Archives for March 2016

A Mind of Your Own by Kelly Brogan MD – Chapter 1 Download

March 19, 2016 By Trudy Scott 2 Comments

Here is a resource for you: Chapter 1 of Dr. Kelly Brogan’s new book on depression: A Mind of Your own.

And a reminder… if you’ve read chapter 1 and love it (and I’m sure you do!), and plan to buy a copy, Kelly is asking for your help.

It launched March 16th and there is a grass-roots effort to share this book widely because of the mainstream media blackout. Sayer Ji of GreenMedInfo shares this:

Unless about 3,000 copies of the book are sold in physical book stores throughout the country by Monday March 21st, it will not have a chance to make the NY Times and related best seller lists. Why is this so important?

Two big reasons.

One, because it sends a message that when major publishing companies like Harper Collins decide to print, uncensored, information that challenges the status quo, that instead of failing to receive a return on their investment, they can be further lionized in putting their money, influence, and power behind the truth, because not only is it the right thing to do but its good business (which ultimately is what drives future book buying decisions).

Two, because the very large publishers, like the NY Times, who wanted to ignore the message, and even threatened to publish negative reviews, will be compelled to acknowledge its success in their own best seller lists. Poetic, right?

So if you’d like to help, Kelly is asking that you buy a copy at your local bookstore by the end of day on Monday (and preferably sooner), take a picture with the book and show your support by posting on social media with #amindofyourown

I’d love to see the picture on my facebook page too https://www.facebook.com/TrudyScottAntianxietyFoodSolution/ or just tag me.

Get access to chapter 1 of the book here. Be sure to enter your receipt number here so you can get access to a Q and A webinar too http://kellybroganmd.com/amindofyourown/?ref=35

And stay tuned for details of my upcoming audio interview with Kelly next week. Have you got questions you’d like me to ask her? If yes, please post them here and we’ll address them in our interview.

Check out the book selfies here – what fun! and what a lot of support!
https://tagboard.com/amindofyourown/274586

Trudy Scott (CN), Certified Nutritionist is the founder of www.everywomanover29.com, a thriving nutrition practice with a focus on food, mood and women’s health. Trudy educates women about the amazing healing powers of food and nutrients and helps them find natural solutions for anxiety and other mood problems. Trudy’s goal for all her clients (and all women): “You can be your healthiest, look your best and feel on-top-of-the-world emotionally!”

Dr. David Perlmutter on The Role of Microbiome Diversity in Health and Disease

March 18, 2016 By Trudy Scott Leave a Comment

I had the distinct pleasure of hearing Dr. David Perlmutter present in person at the recent Integrative Healthcare Symposium. Dr. Perlmutter is a well-known neurologist and author of New York Times Bestsellers Grain Brain – The Surprising Truth About Wheat, Carbs, and Sugar – Your Brain’s Silent Killers and Brain Maker: The Power of Gut Microbes to Heal and Protect Your Brain – For Life

David-Perlmutter

As expected, his talk was riveting, and so I’d like to share some of it with you! He opened with this quote from Julian Davies, Professor Emeritus, Microbiology and Immunology, UBC, showing just how much we have yet to learn about the microbiome:

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Once the diversity of the microbial world is catalogued it will make astronomy look like a pitiful science.

There can be no doubt that modern behavior and dietary changes are altering the microbial ecology of humans. While some of these changes could be beneficial, others are disruptive and may be a driving force behind the rapidly increasing rates of chronic inflammatory diseases in developed countries. Common medical interventions, such as antibiotic therapy, have dramatically reduced infectious disease burdens worldwide. However, rather than being targeted strikes against harmful bacteria alone, such therapies can also act as weapons of mass microbial disruption.

You can find the full paper here: Ancient Human Microbiomes

We know how harmful artificial sweeteners are (Mira Dessy writes about these and other harmful ingredients in her book The Pantry Principle)but now we are seeing how they affect the microbiome and contribute to diabetes.

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In summary, our results suggest that NAS [non-caloric artificial sweeteners] consumption in both mice and humans enhances the risk of glucose intolerance and that these adverse metabolic effects are mediated by modulation of the composition and function of the microbiota. Notably, several of the bacterial taxa that changed following NAS consumption were previously associated with type 2 diabetes in humans, including over-representation of Bacteroides and under-representation of Clostridiales.

