Anxiety and panic

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

October 22, 2013 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:

low blood sugar can make you feel anxious, irritable and depressed – eating protein at breakfast helps so much
pyroluria can cause social anxiety and inner tension, especially in crowds and when under more stress – zinc and vitamin B6 can make a world of difference
gluten intolerance can cause anxiety and depression and can lead to nutritional deficiencies – do an elimination and challenge
low GABA or low serotonin can lead to physical tension/anxiety and worry/anxiety in the head – consider a trial of GABA or tryptophan supplements

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).

Source: BestMastersPrograms.org

Pinkwashing for the cure (ridiculous!) or green for prevention?

October 21, 2013 By Trudy Scott 30 Comments

October is National Breast Cancer Awareness Month and creating breast cancer awareness is great BUT this pinkwashing is ridiculous!

A California based organization shares what pinkwashing is:

Breast Cancer Action coined the term pinkwashing as part of our Think BeforeYou Pink® campaign. 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.

Sarah Pope, the Healthy Home Economist doesn’t mince her words in her blog post “Komen (NOT) for the Cure: for the Cure: The Complete and Utter Pinkwashing of America” and nor should she. She says things like “pink propaganda”, “media stupidity”, “zombie like hypnosis that comes over people with regard to supporting the marketing bonanza” and “Breast Cancer Industry Month.” As far as I’m concerned she is spot on and this pinkwashing is ridiculous and totally out of hand! Do read her blog post above: she shares some shocking facts about Komen, saying they don’t want a cure because “Pinkwashing is far too lucrative.”

I am, quite frankly, flabbergasted by the whole commercialism of it. Also, so many of the products that have been “pinked” are part of the cancer problem in the first place.

Like sugary foods and fast food! You’re kidding me! Coke and cancer awareness!? What about cancer-causing toxins in makeup!?

The title of this paper says it all: Cancer is a Preventable Disease that Requires Major Lifestyle Changes

“Only 5–10% of all cancer cases can be attributed to genetic defects, whereas the remaining 90–95% have their roots in the environment and lifestyle. The lifestyle factors include cigarette smoking, diet (fried foods, red meat), alcohol, sun exposure, environmental pollutants, infections, stress, obesity, and physical inactivity.”

Here are some great resources that help with some of these lifestyle factors:

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”
Mira Dessy’s book “The Pantry Principle: how to read the label and understand what’s really in your food”
Good quality grass-fed red meat from US Wellness Meats, instead of poor quality feed-lot meat
Good quality wild salmon and other healthy fish from Vital Choice, instead of farmed fish
Environmental Working Group’s Skin Deep Guide to Cosmetics and their guides to healthy cleaning products and GMOs, pesticides on produce and much more. As well as cancer, we know about the bad effects of pesticides on anxiety and depression. I also encourage you to take action: sign Breast Cancer Action’s petition to end pinkwashing once and for all via strong chemical regulations.

How about a green ribbon instead of a pink ribbon!? And please, let’s call it Breast Cancer Prevention and have a Race for Prevention instead of a Race for the Cure!

Which do you choose – pinkwashing for the cure or green for prevention?

Am I an anxious introvert because of low zinc and vitamin B6? My response to Huffington Post blog

September 16, 2013 By Trudy Scott 242 Comments

At the risk of making some introverts mad I’d like to propose a connection between pyroluria and introversion. Many of your introversion traits – anxiety-and-social-anxiety, feelings-of-inner-tension, not-enjoying-crowds – may in fact have a biochemical component.

There is a genetic condition that causes anxiety-and-social-anxiety, feelings-of-inner-tension, not-enjoying-crowds and it’s called pyroluria. If you have pyroluria and take zinc, vitamin B6, evening primrose oil and a few other nutrients you will feel calm, gain confidence and enjoy being around groups of people for the first time in your life. Perhaps the same can be said if you are an introvert and you feel uncomfortable in crowds and feel anxious!?

I’m writing this blog post because of a recent Huffington Post article, written by Carolyn Gregoire and called “23 Signs You’re Secretly An Introvert”

I am fascinated and intrigued with this article and the 23 questions because I used to resonate with being an introvert. However, since I discovered that I actually have an inherited and little-understood condition called pyroluria, I no longer resonate with being an introvert! I use zinc, vitamin B6 and evening primrose oil on a daily basis and it keeps my social anxiety/inner tension/inner monologue symptoms in check. And, it seems, my former introvert traits too!

I mention the “making some introverts mad” part because many introverts say “just leave us alone, we’re quite happy the way we are and don’t need to fixed or changed”.

But, based on the numerous comments on this very popular article– over 2500 in total as of 9/16/2013 – there are some aspects of being an introvert that many introverts would like to change.

