General Health

Charlize Theron, Piers Morgan, inositol for OCD & Africa Outreach

August 12, 2011 By Trudy Scott 13 Comments

I’m a big fan of the amazing beautiful and talented actress Charlize Theron. I am so proud that a fellow South African has wowed Hollywood and even won an Oscar. She won her Oscar for Monster – brilliant performance, so real and quite disturbing. I also really enjoyed her in The Italian Job! She’s been in so many movies and you can find out more here http://www.charlizetheron.com/

Piers Morgan interviewed Charlize recently and she spoke about her childhood and marriage. You can see some of the interview here. I’m really enjoying the Piers interviews – he seems to ask really interesting questions and his guests appear to have a lot of fun! “Brilliant performance!” – doesn’t that just sound like Piers and don’t you love his British accent!?

For me, it’s quite strange hearing her talk with an American accent – she said she had to change it in order to be successful in Hollywood. And she says he doesn’t like the sound of her voice! She did speak a few sentences of Afrikaans right at the beginning of the interview – Afrikaans is her first language and my second language, so I could understand her of course. I look forward to her one day playing a South African and talking like a South African – I think she’ll do an excellent job!

During her interview with Piers she also jokingly shared that she has OCD (obsessive compulsive disorder) and can’t handle messy closets. If OCD really is an issue that causes distress and affects day-to-day functioning, it’s worth trying many of the same nutrients that help with anxiety issues: GABA, tryptophan or 5-HTP. They often help with OCD too. However, one particular nutrient called inositol is particularly helpful with obsessive behaviors and ruminating thoughts. Of course, these nutrients and others, are covered in my book The Antianxiety Food Solution. I think I should send a copy to Charlize!

Charlize also talked about her foundation (created in partnership with the Entertainment Industry Foundation) where she gives back to South Africa. It called the Africa Outreach Project which is committed to reducing the prevalence of HIV/AIDS and sexual violence among African youth by supporting and collaborating with organizations that provide preventive education. I loved it when Charlize emphasized education and the goal of teaching the youth that violence is not ok, and prevention of HIV/AIDS – very smart! Much of the work is done in KwaZulu Natal, close to where I grew up. This makes me pretty homesick but also proud of what she is achieving on so many levels! You can learn more and make a donation here http://www.charlizeafricaoutreach.org/

My message to Charlize: “Baie dankie [thanks very much in Afrikaans]. You go girl! And check out some of these amazing nutrients for OCD and anxiety – you SO deserve to feel on top of the world in every way!”

Calm Your Anxious Mind One Meal at a Time with The Antianxiety Food Solution

August 12, 2011 By Trudy Scott 9 Comments

real whole food

It’s remarkable how much the foods we eat can impact our brain chemistry and emotions. What and when we eat can make the difference between feeling anxious and staying calm and in control. But most of us don’t realize how much our diets influence our moods, thoughts, and feelings until we make a change.

In The Antianxiety Food Solution: How the Foods You Eat Can Help You Calm Your Anxious Mind, Improve Your Mood and End Cravings, you’ll find four unique antianxiety diets designed to help you address nutritional deficiencies that may be at the root of your anxiety and enjoy the many foods that foster increased emotional balance. This easy-to-use guide helps you choose the best plan for you and incorporates effective anxiety-busting foods and nutrients. You’ll soon be on the path to freeing yourself from anxiety—and enjoying an improved overall mood, better sleep, fewer cravings, and optimal health—the natural way!

In The Antianxiety Food Solution, you’ll discover:

How to assess your diet for anxiety-causing and anxiety-calming foods and nutrients
Foods and nutrients that balance your brain chemistry
Which anxiety-triggering foods and drinks you may need to avoid
Easy lifestyle changes that reduce anxiety and increase happiness

“[This book] fills an important gap in the popular literature on anxiety. It provides clear, helpful guidelines for utilizing nutrition to overcome anxiety.”

—Edmund Bourne, PhD, author of The Anxiety and Phobia Workbook

Trudy Scott, CN, has a nutrition practice that focuses on food, mood, and women’s health. She lectures extensively, both at live events and via teleseminars. She is president of the National Association of Nutrition Professionals and a member of Anxiety Disorders Association of America, the Alliance for Addiction Solutions, and the National Alliance on Mental Illness. She lives in the greater Sacramento, CA, area.

