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Food, Mood and Women's Health – Be your healthiest, look and feel great!

Archives for August 2011

New Book Offers Insights on Anxiety & Mental Health: Insights that Patrick Kennedy’s “Moonshot” Research Team Will Find Compelling

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patrick kennedy moonshot

The first book by local Food Mood Expert and Nutritionist, Trudy Scott, is released this month: The Antianxiety Food Solution: How the Foods You Eat Can Help You Calm Your Anxious Mind, Improve Your Mood & End Cravings. This release is hot on the heels of the CNN interview “Dr. Sanjay Gupta Reports: Patrick Kennedy – Coming Clean,” where Patrick Kennedy discusses his own battles with mental health and addictions, his mission to help remove the stigma of mental health, as well as create a “moonshot” medical research effort to find solutions to all brain diseases.

This is all taken from a press release when my book launched. I commend Patrick Kennedy for openly discussing his challenges with mood and addictions, and for being a leader in the field of mental health research! For more information on Kennedy’s Moonshot research go here http://www.moonshot.org/ and for a review of the CCN interview go here.

And continuing with the press release….

Foreword writer and author of Textbook of Integrative Mental Health Care, Dr. James Lake MD, feels that Scott’s book  “marks an important contribution to the public dialogue on the appropriate role of nutrition in mental health care in general and anxiety disorders in particular” and he strongly endorses this unique resource.

Scott’s book offers four different antianxiety food solutions, all of which emphasize the importance of real whole traditional food, but address each person’s biochemical uniqueness. Other chapters cover: why and how to quit sugar and control blood sugar swings; the effects of caffeine; the importance of optimal digestion; the bad-mood effects of gluten; balancing brain chemistry with individual amino acids; correcting pyroluria with zinc and vitamin B6; low vitamin D, hormone imbalances, toxins and medications; and finally simple lifestyle changes that include sleep, exercise and yoga.

An editorial by Dr. Marlene Freeman MD, in the American Journal of Psychiatry offered a very powerful comment on the recent food-mood studies, all of which are included in this heavily referenced book: “It is both compelling and daunting to consider that dietary intervention at an individual or population level could reduce rates of psychiatric disorders. There are exciting implications for clinical care, public health, and research.”

Scott, who has a nutrition practice with a focus on Food, Mood and Women’s Health and is President of the National Association of Nutrition Professionals comments: “I truly don’t believe dietary intervention is daunting and I am living proof it does work. I have been able to overcome my own anxiety and eliminate my panic attacks using the very same methods I cover in my book. And I see the same success with my clients every single day. Food and nutrients are very powerful!”

Edmund Bourne PhD, author of highly successful The Anxiety and Phobia Workbook says that Scott’s book “provides clear, helpful guidelines for utilizing nutrition to overcome anxiety” and Dr Katherine Falk MD, feels Scott’s book “provides important adjunctive help in the treatment anxiety, depression, and serious mental illness.”  All this provides a compelling resource for Kennedy’s research team and for Kennedy himself, who said in his interview that he was looking to live a full life and not just survive.

The Antianxiety Food Solution is now available in major books stores, at Amazon and via www.antianxietyfoodsolution.com.

You can find the official press release document here https://www.everywomanover29.com/media.html

WHO study ranks USA second in depression prevalence: NAMI speaker Trudy Scott shares the powerful positive effects of food on mood

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Depression affects 121 million people around the world and a significant number of these people are in the United States. New research published in BMC Medicine reports the prevalence in 18 countries around the world and found affluent countries tend to have higher rates of depression, with an average of 14.6% of their populations likely to get depression over their lifetime.  The United States, with the proportion at 19% of the population likely to get depression, ranks second overall, after France at 21%.

This study was done in conjunction with the World Health Organization (WHO) World Mental Health (WMH) Survey Initiative.  Furthermore, the World Health Organization predicts depression will be one of the largest health problems worldwide by 2020, so now is the time for countries, organizations and the people to take action.

This is all taken from a press release for the NAMI California 2011 conference.  And I’m thrilled that it resulted in a call from NPR for an interview by Jeffrey Callison on Insight – to talk about my new book as well as my upcoming talk at the conference.

Date: Thursday, August 18th, 2011 between 10 and 11am PST
Topic: Depression and Food
Host: Jeffrey Callison
Insight: http://www.capradio.org/insight
On the dial: 90.9 FM KXJZ Sacramento; 90.5 FM KKTO Tahoe City/Reno; 91.3 FM KUOP Stockton/Modesto; 88.1 FM KQNC Quincy

And continuing with the press release….

An editorial by Dr. Marlene Freeman, MD, in the American Journal of Psychiatry offered a very powerful comment on 2009 and 2010 food-mood studies. “It is both compelling and daunting to consider that dietary intervention at an individual or population level could reduce rates of psychiatric disorders. There are exciting implications for clinical care, public health, and research.”

Trudy Scott, author of The Antianxiety Food Solution: How the Foods You Eat Can Help You Calm Your Anxious Mind, Improve Your Mood & End Cravings, and President of the National Association of Nutrition Professionals comments: “While I agree that dietary intervention is compelling, I don’t feel it is daunting. We simply need to teach people how to eat real food again. And the great thing is that these changes, in addition to reducing depression and anxiety, will also reduce the risk of obesity, heart disease, cancer, arthritis and many other health conditions.”

