 1000+ people who have had Botox injections.

58 botox illness symptoms

Because of Diane asking questions and this initial research I’ve done, I’m adding a question about past history of Botox injections to my client intake form and will be gathering more information from my community of anxious women to see if there are patterns as to why some folks have such bad reactions.

I do feel we need to be asking if Botox injections (cosmetic or non-cosmetic) are a possible root cause of anxiety and panic attacks because they are adding to the toxic burden in susceptible folks.

But I do acknowledge it’s challenging to unwind all the contributing factors because it depends on what is going on with each person, such as their gut health, other medications (benzodiazepines themselves can be problematic), past trauma, infections, poor adrenal health, low GABA, low serotonin, poor detox capacity, low bile production, genetics etc. Unfortunately there is no way to know in advance who will be harmed and if Botox is the tipping point.

Please comment below if you’ve had Botox injections and had adverse reactions or have benefited from them with no adverse reactions. And if you have not had Botox would you ever consider it? Feel free to post your questions too.

Imposter syndrome and low serotonin: is tryptophan the solution?

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imposter syndrome

No-one is talking about the biochemical and low serotonin aspect of imposter syndrome and the role tryptophan plays. This really does need to be part of the discussion and part of the solution.

In case you aren’t familiar with the term imposter syndrome, many of my clients who appear to have very successful careers will say to me … “I feel like I’m an imposter. They’re going to catch me out at what I’m doing. I’m not really as good as everyone thinks I am.” Perhaps you can relate to this? You just don’t feel that you’re good enough – you’re faking it until you make it and putting on a brave face.

I can relate to all this personally. I had a very successful corporate job in my late 30s and I started to feel sure I was useless and that I was going to lose my job. Then the dreadful perimenopausal symptoms and anxiety and panic attacks started. And then I figured out it was low serotonin and hormone imbalances (and a number of other root causes that factored in to all this – I list many typical root causes below).

Valerie Young’s excellent book, The Secret Thoughts of Successful Women: Why Capable People Suffer from the Impostor Syndrome and How to Thrive in Spite of It, [my Amazon link] has created the awareness we need and offers so much in terms of recognizing the way imposter syndrome mani­fests in our lives. She shares these examples which you may also resonate with:

From the high-achieving Ph.D. candidate convinced she’s only been admitted to the program because of a clerical error to the senior executive who worries others will find out she’s in way over her head, a shocking number of accomplished women in all ca­reer paths and at every level feel as though they are faking it – impostors in their own lives and careers.

This article in Harvard Business Review, Overcoming Imposter Syndrome, states

Imposter syndrome can be defined as a collection of feelings of inadequacy that persist despite evident success. ‘Imposters’ suffer from chronic self-doubt and a sense of intellectual fraudulence that override any feelings of success or external proof of their competence.

The article mentions phrases such as “I must not fail”, “I feel like a fake” and “it’s all down to luck”, offering these tools: recognise the imposter feelings, reframe, talk about how you feel, be kind to yourself, visualize success and seek support.

This is all great advice but it’s hard work when you’re already struggling. And what if there was a simple solution that involved addressing low serotonin with an amino acid supplement such as tryptophan or 5-HTP?

How you will feel if your serotonin is low

If your serotonin is low you WILL feel like this: plenty of self-doubt, lack of confidence and negative self talk. It’s common to feel anxious and inadequate, have ruminating thoughts, do lots of reprocessing and overthinking, and be a perfectionist (you may get stuck because of the perfectionism and overthinking things). This often occurs together with carb cravings (especially late afternoon and evening), PMS/perimenopausal/menopausal symptoms. Insomnia is common and this is when much of the ruminations and negative self-talk occurs.

There is a very simple solution. Figure out if low serotonin is the issue and address it with tryptophan or 5-HTP.  Using co-factors like zinc, vitamin B6, iron, magnesium, and diet and lifestyle changes may be necessary too.

