Anxiety and panic

Breast Cancer Awareness: don’t be driven by fear

October 13, 2014 By Trudy Scott 13 Comments

DrNalini Chilkov’s new book — Dr. Nalini Chilkov’s new book

October is Breast Cancer awareness month so here are 7 resources to keep you informed, hopeful and inspired to take charge of your overall health and breast health – for prevention and healing – and no more fear!

#1 Reduce stress in your life. Here is a blog post I wrote in 2010 with information from my colleague Ellyn Hilliard: 10 Unique Ways to Support You During Breast Cancer Awareness Month

Reduce the stresses in your life. Calm the nervous system. Meditate, go on a walk…

Start to look at chemicals in your life. Find natural alternatives to cleaning products.

#2 Exercise to prevent cancer and have fun at the same time

up to a third of breast cancer cases in Western countries could be avoided with a nutritious diet and exercise

If exercise is a chore, find something fun to do and it will be a totally different experience

#3 Be aware that a lot of pinkwashing goes on – it’s quite awful how people are being taken advantage of. And know there is so much you can do that is healing and preventative. You can read more here: Pinkwashing for the cure (ridiculous!) or green for prevention?

Pinkwasher: (pink’-wah-sher) noun. A company or organization that claims to care about breast cancer by promoting a pink ribbon product, but at the same time produces, manufactures and/or sells products that are linked to the disease.

Helyane Waldman’s book “The Whole-Food Guide for Breast Cancer Survivors: A Nutritional Approach to Preventing Recurrence”

Rebecca Katz’s “The Cancer-Fighting Kitchen: Nourishing, Big-Flavor Recipes for Cancer Treatment and Recovery”

#4 Ann Louise Gittleman, author of The Fat Flush Diet and Get the Sugar Out, just posted a great blog on how to become a breast health warrior

Raise your daily Vitamin D intake (D is like a hormone rather than a vitamin) to at least 1,000 – 4,000 IU to reach a level of at least 52 ng/mL. Women with serum levels at

Get the Sugar Out! Plain and simple, cancer feeds on sugar which is known to immobilize white blood cells for up to five hours.

#5 Dr Nalini Chilkov is my cancer referral source and she has a new cancer booklet called 32 Ways to OutSmart Cancer. It has beautiful back-to-basics advice about eating nourishing nutrient-dense, antioxidant- and polyphenol-rich real whole food. I especially like the section on herbs and spices and love the chapter on gratitude. Here is a yummy salmon recipe from her blog.

#6 Be hopeful and optimistic. My colleague Fran Sussman shares her journey and story of recovery from breast cancer in this article called I am a breast cancer survivor: There is hope. Fran will be offering six-week support classes for women diagnosed with breast cancer starting in December.

I’ve come through it, with great resilience and rebounding health. I feel better than ever post-breast cancer, at age 60. I am healthy; my doctors concur.

What can you do for prevention? Support your body with optimal nutrition, exercise, sleep and hydration. Use nutrition to minimize inflammation and insulin resistance.

Acknowledge and work with your fear, but don’t be driven by it.

#7 And my final piece of advice is stated so beautifully by Fran: “Acknowledge and work with your fear, but don’t be driven by it.” Anxiety and depression is very common in people who have been diagnosed with cancer. This is understandable, but I encourage you to look for and get support in this area too, so you are not driven by your fear.

You may need to address low GABA levels, keep your blood sugar stable with good quality protein at breakfast, support your adrenals, and drink calming carob instead of coffee. There is so much you can do.

If you’re looking for more great resources for your healing journey, I invite you to join us on The Anxiety Summit, Nov 3-16, and learn more about nutritional and natural solutions for anxiety. The topics our expert address will also lead to improved overall health, improved heart health and will help with cancer prevention too.