Foreword writer James Lake, MD, is president of the International Network of Integrative Mental Health and author of the Textbook of Integrative Mental Health Care. He lives in Carmel, CA.

Published by New Harbinger Publications www.newharbinger.com, June 2, 2011.

You can learn more here and by searching for “anxiety” on my blog.

The above material is from the back cover of the book and serves as a great synopsis – so you can calm your anxious mind one meal at a time! Please let me know how it goes when you make some of these changes.

Get your copy ….a signed copy of the book, a DVD or CD set, digital downloads and other related products.

Arthritis: a natural approach

July 29, 2011 By Trudy Scott 6 Comments

“Diet has been strongly implicated in rheumatoid arthritis for many years, in terms of both cause and cure” writes Dr Michael Murray, naturopathic doctor. He goes on to state that many studies have shown that “rheumatoid arthritis is not found in societies that eat a more primitive diet and is found at a relatively high rates in societies consuming the so-called Western diet”. Eating a healthy diet appears to offer some protection against developing rheumatoid arthritis and diet therapy shows tremendous promise in the treatment of rheumatoid arthritis.

At one of my recent local book signings for The Antianxiety Food Solution, a gentleman in the audience asked me about arthritis and I promised him I’d share an article about it. I actually spent year in South Africa working with many folks with rheumatoid arthritis and they found some amazing benefits with some of what follows in this natural approach to arthritis. There are also a surprising number of studies on food/nutrients and RA. It’s also much more common in women!

So, continuing with the article…There is evidence that rheumatoid arthritis is less severe in the southern Mediterranean countries, such as Italy and Greece, where oil-rich fish, fruit, vegetables and olive oil are consumed in greater amounts than in many other countries. The Mediterranean-type diet can be considered a primitive diet since it is rich in whole foods and also low in sugar, refined carbohydrates and other processed Western-type foods. A number of studies have shown that people with rheumatoid arthritis, who changed to a Mediterranean-type diet, experienced reduced inflammation, increased physical function and improved vitality. And a better mood!

Two important components of the Mediterranean way of eating seem to be very helpful for reducing the inflammation associated with rheumatoid arthritis: olive oil and oily fish. An additional bonus of consuming olive oil is that it promotes the healing of the digestive system. There is often damage as a result of taking anti-inflammatory drugs for long periods. And fish oil has been shown to reduce the risk of heart disease, which is common with rheumatoid arthritis.

Another dietary consideration is addressing food intolerances – there are a number of foods that can be considered triggers of symptoms and one of these is gluten. So, some people with rheumatoid arthritis may also benefit from excluding wheat, oats, rye and barley from their diets. You can read more about gluten here.

Many of the same dietary recommendations for rheumatoid arthritis apply to inflammation associated with osteoarthritis too. As well as making dietary changes, there is growing scientific evidence to support the use of dietary supplements in the treatment of both rheumatoid arthritis and osteoarthritis. There are many supplements and some work better for some people – just a few are ginger, curcumin and MSM. An added benefit is that they have no side-effects.

Tahoe and 16 miles of inspiration from Jennifer Bourn

July 22, 2011 By Trudy Scott 11 Comments

I love this inspiring article by my friend and colleague Jennifer Bourn of Bourn Creative. I love it for a few reasons – the simplicity of the message, the passion for the love of what we do, the setting of goals for your business or work life, and finally the work-life balance of getting away and having fun in the outdoors and Lake Tahoe. And we all know how great exercise is (https://www.everywomanover29.com/blog/have-fun-exercising-and-prevent-cancer/). Finally, I just love the picture! Awesome!

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jennifer bourn cycling

Last week was an incredible (and busy) week. It started with my trip to LA for the Platinum networking and mastermind retreat for Ali Brown’s Millionaire Protege Club. I was joined by 49 other entrepreneurs to work ON our businesses and our mindsets for two days and the experience was intense. I set some pretty brazen goals for myself and had a few personal ah-has that will result in some business adjustments too!

After LA, the family headed up to Lake Tahoe for a long weekend.

We rented a very cute house right outside Tahoe City and we’re having a blast! Yesterday we took on a 16-mile bike ride from Tahoe City to Squaw Valley and back. The weather was gorgeous, sunny, and warm … and there is still snow ALL OVER!

I’ll be honest. The ride (with my kindergartener on the back of my bike) was a little overly-ambitious. I haven’t really worked out much in the past two years and it kicked my butt! At one point, I was exhausted and wasn’t sure I was going to make it back to Tahoe City … but during the ride I started thinking about how much this experience parallels some of what we go through in business.

