Joy and happiness

The Role of Inflammation in Stress, Anxiety and Depression

March 8, 2013 By Trudy Scott 10 Comments

NTA-Conference-2013

“Inflammation: The Fire Within” is the theme of the annual conference of the Nutritional Therapy Association. It will be held in Vancouver, WA on March 15, 16, 17. I’m thrilled to presenting on Friday from 10-11:30am and my topic is “The Role of Inflammation in Stress, Anxiety and Depression.”

This presentation will provide health and nutrition professionals with current, evidence-based information the role of inflammation in stress, and on anxiety and mood disorders. It will explain:

the negative impact of pro-inflammatory junk food, trans fats, feed-lot meat, pesticides, gluten, fructose and caffeine on stress, anxiety and depression
the recent research supporting the anti-inflammatory benefits of real whole food, the Mediterranean diet (for both reducing inflammation and reducing and preventing depression, fish and fish oils (with some exceptions), dark chocolate (with some caveats), probiotics, zinc and vitamin B6
the links between social stress and inflammation
the effects of maternal inflammation on anxiety and social behavior of offspring
the links between pyroluria (see the pyroluria questionnaire here), social anxiety and oxidative stress
how inflammation leads to low serotonin and mood issues

It’s quite incredible how much of an impact inflammation has on mood disorders and how simply taking steps to lower inflammation can have a positive impact. What is equally fascinating is that so many of the foods and nutrients that eliminate anxiety and depression also lower inflammation! The body is quite amazing in its ability to heal when provided with the correct nutrients!

I will also be exhibiting and will have delicious 100% certified Organic Tulsi Teas donated by Organic India and great for stress-relief and you guessed it… inflammation! Do come and try some yummy lemon-ginger or licorice or find some in your local grocery store. We’ll also do zinc status testing because zinc is key for alleviating anxiety, stress and depression. I’ll also have DVD sets and copies of my book The Antianxiety Food Solution for sale. And I’ll also be offering Lidtke samples of the amazing amino acids tryptophan (for low serotonin) and DPA/Endorphigen (for low endorphins and comfort eating). These amino acids also help with inflammation!

And I’m thrilled that my friend and colleague Mira Dessy will be joining me at my booth. She is a Nutrition Educator, Real Food Advocate and author of the fabulous new book The Pantry Principle: How to read the label and understand what’s really in your food (find her here and on facebook here).

The event has many great speakers and will be a content-rich educational three days. You can learn more and register here:
http://nutritionaltherapy.com/events-resources/nta-conferences

The sessions will be recorded and available for purchase from Nutritional Therapy Association if you can’t make it to the live event.

Bite-sized carob heart recipe for Valentine’s Day

February 8, 2013 By Trudy Scott 11 Comments

carob-hearts

Enjoy this healthy treat for Valentine’s Day! Make your honey and the kids some of these yummy bite-sized carob hearts and you’ll all be smiling instead of feeling like you over-did it on the chocolates and candies.

1 cup organic almonds, soaked
1/3 cup pumpkin seeds, soaked
½ cup organic dates
½ cup organic raisins, soaked
½ cup carob powder
½ cup coconut oil
4-5 teaspoons water from the soaked raisins

Soak almonds and pumpkin seeds overnight (or 4-6 hours) and then drain and rinse. Place raisins in a small bowl, cover with hot water for about 10 minutes. Save both the raisins and the raisin water in two separate bowls. In a food processor grind almonds and pumpkin seeds until fine. You can also use your blender and use the “grind” option. Remove nuts/seeds from the food processor or blender and add dates, raisins, carob, coconut oil (first melt this on low heat on the stove) and vanilla. Blend this well. Now transfer the nuts and fruit mix to a bowl and mix. Add 4-5 teaspoons of the raisin water, if necessary, until the mixture is the consistency of very thick cookie dough. Roll into 1 inch balls and then shape into bite-sized hearts. If you make these at another time of the year, just make them into bite-sized balls.

This recipe is thanks to Frances Holmes, one of my dear friends and a nutritionist colleague. She used to make them for us when I worked in Julia Ross’ Recovery Systems Clinic in Mill Valley. Frances says: “Add pizzazz by rolling the balls in coconut, cinnamon, carob, toasted sesame seeds or any other tasty thing your little heart desires. You can also be creative and add flavored essential oils, or spices like cardamom as well.”

