Archives for November 2022

Brain Energy: A Revolutionary Breakthrough in Understanding Mental Health – and Improving Treatment for Anxiety, Depression, OCD, PTSD, and More

November 25, 2022 By Trudy Scott 2 Comments

This much anticipated book by Christopher M. Palmer MD, just released last week… here is the official blurb:

This is the book that will forever change the way we understand and treat mental health. If you or someone you love is affected by mental illness, it might change your life.

We are in the midst of a global mental health crisis, and mental illnesses are on the rise. But what causes mental illness? And why are mental health problems so hard to treat? Drawing on decades of research, Harvard psychiatrist Dr. Chris Palmer outlines a revolutionary new understanding that for the first time unites our existing knowledge about mental illness within a single framework: Mental disorders are metabolic disorders of the brain.

Brain Energy explains this new understanding of mental illness in detail, from symptoms and risk factors to what is happening in brain cells.

Palmer also sheds light on the new treatment pathways this theory opens up – which apply to all mental disorders, including anxiety, depression, ADHD, alcoholism, eating disorders, bipolar disorder, autism, and even schizophrenia.

Brain Energy pairs cutting-edge science with practical advice and strategies to help people reclaim their mental health.

This groundbreaking book reveals:

Why classifying mental disorders as “separate” conditions is misleading

The clear connections between mental illness and disorders linked to metabolism, including diabetes, heart attacks, strokes, pain disorders, obesity, Alzheimer’s disease, and epilepsy

The link between metabolism and every factor known to play a role in mental health,

including genetics, inflammation, hormones, neurotransmitters, sleep, stress, and trauma

The evidence that current mental health treatments, including both medications and therapies, likely work by affecting metabolism

New treatments available today that readers can use to promote long-term healing

Palmer puts together the pieces of the mental illness puzzle to provide answers and offer hope. Brain Energy will transform the field of mental health, and the lives of countless people around the world.

I’ve been following Dr. Palmer for a few years and first blogged about his work and research here in 2018 before I knew much about ketogenic diets in mental health – Ketogenic diet: reductions in auditory hallucinations and delusions, better mood and energy, and weight loss

Here are some of the papers he has published in the last few years:

Ketogenic diet as a metabolic treatment for mental illness

Psychiatric conditions, such as schizophrenia, depression, bipolar disorder and binge eating disorder, are neurometabolic diseases that share several common mechanistic biopathologies. These include glucose hypometabolism, neurotransmitter imbalances, oxidative stress and inflammation. There is strong evidence that ketogenic diets can address these four fundamental diseases, and now complementary clinical evidence that ketogenic diets can improve the patients’ symptoms.

Ketogenic Therapy in Serious Mental Illness: Emerging Evidence (this is a review paper and discusses his cases (as mentioned in the above blog post) and this incredible outcome:

In 2009, a 70-year-old woman with chronic schizophrenia since her teens was reported to have improved significantly after starting a ketogenic diet for weight loss. Within 8 days of starting the diet, she reported no hallucinations and improved energy. After 1 year, she lost 5 kg and remained free of hallucinations.

And this update about the same woman:

At age 82, this woman who suffered from treatment-resistant schizophrenia for 53 years remained alive and well on the ketogenic diet. She was off all psychotropic medications for 11 years, including antipsychotic medications, and remained free of psychotic symptoms. She lost 150 pounds over this 12-year period. Additionally, she no longer needed a court-appointed guardian or Program of Assertive Community Treatment (PACT) team and was thriving independently.

Ketogenic diet for schizophrenia: clinical implication

Recent transcriptomic, proteomic and metabolomic evidence from postmortem prefrontal cortical samples and in-vivo NMR spectroscopy results support the hypothesis that there is a bioenergetics dysfunction characterized by abnormal glucose handling and mitochondrial dysfunctions resulting in impaired synaptic communication in the brain of people with schizophrenia.

Ketogenic diet, which provides alternative fuel to glucose for bioenergetic processes in the brain, normalizes schizophrenia-like behaviours in translationally relevant pharmacological and genetic mouse models. Furthermore, recent case studies demonstrate that ketogenic diets produce improvement in psychiatric symptoms as well as metabolic dysfunctions and body composition in patients with schizophrenia.