As we move forward, we go over little bumps and small hills; we hit potholes; and have to work hard to make it to the top of some large mountains… But we do it. We continue to push forward and we push ourselves even when we want to quit because we LOVE what we do – and the end result is so much better than we imagined.

So remember… When you feel like giving up or moving on, don’t! Downshift your gears, and keep on pedaling. You may be moving slower, but with each turn on the pedal you’re moving closer to your goal.

By Jennifer Bourn

About the Authors: Jennifer and Brian Bourn owners of Bourn Creative, a Sacramento web design company, help established businesses build beautiful, feature-rich, custom WordPress websites and blogs, design powerful, personal brands, and help their clients learn to leverage their website and blog to attract more clients than they ever thought possible.

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Here is the link to this great article http://www.bourncreative.com/lessons-from-16-mile-ride-tahoe-city-to-squaw-valley. Be sure to check out Jennifer’s site if you have a need for a wordpress website and awesome branding work. I’ve seen some of the work she’s done and I’m super-impressed!

Romantic Comedy Girl and laughter

July 18, 2011 By Trudy Scott 3 Comments

I’m sharing this wonderfully funny and romantic blog called The Musings of a Romantic Comedy Girl because I’m a big fan of laughter and if you’ve been following my blog posts you’ll know that I’m a BIG romantic at heart (see this post about Charlene marrying her prince https://www.everywomanover29.com/blog/monaco-wedding-jitters-tips-charlenes-wedding-to-her-prince/).

These are just two of my favorite posts:

Girls, if you want to get a man, get your Curve on!
http://romanticcomedygirl.wordpress.com/2011/06/11/girls-if-you-want-to-get-a-man-get-your-curve-on/

And, Bubble Bath Blues
http://romanticcomedygirl.wordpress.com/2010/11/07/hello-world/

There is much evidence supporting the mood benefits of laughter. In fact a 2011 study looking at laughter therapy in the elderly found it improved cognition and sleep, as well as depression! Laughter is wonderful whatever age you are. It’s also great for anxiety and I write about it in The Antianxiety Food Solution (www.antianxietyfoodsolution.com).

Be warned: some of it is quite naughty and even a bit shocking to me (!!), but I have such a good laugh when I read these posts that I really wanted to share it! Also, I love the fact that Romantic Comedy Girl is being real and vulnerable – something us women all should be. Finally, I also want to support the author, who I know personally and who is still choosing to remain anonymous for now!

Enjoy and have a good laugh!

Anxiety and mood disorders higher in cities, so get outdoors!

June 24, 2011 By Trudy Scott 16 Comments

Just because the risk for anxiety and mood disorders is higher for city-dwellers does not mean you have to be resigned to it. There are some powerful things you can do to prevent this happening to you: make some pretty basic food changes, consider supplementation for your specific needs and biochemistry, and make some simple lifestyle changes (read more here https://www.everywomanover29.com/blog/antianxiety-food-solution-what-you-eat-makes-difference/).

A new international study, published in Nature, is the first to show that living in a city affects the two distinct brain regions that regulate emotion and stress.

This from Science Daily, June 22, 2011

“Previous findings have shown that the risk for anxiety disorders is 21 percent higher for people from the city, who also have a 39 percent increase for mood disorders,” says co-author Jens Pruessner, a Douglas researcher. “In addition, the incidence for schizophrenia is almost doubled for individuals who are born and brought up in cities.” You can read the whole report here.

So here is one lifestyle change that is just perfect for city-dwellers and perfect as we move into beautiful summer weather – get out into the great outdoors and into nature!

“An interesting study from the Netherlands found a strong relationship between being outdoors in nature and lower rates of anxiety and depression especially in children and in poorer communities.” (The Antianxiety Food Solution, www.antianxietyfoodsolution.com)

So I recommend that you go bike-riding with your family along some urban trails (this picture was taken on the bike path near where I live), go down to the lake and have a picnic, go for a nice walk with a friend, go camping, go hiking in the mountains, go surfing or go windsurfing (this is my all-time summer favorite!).

Exercising has tons of other benefits too, such as weight-loss and cancer-prevention (https://www.everywomanover29.com/blog/have-fun-exercising-and-prevent-cancer/) and is just a lot of fun! Happy summer exercising to you, whether you’re in the city or countryside!