Once they have been coated, chill for 2-4 hours in the refrigerator, or until the balls slightly harden. And Frances says “These little delightful bites freeze well too!”

I have modified the original recipe: I used half the carob powder and replaced 1/2 cup almonds with 1/2 cup pumpkin seeds. Some optional additions: 1/3 cup whey protein powder; substitute some of the almonds with walnuts; add I T ginger to 1/3 of the batch; add ground mint leaves to 1/3 of the batch.

And here are some of the few healthy reasons for selecting these over store-bought candy:

Dates and raisins have health benefits like iron, fiber and are naturally sweet
Coconut oil is healthy fat that is delicious and helps offset the effects of the sugar in the dried fruit
Carob is a healthy magnesium-rich naturally caffeine-free alternative to cocoa and chocolate. The caffeine in chocolate affects some people and makes them anxious. If you can eat chocolate do make sure it’s dark chocolate
Almonds are a source of protein and fats and vitamin E
Pumpkin seeds are a good source of tryptophan and zinc (a functional food made from pumpkin seeds has been shown to help with social anxiety and insomnia). You can read more about soaking and pumpkin seeds here
Sesame seeds are a great source of calcium and magnesium and add a delicious crunch
Coconut flakes add a delicious tropical flavor and crunch

Happy Valentine’s Day!

The S3xy Younger You series

October 3, 2012 By Trudy Scott 4 Comments

I’m loving the SYY series hosted by Robin Nielsen, NC, and Dr. Anna Cabeca. I’m getting gems from everyone!

Do you want to learn from 25 leading health and relationship experts (including yours truly!) who will teach you how to reclaim a healthier, more vibrant and s3xy you—at any age!

Do you jump out of bed with tons of energy and feel on top of the world every single day? Or are you starting to feel your age? Creaky? Aches and pains? More tired and less vibrant? Blah? More stressed and anxious? Have hormonal imbalances? Are moody? If you answered yes to any of these, then you must join us!

Here are a few gems from some of the speakers I’ve heard so far:

Liz Lipski, author of Digestive Wellness, spoke on the importance of digestive health and she said “Food is the most intimate contact we have with our external environment”. She also talked about the digestive benefits of eating umbeloshi plums and how they help increase low stomach acid.

Jonny Bowden, the Rogue Nutritionist and author of The 150 Healthiest Foods on Earth, talked about our need for good quality supplements. He said “we don’t NEED indoor plumbing and do we want minimum-wage health or optimal health?” Jonny had a lot of good stuff to say about heart disease and cholesterol. “If you are taking statin medications, add CoQ10 right away!” and that “red yeast rice must also be taken with CoQ10.” But he ended by saying “I don’t think lowering cholesterol is important, rather worry about inflammation”. I’m so on board with this approach.

Leanne Ely said “Cooking a meal for someone is an act of love”. She shared great information on the dangers of GMOs. She also talked about her very affordable hard clay water filtration system that makes pond water potable. It’s called the Berkefeld, was created during World War II and lasts years and years! I’m definitely going to look into this one!

Dr. Alan Christianson is author of The Complete Idiot’s Guide to Thyroid Disease and his interview about thyroid health was so informative! Something that I found so interesting was this: if you have an underactive thyroid, too much thyroid support can actually lead to worse symptoms. There is a delicate balance for you to feel ideal.

There are still many great speakers yet to come so please do join us. The best part is this – if you listen live (or listen to the 24 hour replays) there’s no cost to attend. If you’d like to purchase recordings or transcripts, you have this option too.

It’s happening right here, on your computer or telephone. And you can participate from anywhere in the world.

This series is top-quality cutting-edge health advice from amazing practitioners and everyone needs to hear this information! I am thrilled and honored that Robin and Dr Anna have asked me to be one of their 25 expert speakers. I’ll be sharing how to overcome midlife anxiety with a nutritional and lifestyle approach – so you can say goodbye to anxiety, stress, overwhelm, panic attacks, mood swings, depression and sugar cravings.

Nine Ways to Stop the Worry Wheels in the Sacramento Magazine

October 3, 2012 By Trudy Scott 10 Comments

Here are Nine Ways to Stop the Worry Wheels. These were featured in the July edition of the Sacramento Magazine. I’m thrilled to have contributed to this super article and I am happy to share it with you here! I hope you enjoy it and find these nine ways helpful for stopping your worry wheels and anxiety.

