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Food, Mood and Women's Health – Be your healthiest, look and feel great!

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Mindful Eating World Summit: Stop dieting and START LIVING

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This is just a reminder that the Mindful Eating World Summit: Stop dieting and START LIVING! online event runs March 16th – 26th for 11 days.

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I’m very excited to be a part of Dr. Kellee Rutley’s virtual event. She’s brought together over 28 amazing POWERHOUSE experts to help you remove the guilt, shame and confusion around weight issues and TRUE health, and disocver powerful ideas that work to EMPOWER you!

We are Doctors, Educators, Scientists, Zen Masters, Psychologists, Naturopaths and Holistic Chefs! New York Times and Hay House authors, World Renowned Master Trainers, Coaches and Nutritionists. Many of us have had our own issues with poor health, unhealthy weight rollercoasters, emotional eating, anxiety and depression – and our personal stories reflect that.   Had my own issues with anxiety and panic and at one stage was such a choco-holic!

Together, we’ll share ways to help you reach optimal health, vitality and happiness!

I was given a sneak peek at some of the interviews and would love to share some gems from the wonderful interview with Dr. Michael Finkelstein….

Dr. Michael Finkelstein, The Slow Medicine Doctor, has been featured in top media outlets including The New York Times and CNN; has presented at leading venues including GE Corporation and Omega Institute; and blogs on the topic of Slow Medicine for The Huffington Post.

  • Dr. Finkelstein opened with this powerful message: “The promise of science let us down…the reality was that it doesn’t work for everything. Procedures and medicines often cause side-effects and problems, and 80% of people going to the doctor these days have a chronic problem (often contributed in part by their treatments). My patients would say to me (after 15 years of writing prescriptions): ‘isn’t there something else?’   I didn’t have the answer. When my blood pressure started to rise, I went to my physician who said you said to me ‘you need to be on medication’ and I said: ‘isn’t there something else?’ I had to go back to school to study integrative medicine to find the answer and I learned about other tools to augment my tool box. Instead of a pen and a scalpel I had so much more”
  • He suggests putting flowers and candles on the table when we’re eating – to improve our mood and overall eating experience
  • I really love when he talked about how “activity with meaning” or “movement with purpose” and how it is way more than simply exercising (like being on a treadmill). He suggests things like building a community garden, hiking with friends and gardening. “Do something you love and then you’ll do it!”
  • He loves to garden, his office is located in a garden and he shared the importance of nature, air, natural light, rain, getting your hands in the dirt, and probiotics and the microbiome and how it changes when you garden. I loved hearing him say so many of us suffer from nature-deficit-disorder! It’s so true!
  • His best quick fix for your health is Slow Medicine…when you change how you are living, you’ll feel in alignment and your anxiety will go down because your expectations are reasonable.

Dr. Finkelstein also shared how if we aren’t living a life that’s meaningful with purpose, we’re going to be very hungry and our craving will lead us to food because it’s readily available. Sometimes our hunger is emotional and with food we are feeding our bodies, and our minds and spirits.  He talks about finding your purpose and finding the treasure in your pain (for example, your anxiety or emotional eating) and looking for one key to the treasure.   Beautiful!

If you haven’t already heard me speak on amino acids and emotional eating my topic is: 5 Powerful Amino Acids that Banish Emotional Eating and Balance Your Brain Chemistry – No Willpower Required!  

The amino acids may be one of the keys to finding your treasure i.e. the freedom from your anxiety and/or or emotional eating.  

I’ll be offering $50 off my homestudy 6-week digital delivery program called The Amazing Amino Acids for Ending Emotional Eating – No Willpower Required! Really!!

Mark the date and sign up here http://mindfuleatingworldsummit.com?affiliates=33

Enjoy all these great speakers and topics!

 

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

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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!