You can read more about Dr. Palmer and the book here and purchase your copy on Amazon here (my Amazon link).

Stay tuned for my in-depth book review.

Until then feel free to share your feedback/review when you purchase and read your copy. And do share if you’ve had success with a ketogenic diet and any of the other approaches he addresses.

If you have questions please share them here too.

Low oxalate success stories: resolution of joint/body pain, insomnia, peripheral neuropathy and can walk without a cane

November 18, 2022 By Trudy Scott 18 Comments

I’d love to hear how switching to a low oxalate way of eating helped you. And what motivated you to go down this path? Was it pain, weakness, low energy, anxiety, insomnia, bladder issues and/or restless legs and painful feet? (or something else?) How quickly did you see results when making the dietary changes? And what would you say to someone who can’t even imagine a better, easier and pain-free life, and really doesn’t want to give up so many foods?

I’ve seen incredible results personally and my painful feet and restless legs/insomnia (and also severe eye pain in one eye) was my motivation. I’m a nutritionist and understand the power of nutrition and know what is possible. But I know it’s tough to grasp for many individuals.

I’m asking for a dear family member who uses a walker and can’t imagine life without her walker and that dietary changes could make a difference.

I posted the above on Facebook and here are some of the few incredible responses I received. I hope they inspire and motivate you if you’re just beginning this low oxalate journey, or if you have a family member you’re trying to inspire, educate and help.

Beth shared how stopping high oxalate foods – beets, sweet potatoes, almonds, swiss chard, and chocolate – enabled her to stop using her cane in just 2 weeks:

I had to use cane by the time I was 28 and could barely hobble. The pain was like ground glass in my joints. To take a flight I had to get a wheelchair at the airport and had to use the electric carts at the grocery because I couldn’t walk or stand due to the excruciating pain. This went on for a few years.

When I learned about oxalates and stopped beets, sweet potatoes, almonds, swiss chard, and chocolate and went down to only medium oxalate foods or lower, I was off the cane in 2 weeks. I didn’t know about dumping, and I got lucky, but now if I eat too many oxalates the only problem I get is pain in my fingers and toes.

I can personally relate to the ground glass pain she describes – the pain in my feet felt like a mix of shards of glass and hot coals. It’s a common description I hear from clients.

You may be familiar with the wonderful work of Beth O’Hara, functional naturopath and founder of Mast Cell 360. She shares this too: “ I see a lot of mold toxicity underlying oxalate issues due to leaky gut, nutrient depletion, and a few other factors.”

Quick results for insomnia, bloating, stomach pain, peripheral neuropathy, body pain, brain fog, weird rashes and more

Nicola shared these wonderful results and the fact that her symptoms started to resolve quickly:

I had extremely quick results – a couple of days for some symptoms. But the thrill of the slow realization that I wasn’t actually seriously ill and brewing up ever more and newer ways to suffer, was the biggest relief. Lower stress also equals lower pain.

Insomnia first, then bloating, stomach pain, peripheral neuropathy, chest pains, body pain, swollen lymph glands, brain fog, TMJ pains, weird rashes, arthritis type pains in hands/wrists, headaches. The list is too extensive to enumerate. Suffice to say I no longer feel in imminent danger of contracting lymphoma, heart problems, Alzheimer’s etc.

I am 66 years old and I’ve only been on this TLO (trying low oxalates) journey for about 8 months or so and all those issues have mostly been resolved. Kind of magical really. Still dumping oxalates regularly as I had a long way to come having been mostly Paleo for about 8 years previously.

I think we are too quick to resign ourselves to the ‘aging’ process. I find I am getting younger by the month, the longer I am lowering oxalates. I may not look any younger, but to be living without chronic pain is quite the unexpected boon.

I have to agree with Nicola. It is quite magical to get results like this and too often we take for granted that as we age chronic pain is inevitable. As you can see from these stories it is not inevitable and you have much more control than you may realize!