You can read the entire article in Nature: Artificial sweeteners induce glucose intolerance by altering the gut microbiota

You may have switched to artificial sweeteners because of sugar cravings and the desire to reduce sugar consumption. If this is the case, and you want to quit the artificial sweeteners and not go back to sugar, do check out this recent blog I wrote about diabetes and anxiety/cravings, and how the amino acid GABA was shown to:

increase islet hormonal secretion, suggesting potential therapeutic benefits for diabetes.

The GABA, will of course, also help with the cravings and quitting and not leave you feeling deprived, or needing to use willpower. You can read more on this topic here: GABA for ending sugar cravings (and anxiety and insomnia)

This paper in the Journal of Neuroinflammation shows us how connected the gut and the brain are:

Chronic intestinal inflammation suppresses hippocampal neurogenesis. Increased levels of proinflammatory cytokines have detrimental effects on proliferation of progenitors of neuronal lineage. Deficient hippocampal neurogenesis may underlie increased rate of mood disorder and cognitive impairment observed in IBD [inflammatory bowel disease] patients.

You can read the paper here: Chronic intestinal inflammation alters hippocampal neurogenesis.

This paper: Glyphosate, pathways to modern diseases II: Celiac sprue and gluten intolerance states that :

Celiac disease, and, more generally, gluten intolerance, is a growing problem worldwide, but especially in North America and Europe, where an estimated 5% of the population now suffers from it. Symptoms include nausea, diarrhea, skin rashes, macrocytic anemia and depression. It is a multifactorial disease associated with numerous nutritional deficiencies as well as reproductive issues and increased risk to thyroid disease, kidney failure and cancer. Here, we propose that glyphosate, the active ingredient in the herbicide, Roundup®, is the most important causal factor in this epidemic.

Glyphosate residues in wheat and other crops are likely increasing recently due to the growing practice of crop desiccation just prior to the harvest.

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It discusses how glyphosate can cause the following:

Changes in microbiome
Impairment of cytochrome P450 enzymes (detoxification)
Compromises in D3 activation, maintaining bile acid
Chelation of iron, cobalt, molybdenum and copper
Depletion of tryptophan, tyrosine, methionine and selenomethionine

All of these factors can have a direct impact on your anxiety and depression levels. Dr. Perlmutter also discussed how glyphosate affects the shikimate pathway and in turn impacts our microbiome causing mood issues and anxiety.

Jeffrey Smith, non-GMO advocate, founder of Institute for Responsible Technology also talks about this on our Anxiety Summit interview: Anxiety, depression, GMOs and Roundup

Roundup shuts down this pathway called the shikimate pathway. Monsanto bragged up-and-down because Roundup blocks the shikimate pathway in order to kill weeds. And because humans don’t have the shikimate pathway, they said Roundup must be safe for humans. But it’s not safe for a lot of reasons.

It’s an endocrine disruptor. It can promote cancer. It’s linked to heart disease and diabetes. But what they failed to point out was that the shikimate pathway is what our gut bacteria use to produce the vast majority of the l-tryptophan that we assimilate. L-tryptophan is a precursor to melatonin, which is linked to sleep and circadian rhythms, daily cycles, but it’s also a precursor to serotonin and now we land squarely on the world of anxiety. Without sufficient serotonin there can be anxiety and depression.

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And now for a little fun! My book The Antianxiety Food Solution was on sale at the event, as was my colleague Julie Matthews’ book Nourishing Hope for Autism. After purchasing my signed copy of Brain Maker and “staged” it at the book table next to our books!

I have to admit it did give me a little thrill to see our books next to Dr. Perlmutter’s brilliant book and another great brain book Why Isn’t My Brain Working by Datis Kharrazian. The other book in the picture is a brand new book on prostate health by Dr. Geo Espinoza: Thrive Don’t Only Survive.