Scott, who is a Food Mood Expert and Nutritionist, will be one of many excellent plenary speakers at NAMI (National Alliance on Mental Health) California’s 2011 Annual conference. NAMI California works to provide help, hope and healing for those affected by serious mental illness and the conference theme is “Creating Change through Vision and Action”. Scott’s topic will be Food and Mood: The science behind the effects of food on mental health and she is endorsed by Dr. Lawrence E. Cormier, MD, as a “leader in the field of food and mental health”.  Scott will also provide practical how-to information in a hands-on nutrition workshop later in the day. The conference is in Sacramento, California on August 19 & 20.  For details and to register: www.namicalifornia.org

The Antianxiety Food Solution is now available in major books stores, at Amazon and via www.antianxietyfoodsolution.com.

You can find the official press release document here https://www.everywomanover29.com/media.html

Charlize Theron, Piers Morgan, inositol for OCD & Africa Outreach

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charlize theron
Photo credit: John Harrison

I’m a big fan of the amazing beautiful and talented actress Charlize Theron.  I am so proud that a fellow South African has wowed Hollywood and even won an Oscar. She won her Oscar for Monster – brilliant performance, so real and quite disturbing. I also really enjoyed her in The Italian Job!  She’s been in so many movies and you can find out more here http://www.charlizetheron.com/

Piers Morgan interviewed Charlize recently and she spoke about her childhood and marriage. You can see some of the interview here. I’m really enjoying the Piers interviews – he seems to ask really interesting questions and his guests appear to have a lot of fun! “Brilliant performance!” – doesn’t that just sound like Piers and don’t you love his British accent!?

For me, it’s quite strange hearing her talk with an American accent – she said she had to change it in order to be successful in Hollywood.  And she says he doesn’t like the sound of her voice! She did speak a few sentences of Afrikaans right at the beginning of the interview – Afrikaans is her first language and my second language, so I could understand her of course.  I look forward to her one day playing a South African and talking like a South African – I think she’ll do an excellent job!

During her interview with Piers she also jokingly shared that she has OCD (obsessive compulsive disorder) and can’t handle messy closets. If OCD really is an issue that causes distress and affects day-to-day functioning, it’s worth trying many of the same nutrients that help with anxiety issues: GABA, tryptophan or 5-HTP. They often help with OCD too.  However, one particular nutrient called inositol is particularly helpful with obsessive behaviors and ruminating thoughts.   Of course, these nutrients and others, are covered in my book The Antianxiety Food Solution.   I think I should send a copy to Charlize!

Charlize also talked about her foundation (created in partnership with the Entertainment Industry Foundation) where she gives back to South Africa. It called the Africa Outreach Project which is committed to reducing the prevalence of HIV/AIDS and sexual violence among African youth by supporting and collaborating with organizations that provide preventive education.  I loved it when Charlize emphasized education and the goal of teaching the youth that violence is not ok, and prevention of HIV/AIDS – very smart!  Much of the work is done in KwaZulu Natal, close to where I grew up. This makes me pretty homesick but also proud of what she is achieving on so many levels! You can learn more and make a donation here http://www.charlizeafricaoutreach.org/

My message to Charlize: “Baie dankie [thanks very much in Afrikaans]. You go girl! And check out some of these amazing nutrients for OCD and anxiety – you SO deserve to feel on top of the world in every way!”

Calm Your Anxious Mind One Meal at a Time with The Antianxiety Food Solution

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real whole food

It’s remarkable how much the foods we eat can impact our brain chemistry and emotions. What and when we eat can make the difference between feeling anxious and staying calm and in control. But most of us don’t realize how much our diets influence our moods, thoughts, and feelings until we make a change.

In The Antianxiety Food Solution: How the Foods You Eat Can Help You Calm Your Anxious Mind, Improve Your Mood and End Cravings, you’ll find four unique antianxiety diets designed to help you address nutritional deficiencies that may be at the root of your anxiety and enjoy the many foods that foster increased emotional balance. This easy-to-use guide helps you choose the best plan for you and incorporates effective anxiety-busting foods and nutrients. You’ll soon be on the path to freeing yourself from anxiety—and enjoying an improved overall mood, better sleep, fewer cravings, and optimal health—the natural way!

In The Antianxiety Food Solution, you’ll discover:

  • How to assess your diet for anxiety-causing and anxiety-calming foods and nutrients
  • Foods and nutrients that balance your brain chemistry
  • Which anxiety-triggering foods and drinks you may need to avoid
  • Easy lifestyle changes that reduce anxiety and increase happiness

“[This book] fills an important gap in the popular literature on anxiety. It provides clear, helpful guidelines for utilizing nutrition to overcome anxiety.”

—Edmund Bourne, PhD, author of The Anxiety and Phobia Workbook

Trudy Scott, CN, has a nutrition practice that focuses on food, mood, and women’s health. She lectures extensively, both at live events and via teleseminars. She is president of the National Association of Nutrition Professionals and a member of Anxiety Disorders Association of America, the Alliance for Addiction Solutions, and the National Alliance on Mental Illness. She lives in the greater Sacramento, CA, area.

Foreword writer James Lake, MD, is president of the International Network of Integrative Mental Health and author of the Textbook of Integrative Mental Health Care. He lives in Carmel, CA.

Published by New Harbinger Publications www.newharbinger.com, June 2, 2011.

You can learn more here and by searching for “anxiety” on my blog.

The above material is from the back cover of the book and serves as a great synopsis – so you can calm your anxious mind one meal at a time!  Please let me know how it goes when you make some of these changes.

Get your copy ….a signed copy of the book, a DVD or CD set, digital downloads and other related products.