Joy and happiness

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

No sugar or sugar in moderation? I say NO sugar!

January 10, 2014 By Trudy Scott 23 Comments

Delicious Chocolate Cake

More and more research is supporting the fact that sugar and carbs are as addicting as drugs and as difficult to quit for some people. I came across this quote the other day: “Stressed spelled backwards is desserts. Coincidence? I think not!” and it’s perfect. We crave sugar because we are stressed, sad, looking for pleasure and for energy and motivation. And we self-medicate with it in the same way as drugs, caffeine and tobacco.

This paper called Obesity: The emerging neurobiology of calorie addiction was published just a few days ago:

“The increased availability and consumption of highly palatable foods is the major factor behind the rise of obesity and type 2 diabetes in developed countries.”

“Progress has been made in recent years in understanding the neurobiological underpinnings for this preference” for sucrose: “sucrose activates dopamine neurons in a region of the brain called the striatum, and the resulting release of dopamine is associated with pleasure.”

“Moreover, the repeated consumption of high levels of sucrose can create a cycle of continued overconsumption—even compulsive eating—in order to recapture the initial feelings of pleasure. This is similar in many ways to drug abuse or addiction, and also involves some of the same signalling pathways within the body”

This dopamine/pleasure mechanism is just one way that leads to sugar addiction. This Oct 2013 paper in Nutrition, Neurobiologic basis of craving for carbohydrates says this:

“There is a relationship between emotional disorders, obesity, and craving for carbohydrates”

“Research on the basis of carbohydrate craving is varied, but may be grouped into five main areas: the serotonergic system, palatability and hedonic response [i.e. pleasure], the motivational system, stress response systems, and gene-environment interaction”

Last week I posed this question on my facebook page: “no sugar or sugar in moderation? what’s your vote? I say NO sugar! Do you think that’s too harsh and too unrealistic?” I was referring to ANY sweetener other than fresh fruit.

Here are some of the comments my tribe offered:

I’d say in moderation. However I’m trying to reduce my view of moderation over time.”
I was totally sweetener-free for a long time so I know how that feels for me. I’ve been experimenting with raw honey I seem to do fine with it “in moderation” (i.e. even a little bit each day is fine – although I don’t make baked goods so I’m not using large quantities.)
I seem at present to be incapable of moderation with sugar. So for me none at all might be the way I need to go. Humans developed over many thousands of years with just the sweetness of unprocessed fruits and maybe some honey now and then. Our culture’s idea of what “moderate” even means in regards to processed sugars is highly skewed.
Zero is way too hard for me but everyone is different
I say: a little bit of everything is just perfect!
Zero sugar is too rigid for me…I don’t think any of my clients say no to sugar 100%…I do avoid white and brown processed sugar ~95% of the time but will eat it when at someone’s home made with love. Every day, I use maple syrup to sweeten teas and in baked goods.
I don’t think a little bit of natural sugar is bad at all; but only just a little bit.
I’d say it’s ok for someone else [the zero sugar]! For me, I have to have a little here and there – just like bread. However, it’s a fraction of what it used to be. Maybe at some point I can whittle down from there.

Very few agreed with me about zero sugar. Here is what they said:

I’m with you! it is realistic as I have given up sugar and all artificial sweeteners.
NO sugar – Dr so astounded that I’ve brought my numbers down so much after wanting to give me meds for years. She said no meds would’ve brought my numbers down as much as I’ve done with diet and especially NO sugar or carbs.

Here are some of my thoughts: “Moderation” has quite a big range for some people and I see it going out of the window when it comes to baked goods. I see many recipes calling for pretty large amounts of maple syrup of honey. I recently heard Tana Amen, BSN, RN and author of The Omni Diet speak about sugar and crack cocaine in the same sentence and she said: “they are both addicting. We’d never do crack in moderation so why do sugar in moderation!?” I agree!