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The other thrill was actually meeting a hero of mine! I heard his excellent presentation on the first day of the conference and then bumped in to him and his wife in one of the exhibit halls. I thanked him for his brilliance and asked if I could get a photo with him and he kindly obliged.

A bigger thrill and honor would be able to interview him on my next Anxiety Summit, now planned for June, so I can share his brilliance with you!

In the meantime, I encourage you to check out his great blog and get a copy of Brain Maker, so you can learn from this great man and feel your absolute best!

Got questions? Feedback? Please post them in the comments.

Food for Your Hormones + Brazil Nut Butter recipe

March 12, 2016 By Trudy Scott 6 Comments

In case you missed the email announcements, this is a quick reminder that this no-cost webinar is happening today (Saturday morning) at 10am PST!

If you haven’t registered yet, you can still register here:
https://xa202.isrefer.com/go/cfb1/trudys/

And if you have already signed up this is your friendly reminder and a new recipe for you! Enjoy!

Brazil Nut Butter Recipe – by Magdalena Wszelaki

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This nut butter can be generously spread on crackers, toast or used as a dip with chopped up vegetables (I used radishes here as they also support estrogen detoxification) or fruit (I had apples on hand). I recommend soaking the nuts to improve their digestibility. If you tolerate nuts and have no time to soak and dry them, skip the initial steps and go to the blending instructions. Allow yourself to be creative and play with other nuts and seeds (sunflower and pumpkin seed butter is wonderful too) as well as spices like cardamom, cloves or lavender.

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Serves: 25 servings (tablespoons)
Time to soak: 12 hours
Time to roast: 1 hour
Time to prepare: 15 minutes

Ingredients
2 cups organic Brazil nuts
¾ cup avocado oil
½ cup coconut butter
½ cup golden flax seed
⅓ cup maca root powder
1 tablespoon camu camu (buy on Amazon)
1 tablespoon ground cinnamon
1 tablespoon vanilla essence or powder
¼ teaspoon sea salt

Place the nuts in a large bowl, cover with filtered water and let them soak overnight, or for 12 hours.

Preheat the oven to 200F, spread the nuts on a baking tray and slow-roast for about an hour or until they become slightly brown.

Cool off the nuts and place in a high-speed blender or food processor (I use Vitamix). Add all the remaining ingredients and blend on high for 3 to 4 minutes.

Transfer to an air-tight container and keep in the fridge for no longer than 2 weeks. You can also freeze the butter.

Magdalena shares why incorporating brazil nuts and this lovely nut butter into your diet may be beneficial. It’s all about selenium and thyroid health and she shares this….

If you have a thyroid condition, it is very likely (like 90% likely) that you have Hashimoto’s disease, which is the autoimmune version of hypothyroidism. Interestingly, in most cases of hypothyroidism and Hashimoto’s disease, it’s not the thyroid that needs to be looked after but the immune system (since Hashimoto’s is an autoimmune condition). One way to know whether you have Hashimoto’s is to test for thyroid peroxidase antibodies (they also go by TPOab).

If the TPOab test result is high, an important mineral that can help bring down the TPO antibodies is selenium.

Selenium plays a key role in thyroid and autoimmune health because it protects thyroid cells from oxidative damage by forming selenoproteins. This extra protection helps to bring down the TPO antibodies. Selenium also acts as catalyst for converting the inactive T4 hormone to the biologically active T3 hormone.

The Brazil nut is the food that is highest in selenium. Three organic Brazil nuts per day will give you the daily recommended dose of 200mcg of selenium. You can incorporate them into your diet in a variety of ways. If you don’t tolerate nuts, you can take a selenium supplement.

I’d like to add that you can enjoy this nut butter even if you don’t have a thyroid problem. Selenium deficiency is pretty common and is often an issue with anxiety and depression.

So to recap (in case you missed the earlier notifications): Cooking for Balance will start with this no-cost live online workshop called How to Use Food to Rebalance Your Hormones today (at 10am PST, 1pm EST).

Cooking for Balance is an online cooking program created by my friend and colleague Magdalena Wszelaki, founder of Hormones Balance. You may remember our great interviews on last season of The Anxiety Summit! She was a hit, is a wealth of knowledge and very hands-on when it comes to food for hormone balancing! I really love what she offers (and her cute accent)!