2nd Annual Online Eating Psychology Conference: Marc David shares

July 21, 2014 By Trudy Scott 13 Comments

The 2nd Annual Online Eating Psychology Conference started today and I thought I’d share some gems from Marc David’s opening interview. Marc is the Founder of the Institute for the Psychology of Eating and the host of the 2nd Annual Online Eating Psychology Conference. He shared this:

My mission is to expand eating psychology so it’s for everyone
I have an inclusive approach and I have invited speakers and thought leaders with diverse viewpoints
I have invited people who care and who bring something special to their work

Marc says we need to handle eating challenges, emotional eating, body image issues, mood, digestion, immunity, fatigue etc. so “we can step forward into our greatness and give our gifts in this world”

Marc shared an example of 40 year old client who had digestive issues, was a binge eater, was constipated, had a low mood, got coughs and colds, needed to lose 20 lbs. She had tried everything and nothing worked. He looked at her diet which was extremely low in fat. He shared this “When you go low fat, binge eating is common.” When he said “You need to eat more fat, she had a horrified look. She had toxic belief that fat was bad for her. It’s an outdated belief but she had a fear of fat.” He had to work with her at a psychological level – suggesting a little bit of olive oil on her salad, eating an avocado and taking a fish oil supplement. She made the changes and she lost 14 lbs over the course of 3 months.

I really enjoyed his principles of “dynamic eating psychology” (a term Marc David coined):

Food is a doorway and our relationship with food is a doorway to see what is there. He says “Stop fighting yourself and stop hating yourself and walk through the door and be a little curious. Insights will start to happen”
Food is a great teacher. For example, I hate my job, I’m unhappy, something is out of balance.
Every symptom has a deeper meaning and message
You are here to heal – you could tweak someone’s diet and it can help, sometimes you need to do more
Our life has a bigger purpose and higher calling – our eating challenges are here to move us in the right direction, help us get better and grow
The more we can become personally empowered the more we can reach our metabolic potential. As you become the best possible person you can be, you have the best chance for the body to reach it’s potential.
Food is love, energy, information and nutrition.

Marc says “We are banding together and bringing together experts to find a better way to eat.”

I am thrilled that I am one of the featured experts in the 2nd Annual Online Eating Psychology Conference on July 21 – 26, 2014.

My interview plays tomorrow July 22 and is called: “The amazing amino acids for eliminating anxiety and emotional eating.” Could your anxiety and emotional eating be a brain chemical imbalance? And how do we address this with the amazing amino acids and other key nutrients

Join me, along with Marc David, as he interviews over 45+ experts in eating psychology, embodiment, weight, health, and nutrition. Get ready to hear some great insights and information that will advance your understanding of eating psychology and personal transformation in this one-of-a-kind virtual conference!

Here are a few gems from other speakers on day 1.

Dr. Mark Hyman, founder of the Ultrawellness Center, and author of the new book “The Blood Solution 10 day Detox Diet” shared this in his interview:

We have bought it hook line and sinker that we have to eat less and exercise more i.e. it’s your fault that you’re fat
The science now shows that all calories are not the same and certain foods are addictive
When we outsource our cooking to food corporations we will get sick. We have to learn how to cook. We have to eat real food! Eat an avocado – it doesn’t have a barcode on it and it doesn’t have an ingredient list. If something has an ingedient list it’s probably not that great for you!

Amy Pershing’s topic is “The Psychology of Binge Eating” and she shared:

Binge eating is not a willpower issue
Causes are profoundly varied – genetics, trauma, dieting, weight-related bullying, mood disorders like anxiety and depression
5 million adults 18 years and older ie 3.5 % of women and 2% of men, meet the criteria for BED (binge eating disorder)

You can sign up for the 2nd Annual Online Eating Psychology Conference for FREE here: https://ipe.isrefer.com/go/2ndepoc/trudyscott/

Urinary neurotransmitter testing falls short

July 11, 2014 By Trudy Scott 37 Comments

lab

I am often asked about urinary neurotransmitter testing and often a new client will come in with results from a test she/he has had done. I would like to share my thoughts on this rather controversial subject and say that I am not a fan and do not ever use this test. Let’s take a deeper dive into this topic.

The question

Here is a question I received right after the Anxiety Summit:

I have had good results using urinary neurotransmitter testing and targeted amino acid therapy and bioidentical hormones. I am able to see if all levels are low, indicating low stomach acid. I am also able to see if histamine or glutamate are high, indicating food hypersensitivities. I also use the levels for balancing and replacing. I know that Julia Ross is opposed to testing. What is your opinion and what did your other speakers [on the Anxiety Summit] say about this topic?

