Food and mood

The Anxiety Summit: Comfort food or sweet misery? How sugar controls your mood

June 20, 2014 By Trudy Scott 2 Comments

[REPLAY on Saturday 6/21 – ENJOY!]

This is day 5 of the Anxiety Summit. Margaret Floyd, nutritional therapist, writer, real food advocate and author of Eat Naked, is interviewed by host of the Anxiety Summit, Trudy Scott, Food Mood Expert and Nutritionist, author of The Antianxiety Food Solution.

Comfort food or sweet misery? How sugar controls your mood and how to get it out of your diet

why sugar is so harmful to our mood, where it hides in the diet and how to get it out
why protein is so important and why we shouldn’t be afraid of fat
the challenges of gluten, soy, and other food toxins
other important aspects of real whole food eating

Here is some great gems from my interview with Margaret

a little sugary treat puts your body into an emergency

historically sugar was very scarce in our diets, and so our bodies are not adapted to having lots of it

a blood sugar crash is actually as much of a state of emergency for your body as running from that wooly mammoth

I highly recommend Margaret’s books:

Eat Naked: Unprocessed, Unpolluted, and Undressed Eating for a Healthier, Sexier You published by New Harbinger Publications in 2011. Here is my book review of Eat Naked.

She is also the coauthor with Chef James Barry of the follow-up cookbook, The Naked Foods Cookbook: The Whole-Foods, Healthy-Fats, Gluten-Free Guide to Losing Weight and Feeling Great

Get your free gift from Margaret: Get Naked with the 10 week Dietary Program

~~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: Misunderstood and Mistreated – Reinventing Psychiatry

June 20, 2014 By Trudy Scott 8 Comments

[REPLAY on Saturday 6/21 – ENJOY!]

This is day 1 of the Anxiety Summit. Dr. Kelly Brogan, M.D., Holistic women’s health psychiatry, is interviewed by host of the Anxiety Summit, Trudy Scott, Food Mood Expert and Nutritionist, author of The Antianxiety Food Solution.

Misunderstood and Mistreated: Reinventing Psychiatry

misconceptions around causes of mental illness
the danger of psychiatry and a better model of mental illness
bodily problems that masquerade as psychiatric
top lifestyle interventions and powerful natural treatments

Here are great gems from my interview with Kelly:

there is never a realm in health where you have more opportunity to turn things around through these lifestyle changes than in mental health

we can use inflammatory markers like c-reactive protein to actually tell us which patients are going to develop depression

I have been most compelled by the fact that there is absolutely no mortality benefit for prescribing statins to women. Period

Lifestyle, diet, gut and inflammation

Kelly has a huge focus on lifestyle changes and a healthy Weston A. Price type of diet. She advocates for animal protein and teaches her patients about eating healthy fats. Isn’t that so wonderful? Here is one of her blogs on the topic: Western Diet Causes Cognitive Impairment, Anxiety, and Depression

I just love that she no longer writes prescriptions for SSRIs. She only writes benzodiazepine prescriptions when it’s acute post-partum or psychosis.

We talked about the role of the gut and inflammation in depression and anxiety. Here is a great article by Kelly on her website: Inflammation in Depression

We also talked about the role of the gut and microbiome. Here is a very interesting and recent article that Kelly wrote for GreenMedInfo – Primal Bugs: The Amazing Hunter Gatherer Microbiome.

GreenMedInfo

Kelly is an advisory board member for GreenMedInfo.com. It was at the recent NANP (National Association of Nutrition Professionals) conference that I met Kelly and Sayer Ji, founder of GreenMedInfo, for the first time.

GreenMedInfo.com is a cool resource I’d like to share with you. They are “The World’s Most Widely-Cited, Open-Access, Evidence-Based Natural Health Resource With 20,000+ Articles!” and are “dedicated to bringing the public information on the science behind natural healing methods, as well as to make available research on the inherent dangers associated with the use of chemicals in our food, drugs, water and environment.”

Here is a great GreenMedInfo infographic on what anxiety does to your body.

If you are like me and get all geeky about the science and research, the GreenMedInfo Professional Membership comes highly recommended. I wish I had been a member when I was writing my book! Here is an example of how they have gathered the research related to stress and anxiety

Kelly is not a fan of the low serotonin theory of depression and anxiety

The interesting thing is that Kelly is not a fan of the low serotonin theory of depression and anxiety. We had a rather interesting discussion around the topic, and we respectfully disagree with each other. Surprisingly enough, this is the only real difference of opinion in the whole summit. I had decided that I wanted to air Kelly’s interview on Day 1, and I could have moved it to a later date because of the difference of opinion that we had, but I think healthy debate is a good thing. Hopefully, we can convince Kelly that serotonin is a factor when it comes to anxiety and depression, but also I would like to learn more about why she feels low serotonin doesn’t play a role.

Julia Ross interview on low serotonin and the amino acids

Please do check out my interview with Julia Ross – Eliminating Anxiety: Amino Acid Therapy and Adrenal Balancing. We spend a big part of the interview discussing the role of low serotonin in anxiety and depression and how effective tryptophan and 5-HTP are for alleviating symptoms.