Why is serotonin low (and address the root causes)

You also need to figure out why serotonin is low and address this. Low serotonin may be caused by many factors such as:

  • dysbiosis and a messed up microbiome (we make so much serotonin in the gut)
  • stress and the adrenals (cortisol affects your sex hormone production)
  • the birth control pill (which lowers zinc and vitamin B6, both of which are needed for serotonin production)
  • gluten issues (leading to low serotonin and other nutritional deficiencies)
  • not consuming enough quality animal protein (amino acids are the building blocks of our neurotransmitters, and grass fed red meat provides zinc, iron and omega-3s – all needed to make serotonin)
  • low stomach acid (meaning you can’t digest the protein you’re consuming)
  • sex hormone imbalances (serotonin and estrogen are very closely linked)
  • liver issues (affecting how you process xenoestrogens)
  • low bile production (so you’re not digesting the healthy fats you’re eating)
  • statins (leading to cholesterol that is too low)
  • not getting enough exercise, sunshine or nature
  • mold exposure
  • heavy metal toxicity
  • Lyme disease and other co-infections
  • and more

I’ve poured through the research on imposter syndrome and there is no mention of serotonin. A few articles – like this one in Forbes, Why You Need To Understand The Neuroscience Of Imposter Syndrome – mention serotonin but not tryptophan (or 5-HTP) or any of the above approaches for raising serotonin (other than exercise).

However, clinically we see all the signs of imposter syndrome disappear once low serotonin is addressed.

Imposter syndrome and low serotonin? Have you made the connection and can you relate?

Please comment below if imposter syndrome resonates with you so we can all learn from each other. I’d love to hear:

  • how imposter syndrome shows up in your life and how you’d describe it to your best friend?
  • when do you feel like this – at work, all the time (work and home life) or only certain situations?
  • are these new feelings and if yes when did they start?  or have you always felt like this?
  • what type of job do you have? or are you an entrepreneur?
  • have you sought help for imposter syndrome and what has helped?
  • are you surprised to learn there is a biochemical aspect and nutritional solutions?
  • what other low serotonin symptoms do you have?
  • have you used tryptophan (or 5-HTP) for other low serotonin symptoms (like anxiety, ruminations, insomnia etc) and then realized that imposter syndrome is not longer an issue for you?
  • have you figured out and addressed some of the root causes of your low serotonin?

(if you feel more comfortable sharing some of this anonymously feel free to use a nickname when commenting – I’m aware that there is a stigma to admitting this in the corporate world)

Feel free to post your questions too.

Food Fix by Dr. Mark Hyman – my review

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food fix by mark hyman

Dr. Mark Hyman has a brilliant new book called called Food Fix: How to Save Our Health, Our Economy, Our Communities, and Our Planet – One Bite at a Time and his big bold message is that: “We need to change the food system to change the world.”  It is an issue that is seriously overlooked and he wants to change this.

food fix

Watch this short video clip to hear it from Dr. Hyman himself.

food fix

Here are some of the key messages from Food Fix

  • If we don’t change the food system, we’re going to spend $95 trillion dollars on chronic disease – heart disease, obesity, type 2 diabetes, cancer, and dementia – over the next 35 years.
  • Big food spends a lot of money in Washington to keep us fat and sick.
  • The food industry preys on our most vulnerable citizens – children.

According to the American Psychological Association, children under the age of 8 don’t instinctively recognize the difference between TV Commercials and programs, which makes them particularly vulnerable.

  • Big Food buys partnerships with public schools.
  • Minorities are also targeted by the food industry.
  • Bad food is making us anxious, depressed, and is messing with our brains. I’m thrilled that Dr. Hyman highlights how nutritional medicine is a key to mental health and psychiatry. Here are some snippets :

Studies show that adults with many types of mental health issues and children with ADHD have very low levels of antioxidants (which come from fruits and vegetables), such as the fifty-six-year-old man with lifelong crippling depression who improved by cleaning up his diet and taking a cocktail of B vitamins. I remember one man who presented with severe panic attacks every afternoon. Turned out he was eating a diet very high in sugar and starch and had wild swings in his blood sugar, which triggered the anxiety. When he cut out sugar and starch, his anxiety and panic attacks vanished. These stories are not anomalies. They are predictable results from applying nutritional medicine.