A friend and I were at a recent celiac function that had tons of gluten-free treats – all loaded with carbs and sugar and not healthy at all even though they were gluten-free. We had no desire to have any of the treats. That’s how we should feel! Zero sugar should be easy!

You won’t crave sugar or even feel the need for a little bit or an occasional treat if you have balanced biochemistry and are not stressed, no nutritional deficiencies (low zinc can be a factor) and are eating to control blood sugar.

You won’t be defensive when asked about it and you won’t feel deprived when you do go without it. You won’t feel that you need just a little. You also won’t have to white-knuckle it and use willpower.

Where do you stand? No sugar or sugar in moderation? And do you think that zero sugar is too harsh and too unrealistic? Do you think addiction plays a role? Are you white-knuckling it or can you take it or leave it?

Do you need help to get to zero sugar consumption? Here are some resources for you.

Check out these chapters in my book “The Antianxiety Food Solution: How the Foods You Eat Can Help You Calm Your Anxious Mind, Improve Your Mood, and End Cravings”: eat real food, blood sugar balancing and the amazing amino acids.
Stay tuned for the upcoming release of my homestudy program “Amazing Amino Acids for Emotional Eating.” Listen to me present on upcoming calls and tele-summits as I share some of the highlights of this wonderful 6 week program.

No.1 Thing to Do to Minimize Holiday Weight Gain in Shape Magazine

December 13, 2013 By Trudy Scott 16 Comments

Cristina Goynes wrote a great piece in Shape magazine on the benefits of water when it comes to holiday weight gain. I’m thrilled to have been quoted. My contribution is about dehydration and the direct effect this has on neurotransmitters like serotonin and dopamine, leading to increased carb cravings for a good mood and for an energy boost!

The article is called the “No.1 Thing to Do to Minimize Holiday Weight Gain”

Going into the scale-tipping season known as Thanksgiving to New Year’s, the typical mindset is to amp up workouts, cut calories, and stick to crudités at parties to dodge those extra holiday pounds. But who actually does that?

This year, dare to be different: Rather than take on unrealistic demands during an already stressful time, focus on only one thing that will help you look better, feel less tempted by party food, have more energy, and brighten your mood. The answer is as simple as sipping more water.

This is one of the water/mood papers we used for the story: a 2012 animal study found that “dehydration is able to reduce serotoninergic neurotransmission, which might be involved in generating anxiety behavior.”

This animal study showed that dehyrdation also affects “dopaminergic neurotransmission” leading to hyperactivity. Changes in dopamine can also affect concentration and focus and lead to increased cravings for energy.

A 2011 study that looked at 24 females in their 20s found that dehydration “degraded mood, increased perception of task difficulty,” lowered concentration, and caused headaches.

A similar study looking at men, also in their 20s found that mild dehydration caused “adverse changes in vigilance and working memory,” and increased tension, anxiety and fatigue.

This Amino Acids Mood Questionnaire from The Antianxiety Food Solution will give you a clue about your serotonin and dopamine/catecholamine levels and this blog post on Winter blues, SAD, holiday stress and sugar will give you some insights into the winter blues.

When you get a serotonin and dopamine boost it balances brain chemistry so you don’t have to use willpower and you don’t feel deprived! And you won’t be drawn to sugary foods and won’t gain weight over the holidays.

Do read the rest of the SHAPE article here as it has practical information on how

Holiday stress also contributes to dehydration
Water makes us feel full by adding extra volume to our stomach
it can also help you feel satisfied
it is the easiest, cheapest way to score firmer, younger-looking skin

So drink up that water to reduce anxiety, depression and cravings, feel satisfied, not gain weight, have more energy and be more focused, have beautiful skin and feel stress-free!

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.

Smile and laugh to de-stress, calm down and boost your mood

June 14, 2013 By Trudy Scott 15 Comments

laughter

My biggest stress-relief and mood-boosting tip is to smile and laugh! It is one of the many things I encourage my clients to do! And I personally love a good comedy and opportunity to smile and laugh! I almost feel like I need my “fix” of laughter by the end of the day. It really relaxes me, boosts my mood and helps me sleep better.