Meme Grant: Client success story with tryptophan

I use tryptophan and 5-HTP with great success with my clients. Be sure to listen to Meme Grant’s success story on Sunday June 22. She shares how she used amino acids to end her anxiety, panic attacks, insomnia and emotional eating. Tryptophan and GABA made a world of difference for her.

Get your free gift from Dr Kelly Brogan

Top 7 Therapeutic Foods

~~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

The Anxiety Summit: The Research – Food to prevent and treat anxiety and depression?

June 20, 2014 By Trudy Scott 12 Comments

Dr. Felice Jacka, Principal Research Fellow at Deakin University, Melbourne, Australia, is interviewed by host of the Anxiety Summit, Trudy Scott, Food Mood Expert and Nutritionist, author of The Antianxiety Food Solution.

The Research: Food to prevent and treat anxiety and depression?

Organizations and collaboration in nutritional psychiatry research and prevention
Study: Traditional diet lowers the risk of anxiety and depression in women
The surprising benefits of grass-fed red meat for improved mood
Food and mental health research in Norway, Japan, UK and Spain, across all ages and socioeconomic levels
Ongoing research on diet to prevent depression and future research on the gut

These are the two organizations we talked about:

International Society for Nutritional Psychiatry Research

Dr Jacka said she “initiated this society at the end of 2012 really in recognition of the need to get people collaborating and working together and creating those synergies to push this field forward”

Alliance for the Prevention of Mental Disorders

Here are some great gems from our interview:

we take the point that prevention is better than cure

there is no mental health without physical health

treating the whole person- their physical health as well as their mental health – is critical

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.

Study: Association of Western and Traditional Diets with Depression and Anxiety in Women

We discussed the results of her Ph.D. paper that was published in the American Journal of Psychiatry in 2010: “Association of Western and Traditional Diets with Depression and Anxiety in Women.”

This study was published on the front cover of the journal with a big editorial and was nominated the most important study of 2010 in psychiatry research. It was considered really huge news in psychiatry.

a “traditional” dietary pattern characterized by vegetables, fruit, meat, fish, and whole grains was associated with lower odds for major depression or dysthymia and for anxiety disorders. A “western” diet of processed or fried foods, refined grains, sugary products, and beer was associated with a higher odds of mood disorders

We discussed the connection between red meat and mental health especially in women.

Dr. Jacka shared this: “One of the hypotheses that I had during the Ph.D. was that increased intake of animal foods would be toxic” and “would be associated with more mental disorders.”

This did not turn out to be the case. “In our study, out of every single dietary food grouping that I looked at including vegetables, fruits, salads, beans, etc the strongest correlate of mental health was red meat intake,” grass-fed red meat of course.

“Consistently, women who have less than the recommended intake of red meat seem to be in an increased risk for common mental disorders” (like anxiety and depression) “and bipolar disorder.

Women only need a small amount (a palm-sized serving) three or four times a week.

These are pretty profound results, especially in this day and age where people are being cautioned to eat no red meat or to eat less. I encourage all my clients to eat red meat, grass-fed of course. It’s a wonderful source of amino acids, zinc, iron and omega-3 fatty acids – all important for depression and anxiety.

The first randomized controlled trial

Dr. Jacka is looking for participants for the first randomized controlled trial looking at diet as a therapeutic approach for depression. They are seeking the following study participants: those with major depression, who are over 18, with no dietary restrictions and who live in Melbourne.

There is additional information on the Diet Depression Study page.

UPDATE March 2017:
Here is the outcome of the study: SMILES diet depression trial: reduced depression and anxiety

It’s the first randomized controlled diet depression study and ONE THIRD of the dietary intervention group saw improvements in their depression symptoms. This was just diet alone and switching from processed/junk food to real food with no specific dietary restrictions.

With regards to quality animal protein, it did include fish (at least 2 per week); lean red meats (3–4 per week), chicken (2–3 per week) and eggs (up to 6 per week).

The Anxiety Summit: Nutrition as a Foundation for Other Therapies

June 18, 2014 By Trudy Scott 10 Comments

This is day 10 of the Anxiety Summit. Dr. Nicole Beurkens, PhD, Licensed Psychologist, Certified Brain Injury Specialist, Certified LENS Practitioner, is interviewed by host of the Anxiety Summit, Trudy Scott, Food Mood Expert and Nutritionist, author of The Antianxiety Food Solution.

Nutrition as a Foundation for Other Therapies

Why good nutrition status is important for people with anxiety and other mental health issues
What kinds of nutrition changes are encouraged
Challenges with helping parents and families make nutrition changes

Here are some great gems from my interview with Nicole:

Many parents are not even aware that food can affect their kids”

We should keep our minds open to the idea that what you eat can impact how your brain works”.

