everywomanover29 blog

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

Antianxiety

The Antianxiety Food Solution on Annie Jennings’ JenningsWire

By Trudy Scott 12 Comments

trudy scott on annie jenningsI really enjoyed sharing a few of my top antianxiety food solution tips on the Annie Jennings’ JenningsWire podcast! It was short but sweet! We managed to cover real food, red meat, coffee!!, tryptophan and gluten in 10 minutes!

The Antianxiety Food Solution

  • How do you calm your anxious mind, improve your mood and end cravings with food?
  • Does red meat cause anxiety?
  • If you’re anxious do you really have to quit caffeine?
  • Everyone is talking about the gluten-free diet – what is the tie in to mood?
  • What is your favorite nutrient for eliminating anxiety, worry, negative self-talk, low self-esteem and afternoon/evening sugar cravings?
  • What are the key nutrients for addressing social anxiety?

You can go to the Annie Jennings’ JenningsWire podcast page to listen to the 10 minute audio interview.

We didn’t get to the last question: What are the key nutrients for addressing social anxiety?  If you have the little-known condition called pyroluria (the main symptoms are inner tension and social anxiety) you may need to supplement with zinc and vitamin B6. These nutrients also happen to be co-factors for making brain chemicals like serotonin and the calming GABA.  I am seeing an overlap between the traits anxious introverts resonate with and the pyroluria symptoms !  Imagine a nutritional solution for anxious introverts!

From Annie’s site:  “This podcast is presented by Annie Jennings, of the National Publicity Firm, Annie Jennings PR and the creator of JenningsWire online magazine. JenningsWire is capturing the heart of America with its rich community of talented, insightful and relevant bloggers and podcasters!”

Thanks Annie and Stacey for the opportunity!

Quiet: introverts on the job – pyroluria, low blood sugar, gluten?

By Trudy Scott 13 Comments

In a recent blog post I discussed a possible connection between introversion and pyroluria, especially if you also have social anxiety, inner tension and a preference for interacting with a few people rather than a crowd.

This nice infographic gives us some of the useful facts and stats:

  • introverts make better one-on-one connections
  • introverts sometimes experience anxiety when speaking to large groups of people
  • introverts are prone to social anxiety disorder
  • the percentage of introverts in the U.S. is about 50%
  • the percentage of people in the U.S. who are estimated to have social anxiety disorder is 7%-8%
  • the percentage of adults in the U.S. who are estimated to have an anxiety disorder is 18% [I added this one]

I like that this infographic is suggesting more comfortable work environments and jobs that may suit introverts better. 

BUT …and this is a BIG BUT….I feel we can do better if you are one of those introverts who still feel anxious or nervous despite all the tips and tricks. 

It’s important for you to also address some of the possible biochemical and nutritional imbalances:

This is just a few factors that may be contributing to your anxiety.  I encourage you to investigate and address ALL the possible causes of your anxiety and/or social anxiety.  You don’t have to live with it, tolerate it and force or “extrovert” (a new verb!) yourself in social settings.  You can feel comfortable, relaxed, calm and be a “Social Butterfly” – really!

Do also check out my book for in-depth protocols and research:  The Antianxiety Food Solution: How the Foods You Eat Can Help You Calm Your Anxious Mind, Improve Your Mood, and End Cravings (New Harbinger, 2011).

Quiet: Introverts on the Job
Source: BestMastersPrograms.org

 

Using Essential Oils to Survive and Thrive with Anxiety and Depression

By Trudy Scott 13 Comments

lavender

Essential oils can be a powerful addition to help relieve your anxiety, stress, depression and other mood disorders.  There is much research supporting the use of aromatherapy as we can see from this summary in a 2013 paper:  

“Molecular medical research on aromatherapy has been steadily increasing for use as an adjuvant therapy in managing psychiatric disorders and to examine its therapeutic mechanisms. Most studies, as well as clinically applied experience, have indicated that various essential oils, such as lavender, lemon and bergamot can help to relieve stress, anxiety, depression and other mood disorders. Most notably, inhalation of essential oils can communicate signals to the olfactory system and stimulate the brain to exert neurotransmitters (e.g. serotonin and dopamine) thereby further regulating mood.”