So desperate with pain that she thought she was going to have to quit work

Yvonne found out she had oxalate issues after having DNA testing done. She shares this about her journey and motivation:

I had extreme shoulder pain, grainy eyes and in the end, I couldn’t take my thyroid meds without the shoulder pain or some other pain. I found my way to the group through DNA testing which …suggested that I may have an oxalate problem. I slowly started eating low oxalate, suggested by the TLO group.

I had been primarily consuming high oxalate foods trying to be healthy but my diet wasn’t diverse enough. I was eating nuts, celery, spinach, kale, chocolate and sweet potatoes.

I was cautious after going low oxalate and having my problems relieved. Over time I’ve gone back to eating medium oxalate foods and done well. I do feel like making my own kombucha and drinking it daily has helped.

Dietary oxalate issues are often worse for women as they start to go through perimenopause and into menopause because of lower estradiol levels (more on that below). Yvonne was 65 at the time.

She shares what motivated her to make changes: “I was so desperate with pain that I thought I was going to have to quit work. That’s the reason I had the DNA testing done.”

Belly pain (maybe bladder), left leg pain, scalp itch, eye stinging and itching reduced immediately

Cristina shared what she observed when switching to a low oxalate diet:

Noticed belly pain (maybe bladder), left leg pain, scalp itch, eye stinging and itching reduced immediately. But might have taken a couple of years to really unload excess oxalates. I still get the exact same symptoms if I have high oxalates, particularly carrots, potatoes and nuts.

With much appreciation for these women for sharing their stories and giving me permission to share. I do hope this is inspiring and motivating for you if you are navigating dietary oxalates and can’t yet imagine that a diet change could lead to a better life and symptom-free existence. I’ll be sharing all this wonderful feedback with my loved one too.

Additional reading about dietary oxalates

If you’re new to the concept of dietary oxalates here are some blog posts for additional reading:

Oxalate crystal disease, dietary oxalates and pain: the research & questions (this is a good one to start with if you’re new to dietary oxalates and the issues they can cause)
Vulvodynia: oxalates, GABA, tryptophan and physical therapy
Vitamin C causes oxalate formation resulting in pain, anxiety, and insomnia (when there is a defect in ascorbic acid or oxalate metabolism)?
Waking in the night due to environmental toxins: impacts on the liver, gallbladder and fat digestion (making oxalate issues worse)
Increased kidney stones in postmenopausal women with lower estradiol levels. What about increased dietary oxalate issues too?

I’d love to hear how switching to a low oxalate way of eating helped you and which high oxalate foods were you eating?

What motivated you to go down this path? Was it pain, weakness, low energy, anxiety, insomnia, bladder issues and/or restless legs and painful feet (or some other symptoms)?

How quickly did you see results when making the dietary changes?

And what would you say to someone who can’t even imagine a better, easier and pain-free life, and really doesn’t want to give up so many foods?

If you have questions please share them here too.

GABA 500mg: high alert and increased anxiety; drugged and anxious with itchy red bumps the next day but slept better

November 11, 2022 By Trudy Scott 22 Comments

Too much of the calming amino acid, GABA, can cause the opposite effect leading to increased anxiety and feeling too tired the following day, sometimes even feeling drugged. I have clients start with 125mg if they have low GABA physical type of anxiety so when I hear someone has had a bad reaction after using 500mg GABA, it’s unfortunate but not surprising. SM posted her reaction on the blog where I write about a niacin-type flush from using too much GABA. However her reaction was more severe than this. Here is her feedback and questions:

I took a single dose of GABA 500mg from NOW foods one night hoping it can help with anxiety and insomnia. I felt on high alert that night and increased anxiety that night. The next day I felt drugged and anxious, but strangely slept better [the next] night. I also had itchy red bumps.

I realized from your blog that 500mg was too much for me. I switched to NOW Foods True Calm which has 200 mg GABA and other nutrients, quite like a mini version of the Country Life GABA. I slept better but again have itchy red bumps now, so I’m afraid of using another capsule during the day.

I am also on 0.375mg of Clonotril which I take only at night but it does not help with constant anxiety all day. I managed to taper down to 0.375mg from 1mg after taking magnesium glycinate but unfortunately I had too much diarrhea from the magnesium. That’s how I came to know about GABA hoping it can help relieve the constant anxiety and heart palpitations.