This is my answer:
I am very pleased that this person sees good results using urinary neurotransmitter testing and targeted amino acid therapy.

Why I am not in favor of this testing

However, I am not in favor of this testing for a few reasons:

1) Julia Ross is not in favor of it and having worked with her in her clinic for 2 years I respect her professional opinion and the results she saw when urinary neurotransmitter results didn’t correlate with amino acid questionnaire and trials of amino acids. Julia wrote a great article on this topic for the Townsend Letter and you can access this via the anxiety summit blog for her interview

2) Since leaving the clinic and starting my own practice, I’ve worked with folks who come in with urinary neurotransmitter test results that don’t always with correlate with amino acid questionnaire and trials of the amino acids. But I will be the first to admit that I have not done a thorough analysis of where they haven’t correlated simply because it didn’t seem worth my time.

3) I have heard some rather unpleasant stories from people who have had the urinary neurotransmitter testing done and have been given supplement recommendations based on the results. I just received an email recently from someone who said this:

I was doing xyz’s program last year and the aminos recommended based on urine neurotransmitter testing nearly sent me over the edge with extreme anxiety, insomnia and panic attacks. He had me take 300mg 5-HTP and 3000mg tyrosine a day, based on test results.

We know that anyone can have a bad reaction to supplements. But let me comment on this example: 5-HTP can raise cortisol and be stimulating for some people so it’s not something I recommend for everyone with low serotonin symptoms; 3000mg tyrosine a day is not excessive (1-2 x 500mg , 3 times a day is often typical) BUT will be too much if you don’t need it and can cause anxiety and insomnia.

Low stomach acid and food hypersensitivities?

I’d like to also comment on two other parts of this question:

“I am able to see if all levels are low, indicating low stomach acid.” I have not heard this correlation and would use other labs markers for low stomach acid – like total protein, globulin etc – and the person’s response to a HCl trial.

“I am also able to see if histamine or glutamate are high, indicating food hypersensitivities.” I have also not heard of this correlation and would use an IgG test and food elimination and challenge to help figure out if someone has food sensitivities.

What do other speakers think?

It was also asked what other speakers on the Anxiety Summit said about this topic:

Other than Julia Ross, the only person who mentioned urinary neurotransmitter testing briefly was Dr. Anna Cabeca and we didn’t go deeper into the topic.

I did email Dr. Kelly Brogan and she said

I actually don’t use them. Occasionally I do serum amino acid testing (ION panel) but don’t feel that the science is there to support urinary neurotransmitter testing and feel that the reductionism around amino acids and behavioral translation is not consistent with my perspective and not needed for the outcomes I get.

If you listened to our interview on the Anxiety Summit, you’ll remember that Kelly doesn’t feel that low serotonin is a factor in anxiety and depression.

I will be following up with some of the other speakers like Josh Friedman, Hyla Cass, Amy Day and Corey Schuler.

What do Dr Weil and Nora Gedgaudas think?

I’d like to share some perspectives from a few others:

On Dr. Andrew Weil’s site

I checked with David Perlmutter, M.D., a neurologist colleague in Florida, about the accuracy of urine testing for neurotransmitters. He told me that neurotransmitters and their precursors are produced in abundance throughout the body and to assume that what is collected in the urine reflects what’s going on in the brain is a stretch.

Unfortunately Dr. Weil goes on to discredit salivary cortisol testing which has plenty of research supporting how effective it is!

Nora Gedgaudas, author of Primal Body Primal Mind states this on her site:

I have considered the urinary testing approach and was even enamored of the concept at first. Once I looked into the idea more closely, though, it just didn’t add up for me. I have been using amino acids now to address issues of mood, health and cognitive functioning for over 20 years. I have never used anything other than mood/symptomatic screening to guide amino acid supplementation. Results tend to be uniformly good to excellent. The sheer overwhelming complexity of amino acid/neurotransmitter activity in the human body/brain-and the compartmentalized nature of the biochemistry of each seems to best lend itself to a more functional and symptom-related evaluation. Lab testing simply falls short of the mark here.