The Virgin Diet by JJ Virgin: book review and webinar

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virgin-diet-book-NYT

Food intolerance is a big factor and something I look at with all my clients. Other than weight gain it can cause a host of other issues ranging from inflammation to aches and pains to fatigue and even anxiety and depression. In fact, over 80% of my anxious clients do better mood-wise on a gluten-free diet.

I’m a little behind the times because JJ Virgin wrote this NY Times bestseller book late in 2012:  The Virgin Diet: Drop 7 Foods, Lose 7 Pounds, Just 7 Days (Why Food Intolerance is the Real Cause of Weight Gain).

With her new recipe book coming out I decided it’s time to do a review!

These are the 7 foods JJ wants you to drop: corn, eggs, peanuts, dairy, gluten, soy, and sugar (including artificial sweeteners).

I have to admit I was skeptical about eggs because they are such a wonderful protein source, such a great start to the day  and so handy for a snack. I used to eat a lot of eggs until I recently discovered that I have an egg intolerance! I’m hoping it’s going to be a short-term problem and that I can eventually reintroduce them because I LOVE my soft-boiled pastured eggs.  [UPDATE 2015: I am now able to eat eggs again!] The message is this: even a healthy food like eggs may be an issue for you.

You eliminate the above 7 foods and see how you do and then add them back and see how they affect you (sugar and artificial sweeteners stay out for good, and possibly gluten too). There are 3 cycles that the book walks you through:

  • Cycle 1: Elimination
  • Cycle 2: Reintroduction
  • Cycle 3: The Virgin Diet for Life

The book goes into a great more detail about the following:

  • what food intolerances are
  • insulin resistance – a condition in which the body produces insulin but does not use it effectively leading to weight-gain and blood sugar issues
  • leptin resistance – leptin is the hormone that signals satiety or fullness and when you have resistance you feel hungrier and have more cravings
  • zonulin – a protein that is affected by gluten and loosens the tight junctions in the gut contributing to leaky gut and more food intolerances
  • the dangers of GMOs and soy
  • the autoimmune connection – and much more

The book has great sections on healthy proteins and fats, quality produce, sugar and artificial sweeteners, exercising, meal planning, eating out and recipes. I’m looking forward to her follow-up book which launches on Feb 18th – her recipe book The Virgin Diet Cookbook: 150 Easy and Delicious Recipes to Lose Weight and Feel Better Fast 

We do have a few differences of opinion. 🙂

  • I’m not a big fan of coffee and JJ admits that she fights her fellow-nutritionists on this one!
  • I find that my clients with adrenal issues need to eat more frequently than every 4 to 6 hours
  • Pea-rice protein is the protein powder recommended and would not be suitable if you need to eat grain free or have issues with peas so adjust accordingly
  • I’m not terribly fond of the 3-bite rule where you get to splurge on desserts. JJ has a great sense of humor and says “share your dessert with someone who has a faster fork!” But I think you can get to the point where you no longer have a sweet tooth.

I’d also like to add that these 7 food intolerances are obviously not the only factor when it comes to weight-loss resistance – it’s one of many factors, including thyroid health, environmental toxins, dysbiosis, brain chemical imbalances, poor eating choices, stress (this is a big one!), lack of sleep and not exercising enough or incorrectly. JJ is the pro when it comes to exercise and she is a big proponent of restorative sleep.  There are also many  other foods that could potentially be an issue for you.

I do love that this book has brought the concept of food intolerances to the masses, bringing awareness of something that had not even been considered before. I commend JJ for this and her big mission to help millions of people lose weight and get healthy! So many people have had such incredible results with her program!

PS. In preparation of the new book launch JJ is hosting a webinar on what you need to know about The Virgin Diet. You can sign up here to get the most up-to-date information. Sign up and get to hear her share her words of wisdom.

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

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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!

Exercise and nature for mood, social anxiety, memory and hot flashes

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Beautiful sunset at Lake Natoma, CA – after a fun time windsurfing

June is Celebrate the Great Outdoors month and June 15th was Nature Photography Day. These are just one of the many great reasons to get outside to exercise and enjoy nature.

