Joy and happiness

No fear and no anxiety on Mt. Kenya

September 4, 2015 By Trudy Scott 2 Comments

mt-kenya

You’ve heard me talk about my climbing days and having no fear or anxiety – so here is a picture and short story!

This is me on Mt. Kenya in 1993. We had an early morning start from the top hut, heading for Point Lenana (16354 ft / 4985 m).

We were living in South Africa at the time and our gear was really not that great. In fact, my waterproof pants were homemade, I had borrowed boots and an ancient ice-axe! And check out the trendy purple “snood”/neck-face warmer I had bought in Scotland a few years earlier.

We had a blast anyway! What a trip and great “honeymoon” – we went to Kenya/Tanzania for 6 weeks and got married afterwards. It was a weather thing – good weather for the climbing trip in December/January and good wedding weather in March.

If you can relate to any of this or have your own adventures to share please share in the comments below.

Kindness and oxytocin: a mystery memory box of treasured memories

August 7, 2015 By Trudy Scott 14 Comments

This is a story of kindness and warm and fuzzy feelings all around. There is plenty of oxytocin-boosting happening here!

On Tuesday around 6:30pm I received excited emails from Anxiety Summit fans in San Diego about a story that had just aired on the CBS8 show: Return to Sender The Mystery Memory Box.

Here is one of them:

I just watched my local San Diego Ch. 8 KFMB news and saw old pics of you from the 80’s. A lady in this area has evidently kept a couple of “mystery boxes” that appear to be yours for 17 yrs. She moved from South Africa years ago and mistakenly received these boxes. She’s wanted to return them, the name she found among the items… Trudy Hatfield!

Contact Jeff Zevely, reporter at the KFMB station, cbs8.com. I’m sure you’ve received lots of emails and calls about this. YIPPEE!

one of your many Anxiety Summit fans

You’ll see the video she’s referring to at the link below – enjoy the mystery, and a glimpse of my laughing, smiling adventurous youth!
Part 1: Return to Sender The Mystery Memory Box

Ninety minutes hours after the story is aired the mystery is solved – the box DOES belong to me! I find out via the emails from my fans (like the one above) and Barbara (the anchor) connects with Crombie (my brother).

What a trip down memory lane to see all those photos! There are many from my trip to Europe when I was in my 20s, plus postcards I sent to my family. There are also special family photos, the the last one of me hugging my baby sister Wendy. How very special!

I connect with Jeff at CBS8 and they arrange the follow-up video/story the next day. Here is the Wednesday video where I “meet” Jeanette via skype and get to give her a virtual hug and thank her for her kindness!

You can read the full story of part 2 here: Return to Sender: Mystery Memory Box Owner Found

It’s such fun to see pictures of my bother Crombie and hear how it all came together – his tennis connection to Barbara and my fans reaching out to me.

If you’ve been reading some of my recent blogs you’ll see I’m fascinated by oxytocin and it’s connection to social anxiety, postpartum depression, and autism.

I feel so good right now and am on such an oxytocin-high that I’d like to share how this act of giving and kindness is connected to oxytocin.

Paul J. Zak is the author of a book called “The Moral Molecule.” It’s all about oxytocin and here is what he says about this molecule:

It is a “feel good” hormone that increases when we do simple, feel good things like giving or receiving a hug, or when we give generously

The act of giving stimulates this hormone resulting in the recipient desiring to trust the giver
[It] accounts for why some people give freely of themselves

The above snippets come from a Wall Street Journal article: The Trust Molecule. It is a fascinating read.

Wow wow wow! So we all win, we all get to feel good, and we all get all get an oxytocin boost!

Jeanette Smith for keeping that box safe for 17 years and trying to locate me over the years! How do you repay kindness like this? I just hope she finds her missing box too
CBS8 reporter Jeff Zevely for running with the story, CBS8 anchor Barbara Lee-Edwards for immediately thinking of her tennis coach Crombie Hatfield (my brother!), and the power of TV and the internet
My Anxiety Summit fans who recognized me in the video and emailed right away. How thoughtful and kind!
Me for being at the center of this AND getting my box of precious memories back! You hear of this type of thing happening to others and never imagine it could happen to you!!
Everyone who watches the videos and loves the heart-warming story. My Facebook friends are blown away and are saying how this restores their faith in humanity. I could not agree more!