I could not agree more with Nora’s comments. These are my exact thoughts. Here is the amino acids mood questionnaire I use with my clients. Based on symptoms we do amino acid trials and based on their response (which can happen as quickly as 5 minutes) we know if we’re on the right track.

I’ll be the first to say we don’t always have all the research to support what we do in the nutritional/integrative world and do agree that testing is extremely valuable but in this case I do not recommend urinary neurotransmitter testing as it does fall short in terms of accuracy and consistency.

I’d love to hear your thoughts and experiences. Have you been tested and had good results? Bad results? Are you a health practitioner and say ‘yes’ or ‘no’ to this testing?

Eat fish and prevent anxiety, depression, inflammation and insulin resistance

June 27, 2014 By Trudy Scott 18 Comments

Stuffed salmon

How much wild fish is in your diet? Are you eating wild salmon or sardines two or three times a week? If you’re not, there are plenty of good reasons to start doing so!

Research shows “the likelihood of having depressive symptoms was significantly higher among infrequent fish consumers than among frequent consumers”

A 2011 study supports omega-3 consumption for mood disorders.

“DHA modulates some of the same genes targeted by current psychotropic medications, as well as increases myelin-related gene expression. Myelin-related gene expression decrease is a common, if nonspecific, denominator of neuropsychiatric disorders. In conclusion, our work supports the potential utility of omega-3 fatty acids, specifically DHA, for a spectrum of psychiatric disorders such as stress disorders, bipolar disorder, alcoholism and beyond.”

A 2012 animal study shows that sardines lower insulin resistance and has other wonderful health benefits.

“these results support the beneficial effect of sardine protein in fructose-induced metabolic syndrome on such variables as hyperglycemia, insulin resistance, hyperlipidemia and oxidative and inflammatory status, suggesting the possible use of sardine protein as a protective strategy against insulin resistance and related situations.”

I grew up in South Africa eating sardines and love them! I always have a few cans with me when I travel in case I’m stuck somewhere without a good protein source! Here is a blog post I wrote on: Healthy travel food ideas when you have food sensitivities.

Here is a great resource for making the best choices when it comes to seafood: “The Monterey Bay Aquarium Seafood Watch program helps consumers and businesses make choices for healthy oceans. Our recommendations indicate which seafood items are ‘Best Choices’, ‘Good Alternatives’ and which ones you should ‘Avoid’.”

A wonderful source for great quality fish is Vital Choice. They are “a trusted source for fast home delivery of the world’s finest wild seafood and organic fare, harvested from healthy, well-managed wild fisheries and farms.” I have met Randy Hartnell a few times and I love this company and everything that they stand for!

“We capture the fresh-caught quality of fine, sustainably harvested Alaskan salmon and other Alaskan and northwest Pacific seafood by cleaning and flash-freezing it within hours of harvest.

The fisheries that supply most of our seafood are certified sustainable by MSC (look for their blue logo) or the State of Alaska, or are widely considered sustainable.”

Enjoy some beautiful salmon for dinner or have a yummy sardine snack and see mood, blood sugar and overall health benefits!

The Anxiety Summit: The Addicted Brain and How to Break Free

June 22, 2014 By Trudy Scott 4 Comments

[REPLAY on Monday 6/23 – ENJOY!]

This is day 6 of the Anxiety Summit. Dr. Hyla Cass, M.D. board-certified in psychiatry and integrative medicine and the author of Natural Highs and The Addicted Brain and How to Break Free, is interviewed by host of the Anxiety Summit, Trudy Scott, Food Mood Expert and Nutritionist, author of The Antianxiety Food Solution.

The Addicted Brain and How to Break Free

how to recognize the signs of addiction
why do we become addicted and what is the connection to anxiety
food/carbs/sugar, caffeine, alcohol and drug addictions
how can we end addiction without suffering/withdrawal

Here are some great gems from my interview with Hyla:

in order to make neurotransmitters/brain chemicals that send messages around in our brain, we need the right raw materials

I think the personality becomes addictive because of this imbalanced neurochemistry

I’ve had people sent to me, for example, with anxiety, and it turned out that what was really going on was they were consuming aspartame in their soft drinks

If someone has anxiety, it’s not a Valium or a Xanax deficiency. It could be a GABA deficiency

Low serotonin leads to increased appetite, really craving carbs, feeling depressed, anxious and irritable, and having trouble sleeping

the food industry feeds off us as we’re feeding off of all that junk

This whole idea of a pill for every pill is just wrong

Hyla shared how Dr. Davidson, a conventional psychiatrist from Duke University, discovered that with atypical depression, there were people who were totally unresponsive to the drugs i.e. – nothing worked. He found that those patients did really well with chromium. Here is an article on the Psychology Today blog on chromium for depression.