Here is a recent article from the Horizons website: The Nutrition-Anxiety Link in Children with Learning, Mood, and Behavior Challenges

Get your free gift from Dr Nicole Beurkens: Horizons Healthy Brain Diet (RED/YELLOW/GREEN foods)

~~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

Nutritional interventions in postpartum depression and anxiety

May 9, 2014 By Trudy Scott 17 Comments

A 2013 paper published in Yale Journal of Biology and Medicine and titled “Nutritional interventions in depression and perinatal depression” states the following:

In pregnancy three “different physiological causes of depression have been identified: low serotonin, dopamine, and norepinephrine levels in the brain; altered neuromembranes and the impact of polyunsaturated fatty acids on these membranes; and hormones, especially hormonal changes that occur during and after pregnancy. Each of these pathways is affected by specific nutrients and may be altered by nutritional approaches.”

The paper lists the following possible nutritional deficiencies to consider:

Folate, vitamin B12 and vitamin B6 – which help maintain sufficient levels of neurotransmitters in the brain . These B vitamins are critical factors in homocysteine metabolism and homocysteine is a necessary precursor in the biosynthesis of serotonin, dopamine, and norepinephrine.
omega-3 fatty acids (EPA and DHA) – which keep neuronal membranes fluid and thereby enhance neurotransmitter production
SAMe – which has an antidepressant effect

The authors also discuss the importance of addressing possible imbalances of sex hormones, cortisol and thyroid hormones.

The paper concludes with this:

“Nutritional interventions may be a cost effective way of preventing and treating depression in pregnancy. When used prophylactically, nutritional interventions may decrease the incidence or severity of perinatal depression. When used as treatment methods, nutritional interventions may reduce the utilization of or the necessary dose of psychotropic drugs. Decreasing the amount of psychotropic drugs used during pregnancy may reduce the risk of harm to the fetus, while still providing the mother with an equivalent amount of therapy.”

In addition to the above, there is also research on: tryptophan, melatonin, zinc, and the role of inflammation in postpartum depression and anxiety.

It should be noted that by addressing many of these factors, both depression and anxiety may be alleviated. Also, since each person has their own unique biochemistry, it’s important to figure out what factor plays a role for that person.

I recently had the opportunity to share and more when I exhibited at the “California Maternal Wellness Summit: Postpartum Depression and Beyond.”

I met some wonderful women and groups who are doing amazing things to support women who have postpartum anxiety and depression. The response to my book, The Antianxiety Food Solution, and all the research on the powerful food mood connection was wonderful!

Because I feel this topic is so important, I’ve interviewed Christa Orrechio for “The Anxiety Summit.” The topic of her interview is: “Preventing and Quelling Post-Partum Anxiety.”

“The Anxiety Summit” is a free online virtual event that runs June 9 to June 22 and will be bringing together experts from all over the world – to share nutritional approaches to end anxiety, social anxiety, panic attacks and OCD. You can register for “The Anxiety Summit” here.

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

Anxiety nation: why are so many of us ill-at-ease

May 1, 2014 By Trudy Scott 12 Comments

Anxiety nation – this is what we are!

I recently received a call from a school in New York City asking me to present to the parents of the autistic children who go to the school. The school director said the biggest issue their kids face is …anxiety and OCD (obsessive compulsive disorder).

“For a condition that affects so many of us, there is very little agreement about what anxiety actually is. Is it a physiological condition, best treated with medication, or psychological – the product of repressed trauma, as a Freudian might suggest?

Is it a cultural construct, a reaction to today’s anomic society, or a more fundamental spiritual and philosophical reflection of what it means to be human?

For most sufferers, the most pressing concern is whether drugs work, and if therapy is a good idea.”

This is an excerpt from a recent article with this same title on newstatesman.com – you can read the whole article here.

The author also states:

“The most recent nationwide survey, which took place in 2007, found that three million people in the UK have an anxiety disorder.

About 7 per cent of UK adults are on antidepressants (often prescribed for anxiety, too) and one in seven will take benzodiazepines such as Xanax in any one year.

Mental health charities warn that our anxiety levels are creeping even higher”

Something is NOT working, both in the UK, here in the USA and in other developed countries – it’s time to be open to more than only medications and therapy.

I’d like to suggest that we rather look at the beneficial effects of real whole food and nutrients (like zinc and GABA and tryptophan) and exercise and yoga and nature.

Here are a few examples:

Low blood sugar can result in anxiety
Good levels of zinc and vitamin B6 can help many anxious introverts not feel anxious in social settings
Red meat is good (provided it’s grass-fed) and coffee is not – listen to an audio interview on these topics

This questionnaire is taken from chapter 6 of The Antianxiety Food Solution: How the Foods You Eat Can Help You Calm Your Anxious Mind, Improve Your Mood and End Cravings, now available in major books stores, at Amazon and via www.antianxietyfoodsolution.com. – See more at: https://www.everywomanover29.com/blog/low-gaba-questionnaire-anxiety/#sthash.UI3XqHNv.dpuf

Read more in The Antianxiety Food Solution: How the Foods You Eat Can Help You Calm Your Anxious Mind, Improve Your Mood and End Cravings, available in major books stores, on Amazon and via www.antianxietyfoodsolution.com