A BIG thank you to everyone involved!

We need more feel-good stories like this don’t we?Have you had a complete stranger be kind to you? Or shown kindness to a stranger. Please share in the comments.

For now, smile and enjoy the feel-good oxytocin boost! And then go and spread the kindness!

And please share the story so we can help Jeanette find her missing box too!

The 5 Love Languages for fabulous mental and physical health

February 13, 2015 By Trudy Scott 10 Comments

Without loving relationships, humans fail to flourish, even if all of their other basic needs are met.

Love is deeply biological.

It pervades every aspect of our lives and has inspired countless works of art.

Love also has a profound effect on our mental and physical state

The above are from The biochemistry of love: an oxytocin hypothesis published by The European Molecular Biology Organization.

With Valentine’s day coming up I’d like to share a wonderful resource for you to improve your loving relationships so you can truly flourish and see improvements in your mental and physical states.

It’s a book called The 5 Love Languages: The Secret to Love That Lasts by Gary Chapman, director of Marriage and Family Consultants.

This fabulous book will help you

single out your primary love language, what it means, and how you can use it to connect with your loved one with intimacy and fulfillment

And the great thing is that when you have your partner (and loved ones) do it too it will

benefit your partner [and loved ones] to know your primary love language in order to best express affection for you in ways that you interpret as love.

When I first heard what the 5 love languages were – Physical Touch, Quality Time, Words of Affirmation, Acts of Service and Receiving Gifts – I intuitively knew what my top ones would be. But it was still so helpful to do the 5 love languages online profile and read the book to get a really good understanding of it all! (If you’d prefer not to do the online quiz there is also one in the book itself)

As it says on the site:

The 5 Love Languages profile will give you a thorough analysis of your emotional communication preference.

The payoff of speaking each other’s love language is a greater sense of connection. This translates into better communication, increased understanding, and, ultimately, improved romance.

And, if I may add, fabulous mental and physical health!

In case you’re wondering about me, my top two are Physical Touch and Quality Time with Words of Affirmation a close third. Receiving Gifts was a zero for me!

I have to admit that learning that some people also don’t like Receiving Gifts was quite a relief to me. I’ve never been a gift person and always felt like it was kind of weird. Everyone likes getting gifts! Why don’t I? But now I know! I’ll take (and give) a big hug or spend quality time with Brad or my mom or sister before a gift!

Gary Chapman has written a number of books on the same topic but aimed at different audiences: for children, teens and even a one for the workplace. The book for the workplace is called The 5 Languages of Appreciation in the Workplace. I received a copy of this book at a recent business event and we all did the quiz. I was so impressed that I plan to use the quiz with folks that I work with so I can to show appreciation to my colleagues/team in ways that are meaningful to them.

Do let us know your love languages from highest to lowest ranking. And have your partner and loved ones do it too.

Feel on top of the world! A song to give you hope!

October 31, 2014 By Trudy Scott 2 Comments

Top of the World
A song by Amma Jo

A new beginning, a brand new day
All of my fears are gone away
I feel so calm, so free, so whole
Right now, I’m feeling on top of the world

On top the world
Right now, I’m feeling on top of the world

The power of real whole food- so amazing
I walk I run and I play
Feeling great, slowing down I’m breathing, I’m laughing
I watch the stress fall away

My very best days are yet to come
All anxiety and fear are gone
A whole new life I’ve never lived before
Right now, I’m feeling on top of the world

On top the world
Right now, I’m feeling on top of the world

I’m saying no to things that drain me
No to the things that steal my energy
I’m saying yes to foods that heal me
I’m calm, I’m happy, I’m free

I’m breathing in this moment
I’m feeling so alive
This is the best day
The very best day of my life

A new beginning, a brand new day
All of my fears are gone away
I feel so calm so free, so whole
Right now, I’m feeling on top of the world