Here are a few examples:

mr070995 is proud to be an introvert but wishes he was a little more outgoing:

“After reading this, and laughing at the fact that most of what is on this list is literally my life, I can definitely say I am an introvert. Am I sad by this, not at all! I am proud of what I am and what I’m becoming. Do I wish I was a little bit more outgoing in some aspects, of course”

junkmama2 is happy but not comfortable in a crowd:

“This is my life. It isn’t always a comfortable place to be when I must be in a crowd. But I am happy to be in my peaceful life, where calmness and quiet prevail”

HuffPoRepublican feels drained and anxious around people:

“I’m not sure what I am. I mean, I actually like to be around people at first, and I’m always up to hang out – but after the first five minutes, I feel drained and anxious to get home and return to my books. :)”

Darkace puts on a show in order to succeed in the work place:

“The hardest aspect of living life as in introvert is we all live in an extroverted world. School pushes kids to do group projects, that are just awkward and when you don’t do well in it you’re doing something wrong or something is wrong with you. The moment I step out of the door I am no longer me, I am a character that has to put on a show in order to succeed in the work place.”

BCereus fakes it when around friends and finds it painful:

“Sometimes I can communicate with friends well and sometimes I fake it really badly. I always wonder if people can see past my half smile and fake laugh. It’s painful to be honest. But there are times when I don’t mind so much.”

Here are the 23 questions in Carolyn’s article. I encourage to check them out on the blog as she goes into each one in more detail and has some great links for further reading on the topic.

1. You find small talk incredibly cumbersome.

2. You go to parties -– but not to meet people. You would rather spend time with people you already know and feel comfortable around.

3. You often feel alone in a crowd.

4. Networking/small-talk makes you feel like a phony.

5. You’ve been called “too intense.”

6. You’re easily distracted and overwhelmed in environments with an excess of stimulation.

7. Downtime doesn’t feel unproductive to you.

8. Giving a talk in front of 500 people is less stressful than having to mingle with those people afterwards.

9. When you get on the subway, you sit at the end of the bench -– not in the middle.

10. You start to shut down after you’ve been active for too long.It’s likely because you’re trying to conserve energy.

11. You’re in a relationship with an extrovert.

12. You’d rather be an expert at one thing than try to do everything.

13. You actively avoid any shows that might involve audience participation.

14. You screen all your calls — even from friends.

15. You notice details that others don’t.

16. You have a constantly running inner monologue.

17. You have low blood pressure.

18. You’ve been called an “old soul” -– since your 20s.

19. You don’t feel “high” from your surroundings

20. You look at the big picture.

21. You’ve been told to “come out of your shell.”

22. You’re a writer.

23. You alternate between phases of work and solitude, and periods of social activity.

Additional resources when you are new to pyroluria (and using amino acids)

Here is the pyroluria questionnaire.

Many of my clients with pyroluria also have neurotransmitter imbalances so we use the the neurotransmitter symptoms questionnaire to figure out if low serotonin or low GABA or low endorphins or low dopamine or low blood sugar may be an issue too. Keep in mind that the pyroluria nutrients also help with neurotransmitter production.

If you suspect pyroluria and 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 the pyroluria protocol and 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 pyroluria and another chapter on the amino acids. There are also chapters on gut health, gluten, blood sugar control, sugar cravings, 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 pyroluria supplements and 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 too). 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.

I’d love to hear from you if you resonate with being an introvert and the 23 questions in Carolyn’s article (listed above). Please comment below and tell us which of the introvert qualities you identify with? numbers are fine – so for example, just say #s 1, 4,5,6,7,8, 13-18, 20-23 = total of 18

Would you please also take a look at the pyroluria questionnaire and share how you score? Again, which numbers and total score. I acknowledge that this may not apply to all introverts but I would love to know how prevalent this is.

If you are an introvert and struggle with crowds or networking, feel anxious and have a busy mind and inner monologue, you may possibly find some relief with the pyroluria protocol. Let us know if the pyroluria nutrients have helped you and how much of each helps.

If you’re a practitioner do you see this connection with your clients/patients who are introverts?

Feel free to share and ask your questions below.

Zinc, turmeric and tryptophan for brain health and mood

September 4, 2013 By Trudy Scott 33 Comments

So much can be done using the amazing healing power of foods and nutrients when it comes to brain health and mood. I truly believe this holistic health approach is the way to go because it gets back to basics and addresses the root causes of issues instead of the using the band-aid approach. The added bonus is that this approach also improves focus, skin health, digestion, heart health and more.

Here are just some of my top nutrients for a healthy brain and great mood!

Zinc is one of the top nutrient deficiencies I see with my clients.

Zinc is a key nutrient for the prevention of anxiety and depression, especially the type of social anxiety called pyroluria. Here is the pyroluria questionnaire: https://www.everywomanover29.com/blog/pyroluria-questionnaire-from-the-antianxiety-food-solution/ It’s also been shown to be beneficial for sleep, cognitive function and for healing from traumatic brain injury. Zinc is also an important co-factor in making the neurotransmitters GABA and serotonin.