In recent years, major medical journals have clearly shown the link between nutrition and mental health. The Lancet Psychiatry, a top medical journal, maps out just how nutritional medicine is a key to mental health and psychiatry. Overall diet quality, high sugar loads, and rampant nutritional deficiencies (including omega‑3 fats, zinc, magnesium, vitamin D, and B vitamins) all drive mental illness. In other words, the culprit is once again the American and increasingly global industrial diet. We have discussed the costs of obesity and chronic disease, but most don’t connect mental illness to the costs of chronic disease. In fact, the cost of mental illness to the economic burden is far greater than the costs of heart disease, diabetes, and cancer.

Population studies have found that more fruits and vegetables and less french fries, fast food, and sugar are associated with a lower prevalence of mental illness, and that junk food creates moderate to severe psychological distress. The good news is that interventional studies have shown that treatment of mental illness with diet works well (especially since most medications for mental illness don’t work that well, despite being the second biggest category of drugs sold).

And here are a few of the many solutions proposed in the book:

  • Support regenerative agriculture and sustainable food.
  • Stop purchasing franken-foods:

Today 60% of our diet is ultra-processed food made from commodity crops—corn, soy, and wheat—that’s turned into various sizes, shapes, and colors from the raw materials—high fructose corn syrup, white flour, and refined soybean oil. When you vote with your dollars and your fork to stay away from these foods, you send a message to big food to stop subsidizing commodity crops and grow more fruits and vegetables!

  • End food waste:

Buy only what you need.  If food may go bad soon, make a soup or stew. Get a compost bucket for your kitchen.  Start a compost pile in your backyard, or buy an in-home composter.  Use it in your garden or donate it to someone who has a garden.

  • Be an activist and teach your family why food matters.

Here is the official book blurb:

Help to transform the planet in crisis with this indispensable guide to healthy, ethical, and economically sustainable food from #1 New York Times bestselling author Mark Hyman, MD.

Food is our most powerful tool to reverse the global epidemic of chronic disease, heal the environment, reform politics, and revive economies. What we eat has tremendous implications not just for our waistlines, but also for the planet, society, and the global economy. What we do to our bodies, we do to the planet; and what we do to the planet, we do to our bodies. 

In Food Fix, Mark Hyman explains how our food and agriculture policies are corrupted by money and lobbies that drive our biggest global crises: the spread of obesity and food-related chronic disease, climate change, poverty, violence, educational achievement gaps, and more.

Pairing the latest developments in nutritional and environmental science with an unflinching look at the dark realities of the global food system and the policies that make it possible, Food Fix is a hard-hitting manifesto that will change the way you think about – and eat – food forever, and will provide solutions for citizens, businesses, and policy makers to create a healthier world, society, and planet.

I love that Dr. Hyman says he is left with a sense of hope and possibility after writing this book … “understanding the problems and challenges we face sets the foundations for the solutions.”

Wise words indeed! This book is much-needed, brilliant, eye-opening and shocking at times, but hopeful and solution-based.

You can get your copy of Food Fix here (my Amazon link) and find additional information and resources on the official book site here.

Tapping (or EFT) for reducing anxiety, depression, pain and cravings, plus physiological changes in cortisol, heart rate, blood pressure and SigA

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tapping and anxiety

Awareness about tapping or EFT (emotional freedom technique) is growing and so is the research. I’ve been intrigued by tapping for some time and I’m impressed by some of the very positive feedback I’ve heard about how it reduces anxiety, depression, pain and cravings. I’m now more intrigued after reading a 2019 paper that describes some of the physiological changes (i.e. changes in the body) that improve after tapping.

This paper, Clinical EFT (Emotional Freedom Techniques) Improves Multiple Physiological Markers of Health, describes EFT as “an evidence-based self-help therapeutic method”, reporting that “over 100 studies demonstrate its efficacy.”

It’s further described as “a brief intervention combining elements of exposure, cognitive therapy, and somatic [or physical] stimulation of acupressure points on the face and body.” The full paper here goes into great detail if you’d like to read more.

The objectives of this study were to measure and describe some of the physiological changes that occur after tapping, in order to understand some of the mechanisms. Up until now “information about the physiological effects of EFT is limited.”

As far as physiological changes, these included: heart rate variability and heart coherence, resting heart rate and blood pressure, salivary cortisol (to show changes in the endocrine system), and salivary immunoglobulin A (SigA) (to show impacts on the immune system).