Tune in to the no-cost webinar to learn a ton, have fun, get some great cooking ideas.

At the end of the webinar she’ll be sharing more about her next upcoming Cooking for Balance online cooking program that helps women rebalance their hormones with food, offering tailor-made nutritional protocols for women with thyroid issues, Hashimoto’s, adrenal fatigue, estrogen dominance, menopause and PCOS. This online program features 4 live classes, over 20+ done-for-you guides, 80+ recipes and 20+ demo videos. They focus on quick, simple yet nutritionally-dense cooking techniques that will help you feel like yourself again.

Registration page for the no-cost webinar is here:
https://xa202.isrefer.com/go/cfb1/trudys/

Sleep promoting effects of combined GABA and 5-HTP: new research

March 11, 2016 By Trudy Scott 173 Comments

gaba 5-htp and sleep

A new paper published in Life Sciences reports that a combination of GABA (γ-aminobutyric acid) and 5-HTP (5-hydroxytryptophan) improved sleep and sleep duration more than the use of either of the two amino acids alone.

Insomnia is a common symptom of both low GABA and low serotonin. The amino acid GABA raises levels of GABA, our calming brain chemical/neurotransmitter. 5-HTP is one of the amino acids that raises serotonin, your happy brain chemical/neurotransmitter (which is also happens to be calming) and in turn converts to melatonin to help you sleep. Tryptophan is the other amino acid that raises serotonin.

Low levels of both brain chemicals can also make you anxious, worried and overwhelmed. With low GABA levels you’ll have physical anxiety and may lie awake in bed feeling tension in your body. With low serotonin you’ll have the busy-mind type of anxiety, often lying in bed not able to switch off the ruminating thoughts or monkey-mind. (You can find the complete amino acid questionnaire here.)

The study, Sleep-promoting effects of a GABA/5-HTP mixture: Behavioral changes and neuromodulation in an invertebrate model, used caffeine treated fruit flies and:

Behavioral assays were applied to investigate subjective nighttime activity, sleep episodes, and total duration of subjective nighttime sleep of two amino acids and GABA/5-HTP mixture

In case you’re wondering, fruit flies are often used in research. This paper shares that the “Homeostatic and circadian regulation in Drosophila are comparable to findings from mammalian sleep research.” I can’t help chuckling when I imagine these little fruit flies lying in a tiny bed, ramped up on caffeine and with busy little minds!

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After my attempt at some humor (laughter is good for us too!), let’s get on to the serious stuff.

The study concludes that:

using a GABA/5-HTP mixture modulates subjective nighttime activity, sleep episodes, and total duration of subjective nighttime sleep to a greater extent than single administration of each amino acid, and that this modulation occurs via GABAergic and serotonergic signaling.

How this might equate to human dosing and other possible combinations

You may be wondering how this might equate to human dosing of these amino acids. Since it was the combined use of 1% GABA and 0.1% 5-HTP that had the most impact, this could equate to:

250mg GABA and 25mg 5-HTP or
500mg GABA and 50mg 5-HTP or
1000mg GABA and 100mg 5-HTP

Do keep in mind that we are all unique and there is no one size fits all so it’s important to do a trial to see how much of each may work for you. This means starting low and increasing until you don’t get added benefits or until you get an adverse effect.

You may do better with a combination of GABA and 5-HTP or you may even find that you do well with one or the other. And you may also find tryptophan works better for you than 5-HTP. We know that 5-HTP can raise cortisol so keep that in mind if you know you have high night-time cortisol. And for many of my clients 250mg to 500mg GABA is too much, although you may be able to get away with more at night than during the day. And different GABA products work well for different people. But again, it’s important to figure out what works for you.

Here are some possible combinations that could help you with the restless nights and anxiety:

GABA and 5-HTP
GABA alone
5-HTP alone
Tryptophan alone
GABA and tryptophan (this is what recommend most of the time)

I recently blogged about the differences between Tryptophan 500mg and Tryptophan Complete (by Lidtke) so the Complete product may well be part of the equation too.

