A very very big welcome to The Anxiety Summit, season 2, day 1!! We’re going to share expert interviews on nutritional approaches for eliminating anxiety, social anxiety, panic attacks and OCD.
This is what you’ll learn in the Anxiety Summit – how you can eliminate:
- full blown anxiety, panic attacks, social anxiety, OCD, phobias
- constant low grade fear, feelings of dread, the racing heart, the busy mind you can’t switch off and the ruminating thoughts
- the constant worry, perfectionism, procrastination, the who-am-I-to-do-this or imposter syndrome
The first talk is: “The latest food and nutrient research on anxiety, music and more” and airs live on Monday November 3rd from 9am PST for a 24 hour window.
Trudy Scott, Food Mood Expert, is the host the Anxiety Summit, and author of The Antianxiety Food Solution.
- Why The Anxiety Summit
- New research on food and nutrients for reducing anxiety and depression
- Why changing our diets and addressing nutritional deficiencies is so important
- Music for mood and some inspiration for you
- Gems from each of the upcoming speakers
A recent paper in BMC Psychiatry titled “Lessons from obesity prevention for the prevention of mental disorders” proposes that
common mental disorders like anxiety and depression “should be considered as a form of non-communicable disease,” like obesity “preventable through the modification of lifestyle behaviors, particularly diet” and exercise.
One of the authors of the above study, Dr. Felice Jacka, a well-known food and mood researcher, co-authored another 2014 paper “Nutritional psychiatry research: an emerging discipline and its intersection with global urbanization, environmental challenges and the evolutionary mismatch” that stated:
“the clear message is that in the midst of a looming global epidemic” of mental health disorders, “we ignore nutrition at our peril.”
If you joined us in June during season 1, you’ll recall Dr. Jacka shared The Research – Food to prevent and treat anxiety and depression? She shared:
We’ve now seen data from right around the world right across every continent and across age ranges, showing that diet really does matter to the prevalence and incidence of depression and anxiety.
This is the ATA blog post I mentioned: Five Ways the New ATA Hypothyroidism Guidelines are Bad for Thyroid Patients
Music has mood benefits. I blogged about this in this Anna Clendening post. Check it out to see the links to the research and hear Anna sing.
Grab your copy of “Top of the World ” song here. This is your own copy of my custom song co-created by me and Amma Jo and sung by the lovely Amma Jo. I want this to be an inspiration for you! And as someone said during the first season: “a bouquet of hope.” Because you deserve to feel on top of the world all the time! Enjoy!
And stay tuned for my interview with Amma Jo later in the summit.
Do you sing or play a musical instrument? How does it make you feel? Does it help with anxiety, depression, stress?
Have food changes helped your anxiety, depression, stress?
If you are not already registered for the Anxiety Summit you can get live access to the speakers of the day here www.theAnxietySummit.com
I have a son who is suffering from severe PTSD from serving in the military. Will this help him?
Hi Betty
Yes, much of this information may help your son. Because we are all biochemically unique it would be a matter of figuring out what biochemical factors may be affecting him.
One factor could be low EPA (a fatty acid): “The study suggests that lower EPA levels are associated with the severity of clinical symptoms in PTSD.” http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/24577824
One factor could be low levels of vitamin D http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/24604440
Another one could be cortisol and DHEA http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/24845188
Trudy
Thank you so much for all the work you do and for offering this summit! I’m preparing to go into the field of natural health and I have a special interest in emotional health because of my own experiences with anxiety and depression(I’m also about finished with a BA in Psych). I love that there is a way to seek out root causes to treating anxiety, but I feel so overwhelmed by the sheer amount of information and complexity I will need to master to be able to truly get clients there. What I know most about now are simple lifestyle changes (routine, exercise, etc), as well as all of the behavioral and cognitive methods I have used and learned along the way. Do you think an offering of these things is useful while I continue to learn? A part of me says “Of course it is!” but another part feels bad that I can’t yet offer all the help some other professionals could. Thanks again! I look forward to all the interviews.
Hi Marienne
This is wonderful to hear and yes you absolutely can help so much with simple lifestyle changes and CBT. Just having your clients eat real whole food, quit sugar/gluten/caffein, and add protein at breakfast can make a world of difference for many people. Offer these important fundamentals as you learn and refer out until you are qualified.
Trudy
Hi Trudy, I am a ND/PhD and would like to comment regarding GABA. We would not have a positive response to GABA unless we have a leaky gut and leaky blood brain barrier! GABA molecules are way too large to ordinarily cross the blood brain barrier and in fact there is a test for leaky gut/leaky brain called The GABA Challenge which can help identify a leaky blood-brain barrier (BBB). If the BBB is intact, you won’t feel any effect from the GABA – GABA itself should not be able to cross the brain’s protective barrier. If you do feel a change, then you will need to repair both leaky gut and leaky bbb. Meanwhile, while the GABA may be calming, a leaky gut and BBB should be addressed. Thank you.