I was further inspired to make a commitment to laugh each day when I read all the research supporting the many and varied health benefits. Many days I’ll just take a break and engage in spontaneous laughter for no reason at all – just the act of laughing leaves me feeling SO good. I do food-mood presentations around the country and typically end my talks with a laugher session with the audience! It’s a great hit and they leave my talk feeling great!

A 2012 research paper in Physiological Science actually showed that if you smile, you feel less stressed. Also in a 1999 study, “Personality traits such as warmth, calmness, extroversion, and low anxiety were closely related to an attractive smile.”

Laughter falls into a similar category as smiling and is wonderful for improving mood and reducing anxiety and stress and pain. This 2012 paper. showed that laughter “is associated with feelings of wellbeing” and improved mood, likely related to “the release of endorphins.” The release of endorphins also reduced pain levels.

Recent research also shows that the “combination of a laughter and exercise program might have physiological and psychological health benefits for the elderly”. Laughter may also “be an effective strategy to motivate the elderly to participate in physical activity.”

Laughter is actually good for the heart as indicated by the title of a 2009 paper: “The effect of mirthful laughter on the human cardiovascular system.”

Here are some things to make you chuckle: a fun post I did awhile ago about a wonderfully funny and romantic blog called The Musings of a Romantic Comedy Girl and a video of a laughing baby. Enjoy!

And of course, the added bonus: if you eat foods that raise serotonin (like grass-fed read meat and wild fish like salmon), you’ll be happier and more inclined to smile too – and feel even less anxious and less stressed. Tryptophan or 5-HTP will help boost your serotonin levels and are wonderful if you do have low serotonin. You can check for low serotonin levels using this Amino Acids Mood Questionnaire from The Antianxiety Food Solution.

Overcoming Monkey Mind in Experience Life magazine

March 22, 2013 By Trudy Scott 9 Comments

“Three experts offer tips for overcoming mental chaos and reclaiming a balanced brain.”

The first expert is Eric Maisel, PhD, psychotherapist, creativity coach, and author of 40 books, most recently Natural Psychology: The New Psychology of Meaning (Natural Psychology Press, 2012) recommends:

“monitoring your breathing and monitoring your thinking at the same time” as a “quick way to get centered and quiet monkey mind.” He shares his 10-second technique.

The second expert is Henry Emmons, MD, integrative psychiatrist and author of The Chemistry of Calm: A Powerful, Drug-Free Plan to Quiet Your Fears and Overcome Your Anxiety (Touchstone, 2010) recommends:

reconnecting with your body by getting “out of your head and into your body.” He suggests techniques like “placing your hand on your lap” and paying attention “to the feeling of warmth that’s exchanged between your hand and body” or simply listening to music

I was thrilled to be third expert and share tips for rebalancing your biochemistry and neurotransmitters…Trudy Scott, CN, nutritionist and author of 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)

I suggest the amino acid tryptophan and quality grass-fed red meat if low serotonin is the issue. Serotonin is a neurotransmitter that “helps produce feelings of well-being and also helps you switch off worry and ruminating thoughts.” I also recommend eating a protein-rich breakfast – something that is key for every one of my clients.” If you experience “poor focus, scattered thoughts, ADD-type symptoms and fatigue” “the supplement to try is tyrosine.”

Have you been able to switch off monkey-mind with any of these tips?

You can read the whole article in the April 2013 edition of Experience Life magazine here or pick up a physical copy from bookstores or grocery stores.

It’s a great magazine and I love this summary on the about page: “Experience Life is your guide to a healthy way of life. Your road map toward real and lasting self-improvement. Your antidote to all the fuss and nonsense that dominates the vast majority of health and fitness publications. Because being healthy is a revolutionary act.”