Additional resources when you are new to using tryptophan, 5-HTP, GABA and other amino acids as supplements

As always, I use the symptoms questionnaire to figure out if low serotonin or low GABA or other neurotransmitter imbalances may be an issue.

If you suspect low levels of any of the neurotransmitters and do not yet have my book, The Antianxiety Food Solution – How the Foods You Eat Can Help You Calm Your Anxious Mind, Improve Your Mood, and End Cravings, I highly recommend getting it and reading it before jumping in and using amino acids on your own so you are knowledgeable. And be sure to share it with the practitioner/health team you or your loved one is working with.

There is an entire chapter on the amino acids and they are discussed throughout the book in the sections on gut health, gluten, blood sugar control (this is covered in an entire chapter too), sugar cravings, anxiety and mood issues.

The book doesn’t include product names (per the publisher’s request) so this blog, The Antianxiety Food Solution Amino Acid and Pyroluria Supplements, lists the amino acids that I use with my individual clients and those in my group programs.

If, after reading this blog and my book, you don’t feel comfortable figuring things out on your own (i.e. doing the symptoms questionnaire and respective amino acids trials), a good place to get help is the GABA QuickStart Program (if you have low GABA symptoms). This is a paid online/virtual group program where you get my guidance and community support, and is where this question was asked of me during one of the live Q&A calls.

If you are a practitioner, join us in The Balancing Neurotransmitters: the Fundamentals program. This is also a paid online/virtual program with an opportunity to interact with me and other practitioners who are also using the amino acids.

Wrapping up and your feedback

Keep in mind that low GABA and/or low serotonin are just one of many causes of insomnia. If you try to address what appears to be low levels and it doesn’t work then you have to look for other root causes such as: high cortisol, low blood sugar, SIBO, gluten sensitivity, EMF sensitivity, medication side-effects, caffeine and sugar consumption, benzodiazepine tolerance and/or withdrawal, parasites, and too much light too late or not enough light early in the morning.

Have you used any of the above with good results for sleep? I’d love to hear if you do better with the synergistic effects of two amino acids. And how much works for you?

Or do you do better with another combination?

Feel free to share your feedback and ask your questions below in the comments section.

A Mind of Your Own: The Truth about Depression – new book by Kelly Brogan, MD

March 10, 2016 By Trudy Scott 8 Comments

I’m thrilled to sharing a new book with you!

Dr. Kelly Brogan is one of my heroes in the world of integrative mental health. She is a trailblazer, bold and is not afraid to say it like it is, and has written her first book A Mind of Your Own: The Truth about Depression and How Women Can Heal Their Bodies to Reclaim Their Lives. It is groundbreaking, brave, science-based and offers a truly holistic approach.

If you struggle with depression (or anxiety), you’ll find this book dispels common myths, and gives you the knowledge you need to truly heal.

According to Dr. Brogan, antidepressants not only overpromise and underdeliver, but their use may permanently disable the body’s self-healing potential. We need a new paradigm: the best way to heal the mind is to heal the whole body. I could not agree more!

Here are some snippets from the book:

Depression is merely a symptom, a sign that something is off balance or ill in the body that needs to be remedied.

Women experience more than twice the rate of depression as men, regardless of race or ethnic background. One in four women in their forties and fifties use psychiatric drugs.

Despite what you’ve been led to believe, antidepressants have repeatedly been shown in long-term scientific studies to worsen the course of mental illness –to say nothing of the risks of liver damage, abnormal bleeding, weight gain, sexual dysfunction, and reduced cognitive function that they entail. The dirtiest little secret of all is the fact that antidepressants are among the most difficult drugs to taper from, more so than alcohol and opiates. While you might call it “going through withdrawal,” we medical professionals have been instructed by Big Pharma to call it “discontinuation syndrome,” which is characterized by fiercely debilitating physical and psychological reactions.

I received an advance review copy and it’s a brilliant book! She bravely and humbly shares:

Before I stopped prescribing, I had never once cured a patient. Now people are cured every week in my practice. As I mentioned, my patients are my partners. We collaborate, and they work hard.