(For more info, see http://alternativethyroidtherapy.com/wpcontent/uploads/2011/03/Blood-Brain-Barrier-Importance-Challenge.pdf
Hi Dr Elle
Thanks for sharing. Can you possibly point to some research or a good source? What I see seems to be blog posts and all of them very similar and some making reference to Dr Kharrazian. Do you happen to know if this is something he is teaching? I’ve heard his teachings about GABA not crossing the BBB and I recognize that leaky BBB and leaky gut are issues we need to deal with.
I have not used the GABA challenge and am concerned with the very dose of 2000mg of GABA. That is a lot of GABA for most people and I would expect severe drowsiness for most people or a reverse effect. I find 125mg (in GABA Calm) is a good starting dose for my anxious clients.
I have also seen research indicating that GABA’s relaxing effect may be due to peripheral effects rather than it’s effect on/in the brain
The peripheral GABAergic system as a target in endocrine disorders – “GABA is widely distributed in endocrine tissues including the pituitary, pancreas, adrenal glands, uterus, ovaries, placenta and testis” http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/16338174
GABA-receptors in peripheral tissues – “Gamma-aminobutyric acid (GABA) and its receptors are found in a wide range of peripheral tissues, including parts of the peripheral nervous system, endocrines, and non-neural tissues such as smooth muscle and the female reproductive system” http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/2162457
These are older studies and I’d love to see some newer research.
I’d also love to hear your thoughts on this possible mechanism of action.
Trudy
Oops, sorry but the article apparently has been removed and cannot be viewed. So, simply Google “The GABA Challenge”.
Hi Trudy,
Thank u for this valuable info. and for the song as inspiration and healing for all women.
1. Can this info be useful also for male children and men, or only for women?
2. If people are allergic to fish, vegans or can’t afford the wild caught, can u tell us some other plant-based option for omega 3 and serving size per day/
Thanks again,
Estela
Hi Estela
You are welcome and for #1 yes we all need to eat real whole food and address nutritional deficiencies. Women and girls have a few additional factors like hormonal issues and lower serotonin to consider, plus we tend to be caretakers and take care of others before ourselves.
Let me break down #2 the easy one first – you can’t afford wild caught – everyone can afford canned sardines so that would be my pick; allergic to fish – flax seeds/oil but not ideal as your only source OR grass-fed red meat; vegan – flax or consider fish oil supplements (sorry but all the omega-3 studies showing health benefits are with fish).
Trudy
i have graves disease (overactive thyroid), so i can not take the amino acids.
i have heard that ‘purelife gaba max’ does cross the brain barrier, it is a powder, and you mix 1 teaspoon with water and drink.
Hi Trudy
I am loving the Anxiety Summit, thank you. I am a final year Naturopathy student with the Australian College of Natural Therapies, but am South African and living in Centurion. I have a special interest in the mood-food-gut-brain-connections and fell in psychoneuroimmunology the moment I heard of it. I was wondering whether you still live in SA, because it has suddenly become very difficult to get supplements such a amino acids and I am struggling to find the sort of practitioners who are willing to consider alternative therapies or even nutrition as a treatment for anxiety and depression.
Hi Lee-Anne
Glad you’re loving it – much more to come! yeah psychoneuroimmunology and mood-food-gut-brain-connections! I live in California but was just in Durbs in August/Sept visiting family. I did not know it was difficult to get amino acids there
Trudy
Trudy I wish you the very best of luck in your anxiety summit. Can’t wait to hear all about it. I’m sure you’ll have some great follow up blog posts.
Trudy,
Thanks for this talk! I am wondering about the study you talked about with over 10,000 participants, how do they know that the predisposition wasn’t poor mental health, and one of the symptoms was eating larger amounts of junk food? (As opposed to the junk food playing a major role in affecting mental health) I am just curious to see if this was tested for, if you know. Thanks,
Katie
Hi Katie
Here is a link to the study http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/23594136 and yes that is possible.
We are seeing more and more research on this topic – here is a systematic review by Dr. Felice Jacka http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/25208008
And this 2011 study http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/21957462 ” Improvements in diet quality were mirrored by improvements in mental health over the follow-up period, while deteriorating diet quality was associated with poorer psychological functioning.”
Trudy
I know all the information you and your speakers are providing over the next days will be useful to so many people. Thank you for pulling this together for a second time.
Thanks Sue! the speaker line up is fabulous yet again and the feedback I’ve been getting from attendees is just wonderful!
You have an awesome line up again, Trudy! I can’t wait to hear Tom Malterre–I love his work!
thanks Tiffany – it was a great interview – enjoy!
hi =),
can you please suggest what’s the best way to do a change of food without going into severe cravings? i know that eating whole foods, no sugar/grain etc… is going to help a lot! i fear the cravings and would like to prepare for them ahead of time. thanks!