And here is Hyla’s Huffpo blog post on Is it drugs not guns

Here are two of Hyla’s great books:

Natural Highs: Supplements, Nutrition, and Mind-Body Techniques to Help You Feel Good All the Time

Eight Weeks to Vibrant Health: A Take Charge Plan for Women to Correct Imbalances, Reclaim Energy and Restore Well-Being

Get your free gifts from Dr. Hyla Cass: “Outsmart Your Addiction Quiz” and “Reclaim Your Brain” e-report

~~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~~

UPDATE: the summit concluded on Tues 6/24 – season 2 of The Anxiety Summit will be in November 2014. If you’d like to be on the notification list just sign up here www.theAnxietySummit.com

Missed this interview or can’t listen live? Or want this and the other great interviews for your learning library? Purchase the MP3s or MP3s + transcripts + interview highlights and listen when it suits you

The Anxiety Summit: coffee, chocolate, fish, water and more

June 21, 2014 By Trudy Scott 41 Comments

This is day 14 of the Anxiety Summit and the final wrap up call by host of the Anxiety Summit, Trudy Scott, Food Mood Expert and Nutritionist, author of The Antianxiety Food Solution.

Anxiety: coffee, chocolate, fish, water and more – and where to go next

the anxiety-provoking effects of coffee! and what about chocolate?
the bad-mood effects of gluten
wild fish, water, pumpkin seeds and laughter to boost your mood and calm you down
questions answered ( a few from the blog and facebook page)
what you can get out of the summit, resources and where to go next

This is the great quote by Jamie Oliver (I saw it on Josh Friedman’s super Facebook page):

Homicide is 0.8% of deaths. Diet-related disease is over 60%. But no-one talks about it

We’re talking about it! And we’re being heard! There obviously a big need for this information – as of the end of the 13^th day of the summit we have officially reached just over 10,000 people!

This is the cover of Time magazine: Eat Butter. Scientists labeled fat the enemy. Why they were wrong. About time ! (no pun intended)

For decades, it has been the most vilified nutrient in the American diet. But new science reveals fat isn’t what’s hurting our health”

Here is the blog post that has the video of Angie trying the DPA/Endorphigen for low endorphins. She calls it a miracle, no longer desired chocolate and felt euphoric!

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! – See more at: https://www.everywomanover29.com/blog/end-emotional-eating-no-willpower/#sthash.ocYcUhhQ.dpuf

This is the blog post that mentions the research on how water affects serotonin and dopamine levels, thereby affecting your anxiety levels.

Based on the food mood research done by Dr. Felice Jacka and the results I see when my female clients add back red meat into their diets I am a proponent of grass-fed red meat. You can read some of Dr Jacka’s findings and information about our interview here. Be sure to check out the comments in this blog – I mention other research on grass-fed red meat and mood,

In line with this we have the new Anxiety Summit quote:

Sugar is the most abused anxiety drug

Grass-fed red meat is the most underutilized antianxiety food

~ Trudy Scott, host of The Anxiety Summit and author of The Antianxiety Food Solution

This is from the editorial called Nutrition and Psychiatry in the American Journal of Psychiatry. It was published when Dr. Jacka’s Western diet/traditional diet study was published in 2010.

It is both compelling and daunting to consider that dietary intervention at an individual or population level could reduce rates of psychiatric disorders. There are exciting implications for clinical care, public health, and research”

I always say “yes compelling but not daunting with what we know” and with we’ve learned on the Anxiety Summit.

~~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~~

UPDATE: the summit concluded on Tues 6/24 – season 2 of The Anxiety Summit will be in November 2014. If you’d like to be on the notification list just sign up here www.theAnxietySummit.com