I’ve blogged a great deal about exercise and the outdoors a great deal – when I reported back about food-exercise-biofeedback from the ADAA conference and nature and calm in Yosemite.

Here is some very recent research on some more great health benefits to motivate you!

(1)  Improved mood and better memory

A recent paper and titled Interacting with nature improves cognition and affect for individuals with depression and published in the Journal of Affective Disorders found that something as simple and easy as 50 minute walk in the park improved cognition and mood.

(2)  Improved sleep and reduction in hot flashes in menopausal women

Another recent paper titled Sleep quality and aerobic training among menopausal women-A randomized controlled trial and published in the Finnish Journal Maturitas found that aerobic training for 6 months may improve sleep quality and reduce hot flushes among symptomatic menopausal women.

(3)  Less social anxiety and depression

This recent paper titled A Randomized Trial of MBSR Versus Aerobic Exercise for Social Anxiety Disorder and published in the Journal of Clinical Psychology found that both mindfulness-based stress reduction and aerobic exercise “were associated with reductions in social anxiety and depression and increases in subjective well-being”.

Exercising has always been a big part of my life and I feel really flat when I don’t exercise. I grew up in a tennis family and played tennis for years and then switched to squash (similar to the US racket ball) when I got to high-school. In my 20s and 30s I did a lot of 5K and 10K runs, trail running and a few half-marathons – all in the beautiful Colorado mountains. I actually met my wonderful husband rock-climbing and we spent many fun years rock-climbing, ice-climbing and mountaineering!

These days we love to windsurf, hike and mountain bike in the summer. In the winter I telemark ski and Brad does snowboarding.

So I encourage you to get outside to celebrate the great outdoors, have fun exercising and take some beautiful photos.

At your next social event you’ll be chatty, calm and happy, will remember everyone’s name and you won’t be having hot-flashes! And you’ll come home and have a wonderful deep restful sleep.

Have fun and please share what you love to do for exercise now and what you loved to do as a child.

GABA and more for pain relief and anxiety

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Low levels of some neurotransmitters, which are made by the body from amino acids, can contribute to chronic pain. Low gamma-aminobutyric acid (GABA) levels can result in stiff/tense and painful muscles, anxiety and feelings of being overwhelmed. Other neurotransmitters related to pain are low serotonin and low endorphins.

I have many clients who see major improvements in pain levels – when they address low neurotransmitters. In fact one client was able to stop two pain medications when he added GABA and so many people benefit from DPA (d-phenylalanine).  And the added bonus is that GABA also helps with anxiety and overwhelm and DPA helps with sadness and comfort eating.

This and much more can be found in a great article called NATURAL WAYS OF DEALING WITH CHRONIC PAIN and written by Lisa Moretti.  She featured my tips on neurotransmitters and some other wonderful resources from other experts. It was published in the October issue of Max Sports and Fitness.

In her introduction, Lisa reminds us that “According to a 2011report by the Institutes of Medicine of the National Academies, 116 million Americans live with chronic pain – more than diabetes, heart disease and cancer combined. But many of us aren’t looking to just mask the pain by interfering pharmaceutically with our body’s pain signaling system. We want to get to the bottom of it and fix it!

Continuing “We asked experts, athletes and those who have experienced personal, pain-alleviating success for their advice about natural fixes for chronic pain. They have a myriad of suggestions for you.”

You can read about these approaches and more: gluten, acupuncture, eating real food (yay!), meditation, rolfing, proteolytic enzymes, the herbs White Willow and Devil’s Claw, MSM and arnica – all of which I have seen work with different people over the years. We are all unique and have to figure out what the root cause of our pain is and address it.

You can read the full article here

http://www.maxsportsandfitness.com/article/2011/9/natural-ways-of-dealing-with-chronic-pain.html