Hi Blanca
It’s actually easier said than done – the biggest thing is to add breakfast with protein and eat to control blood sugar. JJ Virgin’s Sugar Impact advice is great too – as you eat less sugar you crave it less. If you’ve tried this and just crave then I suggest tuning in to my amino acids talk on Monday – it’s all about how to use amino acid supplements so you don’t feel deprived.
Trudy
Is there a summary of the best fermented foods and steps to ferment them somewhere?
Trudy,
Since the first summit, I have been tested for pyroluria due to my multitude of symptoms (including almost constant anxiety) and complex family history of mental disorders. Mensah Medical (trained by Dr. William Walsh) determined that I should be tested. I had a kryptopyrrole test using histamine levels as the determining factor. It was 61 in a range of 40-70. My zinc was low and my % of free copper was high. Do you consider histamine to be an accurate gauge?
Even though I have MTHFR mutations (one each, 1298 and 677), the doctor determined that I do NOT have methylation problems because my homeocycsteine was normal.
I feel terrible a lot and many of your other speakers have addressed issues that I know are significant parts of my situation. It is a challenge to believe that I will ever get better since I am 66 now and have been on this healing journey for over 15 years. If I weren’t a very spiritual person, I would probably give up.
Comments?
Re: Dr. Ameet Aggarwal
I loved his talk! So good to have someone speak about the liver, and he was so knowledgeable and easy to understand. I am one of those who wakes almost every night between 1 and 3. Unfortunately, I didn’t get to hear the last half and was disappointed that it was not replayed because I wanted to hear his recommendations. I tried to access comments, etc. from his space but couldn’t. Any chance of having access to his page?
Hi Lynne
So glad you enjoyed his talk. You’ll have a chance to vote for replay later this week. And of course there is always the option to purchase the recordings.
Here is the link to his blog https://www.everywomanover29.com/blog/anxiety-summit-hidden-master-organ-treating-liver-fundamental-anxiety-depression/
With a 1-3am waking I’d also consider the adrenals and high cortisol, and even possibly low serotonin. Low blood sugar could be a factor too
Enjoy the rest of the summit
Trudy
I love that you are doing this summit again and have another fabulous lineup of great speakers. Anxiety is such a huge topic and affects so many people. Thank you for putting the word out there that there are holistic solutions that can be effective for so many people.
Another information packed venue for people of all walks of life. Continued success in the coming days.
Trudy, I feel so blessed to have found out about & listened to most of the summit so far. Thank you! It is truly amazing!!!
Re: Dr. Christianson & Dr.Ameet: Your talk on adrenals I could have used 20 years when I was hit w/memories of childhood trauma & looking back it looks like it affected me w/wiped out adrenals. Doing better & this info will help, but now I have a son-in-law w/PTSD & TBI just medically retired from the military, struggling thru each day & no one has much help for him. Suggestions? He will go to the VA soon & !!!! I’m not sure they have much help.
Hi Mary
So pleased you’re enjoying this summit. I would suggest finding a functional medicine doctor to help your son-in-law. There is much that can be done in terms of adrenal support and other biochemical approaches to speed the healing of both PTSD and TBI
Trudy
Trudy,
I’ve been considering learning a musical instrument for stress relief. Great tips as usual and powerful questions to ponder.
Write on!~
Lisa
fabulous Lisa!
Thank Trudy, fantastic information, the mercury open my eyes alot.
I have a question about infrared saunas,will help mercury Detoxification? or will display mercury around the body only?
I had 4 dental amalgams for 10 years :(, the sad is that I was breastfeeding my son when I had the two first ones, can you believe, the dentist never mention mercury word.
Now my son has OCD, he has genetic predisposition, weak immunologic system, waiting for Lyme test, etc
well long journey, if you can let me know about infrared saunas will be marvelous.
for example cilantro, i was using a lot lately and maybe is not so good when you have Mercury overload. thanks carmen
Trudy, you told that yeast strive on acidic body and mercury create high acidity. But I was in opposite very alkaline and feel sick of I eat alkaline food. Alkaline gut create good environment for pathogenic bacteria.People who take alkaline water can get problems.
Trudy, What a fabulous report by Dr Jonathan Prousky! I am so glad I learned so much. I have been off the antidepressants and benzodiazepines for a while, but it’s not to late to benefit from his suggestions. Also, for those who are facing this struggle, this is invaluable information. Thanks so much. Madeline Winter
Thanks Madeline – how wonderful of you to say “for those who are facing this struggle, this is invaluable information”
Thank you for the overflowing wealth of information.
I was wondering if you have a listing for doctors/professionals in the the Seattle area that are skilled with the amino acid therapy? My client is ready to get off of their SSRI’s but needs professional guidance with the amino’s.
Thank you