General Health

Scarlett Johansson Oscars 2011: snacks and salmon!

March 3, 2011 By Trudy Scott 16 Comments

Scarlett Johansson looked absolutely stunning at the 2011 Oscars and you’ll never guess what she ate before she came – salmon!

Scarlett was interviewed on the Red Carpet and was asked: what is the most important thing about getting ready for the Oscars – the dress, the hair, the jewellery…?

And this is what she said: For me, what I eat before I come to the Oscars, is the most important thing. She said she’d actually just eaten some salmon and that it’s important to eat something good to control your blood sugar. She also said that it’s a little known fact that the celebs bring snacks to the Oscars.

Awesome and brilliant! Having some salmon or other form of protein or fat like eggs, meat or chicken before heading out to a big event will do wonders for keeping your blood sugar stable and keeping you feeling great, calm, stress-free and focused. Some great snack ideas to carry with you when you know you won’t be eating for awhile: nuts, fruit, grass-fed jerky, salmon jerky and my all time favorite, pemmican. A boiled egg is great too but may not go down well at the Oscars!

And yes I watched the Oscars! I have so much to learn about style and fashion! I’m a late bloomer….I’m the typical outdoorsy tomboy – love to travel, camp, bike, climb, ski and generally I’m happy to “rough-it”. But last year I decided to up-level my image and I worked with image consultant Anne Berit Olvsk. I had my colors done and I now actually enjoying shopping for clothes. So I figured the Oscars would be a great way to see some great style – outfits, hair, make-up, accessories, colors and more – and it was not disappointing! Scarlett looked stunning (check her out here and here), I got some great tips and heard Scarlett’s great food and snack advice! Yay Scarlett Johannson!

Gluten, your mood and your health (part 1)

February 28, 2011 By Trudy Scott 17 Comments

Looking at whole-wheat with a different set of eyes is so important if you have any mental or physical concerns! Perhaps you are one of the many people who cannot tolerate wheat and other gluten-containing grains. Wheat, rye, barley, spelt and kamut all contain gluten. Oats is often contaminated with gluten during processing and transportation. It really is best that you eat home-made, real, whole foods as gluten is so often “hidden” in many processed foods. Processed foods often contain ingredients like hydrolyzed protein, textured vegetable protein and derivatives of wheat, oats, rye and barley (including barley malt, modified starch, soy sauce and natural flavoring).

There are many studies supporting the gluten-mood connection – anxiety, social phobia, depression and schizophrenia. A study titled” Psychiatric symptoms and celiac disease” states that celiac disease “should be taken into consideration in patients with psychiatric disorders particularly if you are not responsive to psychopharmacological therapy, because withdrawal of gluten from the diet usually results in disappearance of symptoms”. Gluten can also cause fatigue, aches and pains, poor focus and of course digestive problems like constipation.

I assess all my clients for gluten intolerance and the majority have seen dramatic improvements on a gluten-free diet – improved mood, no more anxiety, more energy, better sleep and improved digestion. One of my clients saw an almost complete resolution of the eczema that had been plaguing her for over 10 years, was able to get off her antidepressants and lost over 10 pounds. Another client has her Hashimotos thyroiditis (an autoimmune disease) under control as a result of removing gluten from her diet. I’ve seen a number of people who have seen improvements in their rheumatoid arthritis (also an autoimmune disease) when they quit gluten.

You’ve probably seen it as a common theme in many of my presentations and many of my blog posts, such as Good Day Sacramento, Exercise and Food for Mood and Detox, Get Healthy and Lose Weight

I cover this subject extensively in my forthcoming book The Antianxiety Food Solution – How the Foods you eat can calm your anxious mind, improve mood and end cravings. Find out more at www.antianxietyfoodsolution.com

This is part 1 of the gluten-mood connection – part 2 is all about doing a 2-week gluten elimination trial so you can determine is gluten is possibly a problem food for you!

