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

Archives for December 2011

Carob Cinnamon Delight instead of coffee – a calming hot beverage

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hot drink recipe trudy scott

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!

P.S.  Check out my book The Antianxiety Food Solution: How the Foods You Eat Can Help You Calm Your Anxious Mind, Improve Your Mood, and End Cravings for other calming tips. 

 

Low GABA Questionnaire from The Antianxiety Food Solution

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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.

John Muir knows what it takes to feel calm and relaxed: get outside!

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yosemite trudy scott family
Kenny, Althea and Brad: Cares drop away in Yosemite

We were recently in Yosemite and as usual, the grandeur and beauty just takes your breath away and just leaves you feeling so relaxed, calm and totally inspired and ready for anything and everything! And I was reminded of the wonderful words of John Muir, naturalist, author, Sierra club founder and early advocate of preservation of wilderness in the United States.

This is one quote I’ve always loved… it was actually on our wedding invite!:

“Climb the mountains and get their good tidings. Nature’s peace will flow into you as sunshine flows into trees. The winds will blow their own freshness into you, and the storms their energy, while cares will drop away from you like the leaves of Autumn.”

And this one really resonates with me too:

“Thousands of tired, nerve-shaken, over-civilized people are beginning to find out going to the mountains is going home; that wilderness is a necessity…”

You can read more of his wonderful quotes here.

John Muir was a wise man! Listen to his words and go and do something fun this weekend – outside! It doesn’t have to be Yosemite or any big destination – any nature and anywhere green, with or without water, can give you immediate joy! If you’re prone to the winter blues, it will lift your mood. If you’re feeling stressed or anxious it will calm you. If you’re tired it will invigorate you.

We have had no rain here for ages and it’s been lovely and sunny – which has been great as we fix up a few things around our new home. We painted the deck a lovely Navajo Red color and it’s so lovely to sit and eat lunch out there and catch some warm rays. And we’ve been gardening. Yes gardening, not doing yard work – my mom says “it’s the garden not the yard!” We have a LOT of trees and a LOT of leaves – which means a great workout picking them all up. I rake and do squats and it sure beats going to the gym because I’m outside. If we can’t get away on the weekend, this counts too…

Where will you go? And where is your favorite place in nature?