Today, I’m sharing a guest post on how to use essential oils, written by AnnaLaura Brown:

As anyone who suffers from anxiety and depression knows, it’s really hard on your life and can make it difficult to live a normal life. The drugs that are often prescribed can help but in many cases they don’t completely fix the problem and the side effects can make your health and the rest of your life even worse. So what can you do? While there are a variety of available options, essential oils have been proven to be a great natural solution. Essential oils are extracted from plants and because they are not a synthetic drug they have virtually no side effects. That said as with all products that are a form of medicine if you are currently taking drugs, then you want to talk with your doctor before you begin using essential oils.

Here are some tips to help you survive and thrive with anxiety and depression while using essential oils.

  1. If you are not on drugs now, don’t start using them and begin using essential oils instead.
  2. If you are on drugs now, talk with your doctor about your desire to gradually stop using them and work out a program to get off them over time and to begin using essential oils.
  3. Start slowly by trying one essential oil at a time. Identify your biggest health problem that you suffer with as a result of your anxiety and depression. For example, if you have problems sleeping, then you should start by using an oil that will help you sleep better. The best oil for this is lavender.
  4. Keep using that same oil for at least 2 weeks before you try another one.
  5. Take the time to do some research and to learn about different essential oils and how they are used for anxiety, depression and to help with moods. For example, citrus oils such as lemon, and orange can help uplift the moods of a lot of people. There are several books written on using oils for moods so you can probably find one with a lot of details at your local library or bookstore.
  6. Experiment with different ways of using oils. The most common ways that people use them are by either rubbing a few drops on the bottoms of your feet or your wrists, or by putting a few drops with some water into a diffuser or humidifier. You will want to try both ways and see which way works the best for you.
  7. Work on improving other aspects of your life so that you can live a more balanced life overall.
  8. Keep small amounts of the oils with you at all times so that if you start to feel depressed or anxious you can rub a little bit or smell the bottle to get some relief.

AnnaLaura Brown is passionate about helping others discover the power of essential oils for health and wellness. She personally discovered the oils while suffering from asthma and was able to get rid of her inhalers and use essential oils instead. In the past 2 years she has helped lots of people discover the power of essential oils for a variety of health and wellness uses. Grab your free copy of her report 50 ways to use essential oils at Health and Wealth with Oils.

End emotional eating – no willpower required!

By Trudy Scott 16 Comments

chocolate-cake

I’m excited to be participating in the Emotional Eating Loving Food Loving Life telesummit being hosted by Aimee Serafini, a women’s empowerment coach and an energy psychology practitioner specializing in helping people transform their personal relationships with themselves and others.

Because we are all so different, the message can be many different things. The 12 experts are going to speak about emotional eating from many different angles including:

  • Which emotions are the biggest culprits
  • Why diets make it even worse
  • How Overwhelm and Overload contribute
  • How brain chemistry and hormones play a part
  • Why forgiving others who have wronged us can help
  • How our body image is a catch 22 with eating
  • A simple tool to release cravings right in the moment
  • How intimacy or lack of can affect our eating habits

Emotional eating isn’t one size fits all, so take advantage of this variety of experts to help you figure out what approach(es) are best for you.

I’ll be sharing “5 Easy Ways To Banish Emotional Eating and Balance Your Brain Chemistry – No Willpower Required!” and you won’t feel deprived! Really!

I’m going to be sharing how eating real whole food and using some pretty amazing nutrients can balance brain chemistry and end emotional eating, with zero willpower required and no feelings of being deprived!

There are some pretty amazing nutrients that can balance brain chemistry and end emotional eating and I will be talking about the amazing nutrient DPA (d-phenylalanine) or Endorphigen. It is SO effective if you’re low in endorphins! Just watch Angie’s reaction when she sampled some….she actually called it a miracle!