The biochemistry of self-confidence, anxiety, motivation and focus

October 31, 2010 By Trudy Scott 12 Comments

Nutrient and neurotransmitter deficiencies (as well as hormonal imbalances) can contribute to poor self-confidence, low motivation and the blahs, feeling negative and being overly self-critical.

Poor self-confidence, worry, overwhelm, anxiety and negativity could all be signs of low serotonin. Serotonin levels can be increased by:

Eating enough good quality protein since protein provides amino acids for making neurotransmitters. Some examples of good quality protein: grass-fed organic beef, New Zealand lamb (which is always grass-fed and free of hormones and antibiotics), pastured eggs and chicken (preferable) or second best, organic, wild fish and seafood.
Eating plenty of veggies, fruit, good fats – all part of a whole foods diet – provides all the cofactors necessary for making neurotransmitters.
Exercise, sunshine and the use of a full-spectrum lamp also raises serotonin.
And of course you’ll feel more confident, less overwhelmed and anxious, and more optimistic very soon (5-10 minutes) after taking one of the amazing amino acids tryptophan or 5-HTP.

With sufficient levels of serotonin you will also sleep better, and you will not have the afternoon and evening sugar cravings that are common with low serotonin.

If you have low motivation, the blahs and feel depressed (the kind of depression where you don’t want to see anyone), these could be signs of low catecholamines. If this is the case, you’re also likely to also have low energy and poor focus, and possibly feel like you are all over the map (kind of like ADD). Just so you know, negativity can be a sign of low serotonin and low catecholamines and many people have deficiencies in both areas.

Again, eating enough good quality protein and eating real food is crucial.
The amazing amino acid tyrosine can do wonders (also in 5-10 minutes) to raise catecholamines and get you super-motivated, laser-focused and full of energy.

And with good levels of catecholamines you won’t be drawn to sugary foods or beverages for an energy pick-up.

Here is additional information on the amino acids and how to do a trial

No coffee, adrenal support and amino acids: free of anxiety, high energy and great sleep!

October 30, 2010 By Trudy Scott 21 Comments

This is such a great client testimonial that I really want to share it here on my blog. It shows how a few small changes can make the world of difference; that you don’t have to resort to drugs for anxiety or sleep or energy drinks for fatigue! And that you can feel on top on the world!

Everyone is unique, so find the root cause of your problems. For Sylvie, it was quitting coffee, supporting her adrenals nutritionally and rebalancing her neurotransmitters with amino acids.

When my energy level started to go down and my anxiety level kept going up for no apparent reason I started to look for ways to change that. I could not understand why since I knew I was eating pretty well and exercising regularly. This is when I attended a workshop on “5 Main Reasons for Anxiety and 3 Simple Dietary Changes” by Trudy Scott. Trudy was talking about neurotransmitters and amino acids which I had never heard of before. During my first visit in her office she introduced me to amino acids and recommended a particular test (Adrenal Stress Index). I started feeling the benefit of the amino acids right away – less anxiety and more energy. When the results from the test came back it was very obvious that I needed extra supplements. I always thought that if you eat well you don’t need anything else but I realized that sometimes food is just not enough! And the right type of supplements can really help you get back to where you want to be! The only dietary change I made was to stop coffee. I did not believe at first that it would make any difference since I only had 1 cup a day! But it did. And every time I doubt it and have one coffee again I feel the difference! Now, with all these changes I have zero anxiety, a high energy level and I sleep very well.

For other testimonials about the amazing healing power of food and nutrients: https://www.everywomanover29.com/testimonials.html

Do you crave sugar all the time, use willpower and feel deprived?

October 27, 2010 By Trudy Scott 10 Comments

Crave, crave not — Here I am outside the Crave restaurant in Phoenix, AZ – I can help you to “Crave Not” without feeling deprived and no will-power required! (photo taken by my wonderful friend and fellow nutritionist, Robin Nielsen)

Do you crave sugar all the time, use willpower and feel deprived?

? Are your sugar cravings out of control?

? Are you the queen of willpower – sometimes – and then you slip up?