After reading this article I realize it’s important to start GABA low. I tried to use Olly Goodbye Stress gummies which have 100 mg GABA and 50 mg theanine per 2 gummies but it was of no help.

I want to try the Source Naturals GABA Calm lozenges you recommended but I’m also feeling scared as I have been trying so many things without much success. Very grateful if you could offer me some advice. I came across your work when googling about GABA. Thank you for this opportunity to ask you questions.

This is my feedback for SM: too much GABA can have adverse effects the day it’s taken and feeling on high alert with increased anxiety that night is not unusual. It’s also not unusual to feel overly fatigued and even experience a drugged-type feeling and still continue to feel anxious.

With symptoms like this my first piece of advice is to start low at 125mg and always have 1000mg vitamin C on hand when trialing GABA (and any of the amino acids). It’s the antidote and works quickly to ease all the adverse effects and also any beneficial effects that are experienced.

Use a much lower dose of GABA and keep vitamin C on hand

We often trial GABA again – even with adverse symptoms like this – but always use a much lower dose.. We could use another product like Source Naturals GABA Calm lozenges or use 125mg of the 500mg NOW GABA product.

One big clue that she may actually need GABA is that she did sleep better the next night.

If it’s a niacin type flush, as described in the blog she commented on, Too much GABA causes a tingling niacin-like flush sensation (in the brain and body). It’s awful and very uncomfortable!, I would still recommend another trial of the lower dose (with vitamin C on hand).

Other product options to consider are theanine and/or pharmaGABA too.

A histamine reaction or MCAS /mast cell activation syndrome?

However if it’s not a flush but a real rash or hives then I’m more concerned and would not have them trial something new. With a rash that doesn’t resolve we also consider a histamine reaction or MCAS /mast cell activation syndrome.

GABA typically helps with MCAS/histamine issues but unfortunately things are not predictable when you have MCAS. She may need to address the histamine/MCAS reaction before she can start benefiting from GABA.

A phenol sensitivity or allergic reaction?

Phenols can trigger some strong emotional reactions that do include anxiety, hyperactivity, insomnia and meltdowns – and a feeling of being on high alert (which SM mentions).

Since she mentions the rash, I would also want to rule out a phenol reaction to the GABA. My colleague Julie Matthews shares this: “When phenols are not able to be broken-down and detoxified by a process called sulfation… they can cause these emotional symptoms and also red cheeks and ears.”

The benzodiazepine may be the confounding factor

One other confounding factor is the Clonotril. Benzodiazepines (using them and/or tapering) can cause many different issues. I do have clients use GABA to help while tapering but we only change one thing at a time and the benzo taper is super super slow. They also only start to taper (with the doctor’s approval and monitoring) once they are nutritionally stable. My book The Antianxiety Food Solution is a great resource for learning more about becoming nutritionally stable.

Serotonin support as well as GABA support?

SM mentions that she took GABA hoping it would help with anxiety and insomnia. These are also both symptoms of low serotonin so she may also see benefits with tryptophan, 5-HTP and melatonin. You can read more about tryptophan here: Tryptophan for the worry-in-your-head and ruminating type of anxiety and melatonin here: Melatonin improves sleep quality and reduces anxiety after a TBI.

Resources if you are new to using GABA and other amino acids as supplements

If you are new to using any of the amino acids as supplements, here is the Amino Acids Mood Questionnaire from The Antianxiety Food Solution (you can see all the symptoms of neurotransmitter imbalances, including low GABA and low serotonin).

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, sugar cravings, self-medicating with alcohol and more.

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. You can find them all in my online store.

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.

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.

Have you had an adverse reaction to taking a high dose of GABA? What dose, which product and what was your reaction?

What did you figure out was the ideal dose for you?

If you have questions please share them here too.

Butternut Bake recipe (a low oxalate alternative to Potato Bake)

November 4, 2022 By Trudy Scott 12 Comments

Do you have dietary oxalate issues (pain, anxiety, insomnia, restless legs, hearing loss, eye issues, unresolved thyroid issues, bladder issues and more) and yet really miss potatoes and even sweet potatoes, both of which are very high oxalate?