Join me and 12 other experts for a teleseries each evening at 5pm PST.   It starts Monday April 15 and runs through Friday April 26 

[Update: this event has concluded and this program is now available as a 6 week homestudy program: The Amazing Amino Acids for Ending Emotional Eating – No Willpower Required! Really!! (Home Study Program – with or without Live Q&A calls) ]

 

Gluten and the serious effects on mental health: ADAA 2013

By Trudy Scott 14 Comments

logo_adaa

The 2013 annual conference of the Anxiety and Depression Association of America  is April 5-7 at the Hyatt Regency La Jolla at Aventine (La Jolla, California).  It’s a wonderful conference to hear all the latest research on anxiety and depression.  The focus of the conference is primarily therapy and medications with some presentations and posters on exercise, nutrients, guided imagery, yoga and one topic on gluten (mine!)

I’m doing a poster presentation Friday, April 5, 6:30 – 8pm, “Evidence-based Research On The Serious Effects Of Gluten On Mental Health, With An In-depth Look At Testing And The Gluten-free Diet.” 

This poster will identify what gluten is, where it is found and if the gluten-free diet is a fad or very real concern for those with mental health disorders. The following will be explained: gluten sensitivity, celiac disease, and wheat allergies. Evidence-based research will be reviewed, showing the serious impacts of gluten on various mental health disorders: anxiety, social phobia, panic attacks, depression, schizophrenia and bipolar disorder.

Here are a few examples of some the research that will be reviewed: 

  • “gluten sensitivity remains undertreated and underrecognized as a contributing factor to psychiatric and neurologic manifestations” (Jackson, Psychiatric Quarterly 2011)
  • Spectrum of gluten-related disorders: consensus on new nomenclature and classification (Sapone, BMC Medicine, 2012)
  • Celiac disease, wheat allergy, and gluten sensitivity: when gluten free is not a fad. (Pietzak, Journal of Parenteral and Enteral Nutrition 2012)
  • Gluten-free diet may alleviate depressive and behavioural symptoms in adolescents with coeliac disease (Pynnönen , BMC Psychiatry 2005)
  • Social phobia in coeliac disease (Addolorato, Scandinavian Journal of Gastroenterology 2008)

There will be an in-depth discussion of the various testing options and the many associated health problems that may be associated with gluten intolerance. This session will clearly define gluten-containing versus gluten-free foods when it comes to eating a gluten-free diet.

Overcoming Monkey Mind in Experience Life magazine

By Trudy Scott 9 Comments

April Experience Life cover“Three experts offer tips for overcoming mental chaos and reclaiming a balanced brain.”

The first expert is Eric Maisel, PhD, psychotherapist, creativity coach, and author of 40 books, most recently Natural Psychology: The New Psychology of Meaning (Natural Psychology Press, 2012) recommends:

“monitoring your breathing and monitoring your thinking at the same time” as a “quick way to get centered and quiet monkey mind.”  He shares his 10-second technique.

The second expert is Henry Emmons, MD, integrative psychiatrist and author of The Chemistry of Calm: A Powerful, Drug-Free Plan to Quiet Your Fears and Overcome Your Anxiety (Touchstone, 2010) recommends:

reconnecting with your body by getting “out of your head and into your body.”  He suggests techniques like “placing your hand on your lap” and paying attention “to the feeling of warmth that’s exchanged between your hand and body” or simply listening to music

I was thrilled to be third expert and share tips for rebalancing your biochemistry and neurotransmitters…Trudy Scott, CN, nutritionist and author of The Antianxiety Food Solution: How the Foods You Eat Can Help You Calm Your Anxious Mind, Improve Your Mood, and End Cravings (New Harbinger, 2011)

I suggest the amino acid tryptophan and quality grass-fed red meat if low serotonin is the issue. Serotonin is a neurotransmitter that “helps produce feelings of well-being and also helps you switch off worry and ruminating thoughts.”  I also recommend eating a protein-rich breakfast – something that is key for every one of my clients.”  If you experience “poor focus, scattered thoughts, ADD-type symptoms and fatigue” “the supplement to try is tyrosine.”

Have you been able to switch off monkey-mind with any of these tips?

You can read the whole article in the April 2013 edition of Experience Life magazine here   or pick up a physical copy from bookstores or grocery stores. 

It’s a great magazine and I love this summary on the about page:  “Experience Life is your guide to a healthy way of life. Your road map toward real and lasting self-improvement. Your antidote to all the fuss and nonsense that dominates the vast majority of health and fitness publications. Because being healthy is a revolutionary act.”