I wake up in the morning
I see blue skies
As I work towards my dreams
I see the glorious sunrise

My very best days are yet to come
All anxiety and fear are gone
A whole new life I’ve never lived before
Right now, I’m feeling on top of the world

It’s gonna be the very best day of my life
It’s gonna be
It’s gonna be
The very best day of my life

Here is the lovely and very talented Amma Jo singing a snippet for you

AMMA JO is a singer/songwriter and entrepreneur. Her sole mission in life is INSPIRATION. She inspires through music, speaking and in her business endeavors. With 15 years executive management experience and over 10 years as an independent artist and true creative, AMMA JO brings her sincerity and flair to every presentation and project! Learn more about her at www.meetammajo.com

This is my gift to you…

Your own copy of my custom song co-created by me and Amma Jo

And sung by Amma Jo

Especially for you for the Anxiety Summit season 2

and now season 3 too

I want this to be an inspiration for you…

And as someone said during the first season: “a bouquet of hope”

Because you deserve to feel on top of the world all the time!

If you’re not already signed up please join us on the Anxiety Summit season 3.

When you register you’ll be able to download your own copy of the song!

Season 3 runs from May 6-20 and you’ll learn about nutritional and natural solutions for anxiety, panic attacks, OCD and social anxiety. And have access to this song and other great speaker gifts. See you there!

Sexy Younger You summit: Why are depression and anxiety more common as we age?

September 15, 2014 By Trudy Scott Leave a Comment

Sexy Younger You! Season 3
Create More Vibrant, Healthy and Sexy No Matter What Your Age

25 of the World’s Leading experts on de-aging will be sharing their secret ingredients, special sauce and myth-busting facts to guide you toward a more healthy, vibrant and sexy you – at any age. Join hosts Dr. Anna Cabeca, OB/GYN, Functional Medicine and Age Management Specialist, and Robin Nielsen, Certified Nutrition Consultant and Growing Younger Expert for this global telesummit event at no charge so you can stop feeling OLD and FATigued and start feeling fabulous. The good news is that with some simple science-based information and a little commitment to yourself, you can age vibrantly and feel wonderful at any age. Bring on the fabulous!

This summit has already started (so sorry about the late notification) but it’s not too late register. I just started listening and am learning a lot already – I always learn so much on this summit!

I loved the interview with Dr. Susanne Bennett, best-selling author of The 7-Day Allergy Makeover; host of the Wellness for Life radio show; a leading natural allergy expert, specializing in anti-aging and lifestyle medicine; a Huffington Post contributor and television personality. She shared how to achieve a Flat Sexy Belly by revealing her “Inner Gut Secrets!”

Here are a few gems from her interview:

Fermentable carbohydrates are the sugars that are easily fermented in your digestive system, and include oligosaccharides, disaccharides, monosaccharides, fructans, galactans and polyols. If you have SIBO/Small Intestinal Bacteria Overgrowth, these foods are going to be problematic, and may lead to bloating and even mood issues.
There is a new area of study called psychobiotics, spear-headed by Dr. Timothy Dinan, suggesting that certain “good” bacteria might have potential as a treatment for depression and other psychiatric maladies. Lactobacillus helveticus and Bifdobacterium longum have shown to reduce levels of stress hormones and maintain a calmer, peaceful state.

These could be some of the many reasons why are depression and anxiety more common as we age.

Here are a few of the upcoming speakers:

Dr. Sara Gottfried, New York Times Bestselling Author, of The Hormone Cure, and co-host of the #1 rated podcast on iTunes, The Health Bridge, will share with you her secrets on “Metabolism: How to keep It Humming As You Age”

Christy Whitman, NYTimes bestselling author of Taming Your Alpha Bitch: How To Be Fierce and Feminine (and Get Everything You Want!) and CEO/Founder of the Quantum Success Coaching Academy, will help you to “Creating Your Ideal Body”

Rebecca Katz, purveyor of “YUM”, Founder and Director of the Healing Kitchens Institute and author of many cookbooks including The Longevity Kitchen, shares “How Food Can Help Us Enhance Our Brain Function, Mood, Memory, and Mental Clarity in Our Non-Stop Day to Day Life.”