I modified a family favorite recipe called Potato Bake (from Pips and my sister) to be a low oxalate option called Butternut Bake.

If you’re new to the dietary oxalate issues you can read more about this below. I’m finding it to be underappreciated as an issue especially in menopausal women when symptoms seems to be more severe in susceptible individuals.

And if you don’t have dietary oxalate issues, you can certainly enjoy this recipe too.

Butternut Bake Recipe (a low oxalate alternative to potato bake)

Ingredients

1 large butternut peeled and sliced thinly
2 cups homemade stock (beef or chicken)
1 cup creme fraiche (or sour cream)
1 teaspoon butter
1 onion (grated)
6 large garlic cloves (grated or crushed in a garlic press)
Salt and pepper

Method

Peel the butternut and slice thinly (½ inch or 1 ¼ cm).

Butter a casserole dish (9×9 inches or 23 x 23 cm) and layer half the butternut slices in the dish.

Sprinkle with salt and pepper, and the grated onion and garlic – spreading it all evenly.

Layer the remaining butternut slices on top.

Bring the creme fraiche to boil and pour in the stock, boil for another minute.

Pour over the butternut.

Bake 180 deg C/350 deg F for 1.5 hours until the liquid has been absorbed by the butternut and the top is golden brown.

Enjoy as a side dish with a serving of quality/organic animal protein like grass-fed beef/lamb or pastured chicken or wild fish and some non-starchy low oxalate veggies such as cauliflower, zucchini or asparagus.

Options

I have not tried it with coconut milk but I’m sure this could be substituted for the creme fraiche.

Low oxalate spices that could be experimented with include: chives, cilantro, basil, lemongrass, parsley, rosemary, ginger and sage.

If you know you don’t have dietary oxalate issues and decide to use potatoes instead, they do need to be cooked in the stock for 10 minutes before layering in the casserole dish. The original recipe calls for 3 large potatoes, sliced.

Some pictures to help as you make this butternut bake

The top image shows the first layer of sliced butternut with grated onion and garlic. And the image below shows the second layer of butternut.

I was very pleased to find some very nice organic creme fraiche which has no added thickeners. The other image below shows the creme fraiche after it’s been boiled in the stock.

The next image shows what the layers of butternut and garlic/onion looks like covered with the creme fraiche/stock mixture i.e. it looks like it may be too much liquid but it really isn’t.

The bottom two images show what it looks like when the Butternut Bake is ready and comes out the oven, and then when it’s been served as a starter or side dish. There is a small amount of thick sauce.

Why consider dietary oxalates as a possible issue?

This blog post is a good one to start with if you’re new to dietary oxalates and the issues they can cause: Oxalate crystal disease, dietary oxalates and pain: the research & questions

These are the common medium-oxalate and high-oxalate foods that many folks have problems with: nuts, nut-butters and nut-flour (something to watch when eating Paleo or GAPS), wheat, chocolate, kiwi fruit (very high – see the raphides image on the above blog), star fruit (also very high), beets, potatoes, sweet potatoes, legumes, raspberries, spinach and soy.

In the above blog post, I share an overview of oxalates, my pain issues with dietary oxalates (severe foot pain and eye pain), and deeper dive into the condition called oxalate crystal disease (with some of my insights and questions).

The big take-aways are that calcium oxalate crystals are sharp and can cause far reaching harm beyond pain – such as unresolved anxiety, thyroid issues, neurological symptoms, eye issues, hearing loss, bladder issues, headaches, fatigue, insomnia, restless legs, autism symptoms and more; and you can have issues with dietary oxalates and not have kidney disease/kidney stones (although there is very little research supporting the latter).

You may find these oxalate blogs helpful too:

What dietary oxalates issues have you experienced and has a low oxalate diet helped you?

Do let us know if you make this recipe and enjoy it.

Feel free to share a favorite recipe of something you’ve adapted to be low or even medium oxalate.

If you have questions please share them here too.