Put your worries in a (mental) basket
Consider your locus of control
Exercise
Adopt an antianxiety diet
Practice mindfulness
Tune in to the five senses
Connect with others
Cognitive behavioral therapy
If all else fails, medication

I really like that this fits in perfectly with the holistic approach that Richard and C.R. Zwolinki advocate on their Therapy Soup blog on Psychcentral

(Click on each image below to enlarge.)

Yet again, writer Cathy Cassinos-Carr has done an excellent job with this article. You can read another of her great articles here: Sweet Misery: Seven spoonfuls of wisdom about sugar

If you’d like more information on the antianxiety diet, a great resource is my book 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, at Amazon and via www.antianxietyfoodsolution.com

Eat to be Happy and Calm in Chatelaine Magazine!

July 2, 2012 By Trudy Scott 8 Comments

What do these have in common? grass-fed red meat, pumpkin seeds, real food, oysters and home-made salad dressing? They are all foods that are part of the Happy Diet, and featured in the July edition of the Chatelaine Magazine. I’m thrilled to have contributed to this super article and am happy to share it with you here! I really enjoyed working with Kat Tancock. I hope you enjoy it – and enjoy the wonderful pictures too!

Eating real foods like this, and doing things like treating a friend to lunch can bring you great joy and happiness, as well as keep anxiety and stress at bay.

(Click on each image below to enlarge.)

The author Kat Tancock (www.kattancock.com) holds the copyright to this article. Please contact her regarding reproduction or any questions you may have.

Earth Day tips that are good for the earth and good for your mood!

April 30, 2012 By Trudy Scott 11 Comments

Take care of the earth and take care of yourself, your health and your mood! Earth Day is a day early each year on which events are held worldwide to increase awareness and appreciation of the Earth’s natural environment

There was great event in Sacramento and I shared a booth with Donna Kelley. I had samples (and recipe) of roasted pumpkin seeds and herbal teabags. Of course, I also had copies of my book The Antianxiety Food Solution: How the Foods You Eat Can Help You Calm Your Anxious Mind, Improve Your Mood and End Cravings. So much of what we do for anxiety and overall mood is just naturally also good for the earth – like eating quality food, avoiding pesticides, exercising and more! It was fun sharing a booth with Donna, a fellow nutritionist at Concepts of Optimal Nutrition. Donna had a drawing for potted herbs, a yummy recipe and information about her nutrition programs.

Here are some of the tips we shared:

Exercise outdoors! Good for the earth and good for your mood! : Ride a bike; Go for a hike in nature; Go for a walk or run; Grow a vegetable garden; Mow your lawn with a hand or push mower like a Brill (this is what I use and there is no noise pollution, no fumes and it is a great work-out)

Eat organic and GMO-free! Good for the earth and good for your mood! : Buy organic and GMO-free; Grow your own veggies, fruit and herbs – you can do this even if you don’t have a garden – check out this amazing rooftop garden concept; Make your own sprouts (alfalfa, lentil, mung bean); Eat real whole food; Demand labeling of GMO ingredients; Eat wild fish, grassfed meat, pastured chickens

We even made it onto KCRA/Channel 3 news at 5pm! Don’t blink or you may miss it – ha ha! It is right at the start as the announcer starts talking, at the 6-10 second mark, so a total of 5 seconds! It shows The Antianxiety Food Solution “You Are What You Eat Poster”. I’m “Zen Apple Girl” and Bruce is “Stressed Sugar Girl”! Here is the Earth Day video.

I think these little girls did a better job with being “Zen Apple Girl” and “Stressed Sugar Girl”. And the great thing is that the kids really got the food-mood connection with feeling awesome with eating good food versus feeling bad, anxious and cranky when they eat sugar and junk!

I’d like to end with this beautiful “Earth Day Anthem”

Joyful joyful we adore our Earth in all its wonderment
Simple gifts of nature that all join into a paradise
Now we must resolve to protect her
Show her our love through out all time
With our gentle hand and touch
We make our home a newborn world
Now we must resolve to protect her
Show her our love through out all time

It was super to see so many people out celebrating Earth Day. Great see some friend and clients and meet new people. It was also great to see all the other great vendors sharing about electric cars, organic produce and farmers markets and more. I hope you get to enjoy it every year and every single day of the year too.