Turmeric is an uncommon yet powerful supplement

Research shows that turmeric has “promising cardioprotective and anti-inflammatory properties”. We often see inflammation and brain/mood problems go hand in hand. Inflammation produces cytokines which activate the IDO enzyme, degrading tryptophan and leading to less serotonin and less melatonin. This can result in increased depression and anxiety, poor sleep and poor focus. A new randomized, controlled clinical trial published in the journal Phytotherapy Research has confirmed that the primary polyphenol in turmeric known as curcumin is both safe and effective in treating serious states of depression. One study even found that turmeric benefited 3 patients with Alzheimer’s disease and reduced symptoms of irritability, agitation, anxiety, and apathy.

Tryptophan is an amazing amino acid

It promotes sleep and improves depression, anxiety, panic, worry and OCD /obsessive compulsive symptoms in people who have low serotonin. I have my clients do this questionnaire so we can figure out which deficiency they have https://www.everywomanover29.com/blog/amino-acids-mood-questionnaire-from-the-antianxiety-food-solution/ Although there isn’t a great deal of research on this amino acid and “the evidence base is significantly larger for depression than for anxiety disorder”, tryptophan is recognized as an add-on for when someone is on medications. I see so much success using tryptophan with my clients that I wish it was the first choice before anti-depressants!

I’d like to share some recent success I’ve seen with tryptophan. I’ve been having the most amazingly rewarding sessions with a young man (and his mom). During our first session, an in-office trial of 100mg of chewable tryptophan reduced his worry, sadness and very busy thoughts from a 7/8/9 out of 10, to a 3 out of 10 within 5-10 minutes. He said “my head feels different…good different…I’m thinking happy things”. He started to smile a lot. He also has a repetitive behavior which went from 7/8 out of 10, to a 5 out of 10. Tryptophan is known for reducing OCD but it wasn’t quite enough and we have had to add inositol too. I know the amazing amino acids work wonders but I’m always thrilled when I see them in action changing lives. And most of all, I’m so pleased his mom decided to go this route first instead of having him take medications. We are simply addressing nutritional deficiencies like low serotonin and low zinc [he did also need zinc].

What supplements have you found to be beneficial for your brain health, anxiety or depression?

Using Essential Oils to Survive and Thrive with Anxiety and Depression

July 5, 2013 By Trudy Scott 13 Comments

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.

If you are not on drugs now, don’t start using them and begin using essential oils instead.
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.
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.
Keep using that same oil for at least 2 weeks before you try another one.
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.
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.
Work on improving other aspects of your life so that you can live a more balanced life overall.
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.

Overcome your fear of public speaking

June 28, 2013 By Trudy Scott 25 Comments

Whether you believe the statistic that more people fear public speaking than they do death (41% vs 19%) or the 2011 Gallup poll that has fear of public speaking at 41% and fear of snakes at 50%, that is still a large number of fearful people when it comes to speaking on stage!

I love to do presentations and am never fearful when I get on stage and speak in front of audiences but it wasn’t always like this. I used to have to really force myself and push through the fear, I felt terribly uncomfortable and almost breathless. I also used to hate networking events and mingling. Then I discovered that I have pyroluria (see the pyroluria questionnaire here), a genetic condition that leads to anxiety, inner tension and feeling uncomfortable in crowds. By adding a few key nutrients – zinc, vitamin B6 and evening primrose oil – my pyroluric symptoms are completely in check, hence my calm in the face of speaking in public. I speak nationally about The Antianxiety Food Solution and always joke that I am Ms Antianxiety! I also have a new-found love of networking and meeting people!

Sontine is a client of mine who made diet changes, lifestyle changes like walking and added the key nutrients like zinc and vitamin B6 (and a few others) and found she too had no more fear of public speaking – and she actually started to really enjoy it! She also started to sleep well and had good energy. She was skeptical that this was possible for her but curiosity got the better of her and she’s so pleased with the results.

Here is Sontine’s story in her own words:

The first time I heard Trudy telling her personal story about anxiety and nutrition, I thought ‘that’s a really unique situation’. I believed it worked for her but that it was ‘just one in a million…it’s not going to work for most people and it’s not going to work for me’

After working with Trudy for 3 months I’ve had amazing changes:

From exhausted to normal healthy energy

Anxiety has decreased

Mood and blood sugar has stabilized

Sleeping better

Completely lost my fear of public speaking which has plagued me my whole life! I was so terrified I avoided it as much as possible. Now I am not nervous and I enjoy it! It’s been amazing for me!

Sontine is also a busy mom with a busy job – like many of us are – but she made time to go for an evening walk with her young daughter and husband [we recorded this in December last year, hence the reference to Christmas lights] and says that such a small thing makes all the difference in how she feels. We know how beneficial exercise is for both mood and sleep

PS. I also added GABA, removed caffeine and removed gluten from my diet. Each person is unique and you will have to find your own unique nutritional approach.

So how are you when it comes to public speaking? And what do you do to stay calm?

If you’re fearful could pyroluria also be your problem?

Do you perhaps have clients who hate and fear public speaking?