And look at these wise words she offers:

when you have a symptom—when you feel cloudy, sad, sore, gassy, weepy, tired, or unnecessarily anxious—bring some wonder to it. Ask why and try to make the connections. Your body’s symptoms are telling you something about equilibrium. Your body is trying to tell you that it has lost balance. Stand back and appreciate the infinite complexity of your organism.

A Mind of Your Own offers a realistic action plan you can use to heal your body, alleviate inflammation, and feel yourself again without a single prescription!

Please share this if you know anyone who is struggling with depression and/or anxiety. Use this link to get a sample chapter from the book: http://kellybroganmd.com/amindofyourown/?ref=35

We all deserve to feel our absolute best every single day!

Food to Rebalance Your Hormones & Super Sprout Smoothie recipe

March 9, 2016 By Trudy Scott 3 Comments

In case you missed the newsletter announcements, this is a quick reminder that this no-cost webinar is happening on Saturday morning!

How to Use Food to Rebalance Your Hormones – online March 12th (at 10am PST, 1pm EST).

Cooking for Balance will start with this no-cost live online workshop on March 12th (at 10am PST, 1pm EST). Seats are limited and they get snapped up quickly.

Here is a sampling of what Magdalena is going to show you in the no-cost webinar:

Plus she has a bonus for you: Seeds for Hormonal Balance – learn how to use seeds to rebalance your progesterone and estrogen levels. I really love that Magdalena teaches this simple and yet powerful concept!

Here is a great example of Magdalena’s teachings on how to use food to balance your hormones: using broccoli sprouts for estrogen dominance. She shares this:

Most women have experienced some form of estrogen dominance without even realizing it. Symptoms include PMS, endometriosis, water retention, cellulite, weight gain, moodiness and infertility. Estrogen dominance can also be responsible for thyroid nodules and cancer as well as breast lumps and breast cancer. It is believed that 90% of breast cancers are of non-genetic origin and estrogen dominance can be the leading cause.

This hormonal imbalance can happen due to the dominance of the antagonistic estrogen called estradiol (or E2) as compared to progesterone or the protective estrogen called estriol (or E3). Estrogen dominance can also happen when there is an excess of metabolized estrogen called hydroxyestrones (a simple blood test called 2:16 hydroxyestrone can confirm that).

One of my favorite go-to foods to rebalance the estrogens and nudge them in the right direction are broccoli sprouts.

They contain di-indolyl-methane (short form: DIM, also found as a supplement) which detoxifies us of estradiol. Broccoli sprouts also contain the highest amounts of sulforaphane, which has been linked by numerous studies to not only prevent but also reverse breast cancer. Sulforaphane can also be found in smaller quantities in other cruciferous vegetables like kale, broccoli or cauliflower.

Depending on one’s health condition, studies have shown that ¼ cup to 1 cup of broccoli sprouts can create profound health improvement resulting from rebalancing estrogen dominance.

I recommend using them raw by adding to smoothies, wraps, salads or warm (not hot) soups. See recipes below for some cool ideas.

And here is Magdalena’s Super Sprout Smoothie recipe

This recipe is a little different as it takes you on an unusual taste adventure to the land of a green savory smoothie. It is an energizing way to start the day with no sugar that will sustain you until lunch with no energy crushes. This smoothie is packed with the hormone-balancing superfoods: broccoli sprouts, flax seed, maca, Brazil nuts and camu camu and can be consumed by women of any hormonal imbalances.

Serves: 1

Time to prepare: 15 minutes

Ingredients

1½ cups water
½ avocado
½ cup broccoli sprouts
½ cup freshly chopped cilantro
4 Brazil nuts
3 tablespoons lemon juice
2 tablespoons flax seed
1 teaspoon maca root powder
½ teaspoon camu camu powder (get it on Amazon)
½ teaspoon ground fennel seed
½ teaspoon ground cumin
a generous pinch of salt

Place all the ingredients in the blender and blend until silky smooth.

Impressed? Intrigued to learn more? Salivating?

Tune in to the no-cost webinar to learn a ton, have fun, get some great cooking ideas.

If you can’t make it live sign up anyway to get the recording.

Registration page for the no-cost webinar is here:
https://xa202.isrefer.com/go/cfb1/trudys/