? Do you feel guilty when you do slip up and indulge?

? Do you feel deprived when you aren’t eating sugar?

? Do you feel awful when you are eating sugar?

? Is sugar comforting for you and do you LOVE certain foods?

? Does the mention of chocolate or ice-cream bring a smile to your face?

? Do you find yourself substituting “healthier” sweeteners like agave, stevia, honey, dried fruits etc? (sugar is sugar! If you crave that sweet taste you have an issue – really!)

? Do you use sugar for an energy pick-up and mood boost?

? Do you eat sugar to calm down?

If you answer yes to at least three of the above questions then it’s very probable that you have sugar and carb cravings that could be the result of one of the following:

? what you eat – so skip the junk food, processed food and even healthy whole wheat bread if you have an intolerance to it. Eat real whole food instead.

? when you eat – so don’t skip breakfast and eat frequently enough to keep your blood sugar stable

? how much protein you eat – have protein at breakfast and at each meal and snack (about a palm-sized portion at each meal)

? low zinc levels (which are very common) – assess and address with supplements and/or a zinc-rich diet (red meat and oysters are a great source)

? burned out adrenals – do a saliva test to assess and address nutrient-wise, slow down and de-stress

? low levels of certain neurotransmitters such as serotonin or endorphins – assess and address with the amazing amino acids like tryptophan, 5-HTP or DPA

? candida and yeast infections – assess and get on an anti-candida program

? toxins and pollution – do a detox at least twice a year

The first place I often start with my sugar-addicted clients is with the amazing amino acids and they see really dramatic results in few days, often in 24 hours! And they have more energy and focus, they sleep better, their mood improves, and worry and anxiety disappear. This way it’s also so much easier to make all the food changes without it having to be a pure will-power thing and so you won’t feel deprived. We do of course also address all the other possible causes, as a holistic approach is the way to go.

If you address the root causes of your cravings then you won’t have to use will-power (really!) and sugar becomes a “take it or leave it” deal (really!) and you won’t feel deprived (really!).

If you need the support and guidance and are ready for this, contact me to set up a complimentary 15 minute consultation. All my programs are listed here https://www.everywomanover29.com/services.html It’s the perfect time to get your cravings under control before the holidays!

Brain power all day long and a great mood!

September 30, 2010 By Trudy Scott 19 Comments

If you need extra brain power to get you through your day, read on to learn three easy additions that will make a huge difference to your day…and will go a long way to ending your anxiety and improving your overall mood!

Number 1: Breakfast.

First of all, if you don’t eat breakfast, start now and don’t ever skip it! Secondly, eating a breakfast that contains a good source of protein and complex carbohydrates will keep your blood sugar steady, provide energy, brain power, and set you up for the rest of the day. Stable blood sugar is crucial for good mood too! Some great examples are a veggie omelet, poached eggs on wholegrain toast (if you can tolerate wheat), beef or chicken sausages or fish with veggies or even “dinner-for-breakfast”.

A great easy and delicious option is a “Brain-Power-Good-Mood Smoothie” for breakfast? Use ½ cup blueberries or raspberries, 1 banana, ¼ cup full fat coconut milk and water to make up a cup and a scoop of whey protein powder (at least 20g protein). Blend and enjoy! Optional additions are almond butter, plain yogurt (if you are ok with dairy), greens or ground flax seed
Skip the processed “whites” like bagels, muffins and donuts. Are you a just-coffee morning person? Try this and let me know how much better your day goes!

Number 2: Blueberries

They are phytonutrient superstars! Researchers have found that blueberries help protect the brain from oxidative stress and significantly improve learning capacity. Raspberries, blackberries and strawberries are great too. And go for organic since berries tend to be heavily sprayed with pesticides.

Number 3: Baked salmon.

Actually, any form of salmon or other wild cold-water oily fish (like sardines or mackerel) that has a high concentration of omega-3 fats, is needed for optimal performance of the human brain – both physically and mentally.