They also measured these psychological symptoms: anxiety, depression, posttraumatic stress disorder, pain, and cravings. After a 4-day training workshop on tapping, the researchers reported that happiness increased by 31% and the following declines in psychological symptoms in 203 participants were reported:

  • anxiety (-40%)
  • depression (-35%)
  • posttraumatic stress disorder (-32%)
  • pain (-57%) and
  • cravings (-74%)

These physiological improvements were found in the subset of 31 participants that were tested:

  • resting heart rate (-8%)
  • salivary cortisol (-37%)
  • systolic blood pressure (-6%) and diastolic blood pressure (-8%)
  • heart rate variability and heart coherence
  • salivary immunoglobulin A (SigA) (+113%)

The authors conclude that

gains were maintained on follow-up, indicating EFT results in positive health effects as well as increased mental well-being.

If you’ve been following me for awhile you know I like to look into the research so I’m excited by this study and look forward to further research and gaining a better understanding of this tool.

I also look forward to learning how lasting these psychological and physiological changes are and if you need to keep tapping in order to sustain the changes.

Possible impacts on boosting neurotransmitter levels

Because of the psychological benefits I was also curious about the possible impacts of tapping on boosting neurotransmitter levels such as GABA and serotonin. I found this research on acupuncture which we may be able to partially extrapolate from since EFT does have the acupressure aspect: Effect of Acupuncture on Neurotransmitters/Modulators

In general, acupuncture enhances the activity of the endogenous opioid peptides, serotonin, dopamine, ACh [actelyl-choline], and inhibitory amino acids such as γ-aminobutyric acid (GABA), glycine, taurine, and lactamine, while it attenuates the activity of noradrenalin and excitatory amino acids including glutamate and aspartic acid.

Compliments the dietary/nutritional/biochemical approach

Based on what I’ve been recently learned, tapping compliments the dietary/nutritional/biochemical approach I use my clients for helping to ease anxiety, overwhelm and stress.

I reached out on Facebook and here is some of the feedback I received:

  • Maria shares how she uses both EFT and tryptophan: I started using EFT and it has helped – wasn’t expecting it to, but it really does work. However, having had a particular problem for many years, I realize that it’s going to take time to really be at the level I want to be. I also got a teenager to try it, and to their amazement, it did settle their anxiousness – from what they initially said was a 10 -11 – down to 7 in just a few minutes. Last night, I tried the Lidtke Tryptophan and couldn’t believe how deeply and undisturbed I slept – thank you Trudy – I learnt about that product from you during the anxiety summit. By the way, I will be joining the Tapping Summit – can’t wait for that one!
  • Terri Hirning is a practitioner and shares that her and her biz partner bring it to their clients in conjunction with lifestyle changes for maximum effect. She shares: I find that anxiety is a big issue for my clients. So while they are implementing dietary or supplement changes, tapping can help reduce those emotions while their biochemistry comes into alignment.

She also says: I taught it to my children and they have The Tapping Solution app and will proactively use it when they need to shift things. I am so thankful for this work.

  • Meeta Darji is a health coach and says this: YES! EFT is profound in helping with anxiety and stress. I have been doing it for the last two years and use it on my kids too. I’m training at the moment and learning how it can help with cravings and addictions. Absolutely incredible and I can’t wait to add it to my health coaching practice.

She does use amino acids like GABA, tryptophan, DPA, glutamine for anxiety and cravings/addictions and agrees that EFT is definitely a good compliment. EFT is great for using with limiting beliefs, traumas, addictions, fears and so much more, so together with amino acids, it’s very powerful.

  • Benita Scott shares this: EFT is so great! I use it as part of my professional practice as a psychologist and in conjunction with Nutritional therapies it’s a game changer for so many vulnerable clients. It’s been shown to increase GABA levels, decrease cortisol and alter brain cells in relation to food cravings too. There has been a paradigm shift in psychology recently and I think EFT, Matrix and nutritional supplements are changing how we work and heal.
  • Dede shares how EFT changed her life: I was on permanent disability for 20 years due to panic attacks. EFT changed all that so I became a practitioner. This was 11 years ago.

She shares how she went through “the literal hell of getting off psych meds. I wouldn’t have survived without EFT and food changes.”