TrudyScott_syydates And if you haven’t yet heard me present, this is my talk:

Trudy Scott, Food Mood Expert, nutritionist and author of The Antianxiety Food Solution, on “The Amazing Amino Acids for Eliminating Anxiety and Emotional Eating. ” Low levels of brain chemicals or neurotransmitters such as GABA or serotonin could be another reason why depression and anxiety are more common as we age.

It’s all complimentary. Enjoy!

Hot Tips for Boosting Your Mood: ‘nothing can eat me’ & find your minimums

September 11, 2014 By Trudy Scott 5 Comments

Depression is big news. Even celebrities are coming out to talk about their dark night of the soul. Authorities are framing it as a disease and something that cannot be helped, but simply managed and medicated. Think about it – depression is on track to be the most prevalent disease in the world.

What if depression is simply an experience of the gap between who you are now, and who you are meant to be?

Join me, and over 20 other experts in the fields of medicine, consciousness and transformation, in coming together to share what it takes truly heal depression.

My friend and colleague Dr. Teray Garchitorena Kunishi has created the “Deeply Happy Expert Series: Heal Depression, Conquer Fear, and Finally Fulfill Your Potential.” It’s a 21 day event that features an incredible range of information, inspiration and immediately useful strategies for healing depression.

Here are a few of the topics:

The secret to figuring out what you are really meant to do
Can supplements replace antidepressants?
How to eliminate anxiety and emotional eating – with amino acids (this is my talk of course)
Your genetics, how they affect your mood, and what to do about it
How to turn your energy ON when you don’t feel ON
What it takes to heal relationship in crisis

This expert series is a roadmap for banishing fear, healing your body, and finally fulfilling all your incredible potential. It’s totally FREE, and when you sign up, you’ll receive instant access to these powerful conversations.

Here are some gems from Jen Louden’s interview on “Navigating Your Truer Life”

“When I’m freaking out – I take a deep breath and say ‘nothing can eat me’”
“We imagine we’re in physical danger and this hijacks our nervous system and then we beat ourselves up for not calming down”
Jen shared how she has dealt with her own depression by addressing hormonal imbalances and addressing it with food changes. She is very sensitive to certain foods, sugar and alcohol and had to “be ok with it without feeling broken because I couldn’t go out and have a glass of wine or eat bread.”
I love her discussion on making a list of “minimums” ie the minimum you need in order to be happy and sane. For her it is getting 7 hours of sleep a night and needing time alone. She shared how “I used to feel so guilty about this but now I can track this and can plan time alone if I need to.” Jen ended by saying: we have to each figure out our own minimums and “if we don’t have our minimums it’s like the wheels have fallen off the bus and you’re still trying to go 200 miles an hour.” Beautiful!

Here are some gems from Dr. Hyla Cass’ interview on “Can Supplements Replace Prozac?”

People will say to me “I have a real depression and supplements wouldn’t work”. But I say “when you deal with the root cause of the depression you can get a better result that throwing Prozac, Celexa or Zoloft at it”
Cass shared some of the many side-effects of anti-depressants: iatrogenic/doctor-caused addiction, insomnia, hypersomnia, headaches, nausea, stomach upsets, sexual dysfunction, more depression and more anxiety, weight gain and insulin resistance, tardive dyskinesia (involuntary movements), homicide and suicide
She shared some of the many root causes of depression and anxiety: adrenal or thyroid issues, a nutrient deficiency like an iron deficiency anemia or low B12, gut infection/dysbiosis, heavy metal toxicity, brain chemical imbalances.
I just love this comment Dr. Cass shared: “let’s use natural products first, let’s use nature, we are part of nature and nature is what is going to heal us first.”
And then shared some great information about the adrenals and how to support them with adaptogens

I hope you join me and the other great speakers in the “Deeply Happy Series”

https://www.secureinfossl.com/affProgram/Deeply-Happy-Summit-Affiliate-Program/88280