It does seem to be very individualized and works very well for some folks and not very well or not at all for others:

  • One person said EFT is soothing in the moment but she didn’t find any significant or lasting benefits.
  • Someone else shared: I have tried it, my daughter and her son went to a practitioner, and it did nothing for me or them. I have studied how to do it on-line from well known sites, and still nothing. I’m wondering if a lot of healings are the placebo effect.
  • It doesn’t seem to work for me either (more on that below)

My tapping experience is very limited

I will admit that, at this point, my tapping experience is very limited.  I have such great success with amino acids like GABA, tryptophan and glutamine to provide quick anxiety-relief, end the overwhelm and stop the carb cravings for my clients, I haven’t felt the need to look into tapping.

In case you’re new to me and my work, here is a sampling of a few tools I use with my anxious clients:

  • My main approach is using targeted amino acids such as tryptophan or 5-HTP for the low serotonin worry-in-your-head anxiety where folks may also experience fears, panic attacks, ruminations, phobias, insomnia, PMS, anger, irritability and cravings; and GABA for the low GABA physical-anxiety that also includes muscle tension, overwhelm, insomnia and the need to self-medicate with alcohol to calm down
  • Another amino acid is DPA (d-phenylalanine) and I’m mentioning this one because it boosts endorphins (in a similar way to acupuncture) and helps my clients who are experiencing weepiness, pain and are big comfort/reward eaters. I blog about this here: DPA for weepiness, pain and comfort and reward eating)
  • Since the EFT study mentions cortisol, I’ll share one of my key nutrients for lowering cortisol – Seriphos (I blog about this here: Seriphos Original Formula is back: the best product for anxiety and insomnia caused by high cortisol)
  • And of course everything else: diet, no sugar, no caffeine, gut health, improving sleep, toxin removal and addressing all nutritional deficiencies etc (covered in great detail in my book “The Antianxiety Food Solution” and elsewhere on this blog.)

I’m getting newly acquainted with EFT

I have been hearing about tapping/EFT for years – first from Dr. Mercola and then had a group session at a conference with Brad Yates and didn’t notice any benefits. I’ve tried it again a few times and have yet to experience any profound benefits. I’d expect to be a good candidate given my history with anxiety/insomnia.

I really do like to be able to share resources and products I have experienced personally but in this instance I’m still a newbie.

As of now I don’t know why tapping/EFT doesn’t help me and some other folks. Perhaps there is a bioindividual aspect? Just like some folks do well with herbs and some with vitamins/amino acids; some folks thrive on spinach and some have oxalate issues; some folks do well with  meditation and others struggle with it; some find nature to be an elixir and others find dancing to be their magic?

However, based on what I’ve recently learned about the physiological changes and the feedback I’ve heard, I’m getting newly acquainted with EFT and it’s an additional resource I want to offer you – my community of anxious women.

Right now I’m seeing it as another tool in the toolbox (for some folks), together with dietary changes, addressing biochemical imbalances, gut health, getting out in nature etc.

Resources for additional learning

If you’re new to tapping and would like to learn more, the 12th Annual Tapping World Summit airs online Feb 24 – March 7. Here is the main summit registration page.

This is a great introductory video from summit host Nick Ortner (register to watch it and get access to the summit)

Nick has also written a best-selling book “The Tapping Solution: A Revolutionary System for Stress-Free Living” (my Amazon link)

One of the co-authors of the study mentioned, Dr. Dawson Church, is a speaker on day 1 of The Tapping Summit. The program material says he’ll be talking about latest developments in the field of scientific research into how this technique works, and why it works so well (so I assume he’ll be talking about this study). He has also authored a number of books on EFT.

I’d love to hear back from you in the comments below

  • Do you use tapping/EFT in conjunction with dietary/nutritional/biochemical changes to help ease your anxiety, stress, overwhelm? (if you’re a practitioner, do you use both with clients/patients?)
  • Do you find one approach to be better than the other?
  • Have you tried tapping without success?
  • If you’re new to tapping/EFT are you interested in learning how to incorporate it into your life?

Please share so I can learn from you and we can all learn from each other (and thanks to everyone who has contributed to the discussion already).