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Antianxiety Food Solution Review by Dr Winston Chung

November 10, 2011 By Trudy Scott Leave a Comment

winston chung reviews antianxiety food solution by trudy scott

I am pleased to share this wonderful book review by Dr Winston Chung, MD and Child Psychiatrist, and featured the SFGate blog http://blog.sfgate.com/ City Brights which features “prominent local citizens and experts with a unique Bay Area perspective that is often enlightening, sometimes infuriating and always thought-provoking”. Dr James Lake, MD and foreword writer for my book “introduced” us.

Here are the opening paragraphs:

“Xanax, Klonopin, Ambien, cannabis, fatty or sugary ‘comfort’ foods, nicotine, wine or beer are all things that may pass our lips in an effort to calm our minds or to help sleep. Why does it seem hard to believe that healthy food choices or dietary habits could help decrease anxiety?

The Antianxiety Food Solution is a new book that describes how nutritional deficiencies or biochemical vulnerabilities may predispose one to anxiety, proposing dietary guidelines to consider for anyone looking for ways to reduce anxiety.

Author and nutrition expert Trudy Scott recommends including more high-quality vegetables, fruit and protein.

Trudy Scott, CN, is President of the National Association of Nutrition Professionals and author of this book. Trudy’s own personal journey with anxiety led to an understanding of her unique blood sugar issues and food sensitivities, and a nutrition practice that focuses on food, mood and women’s health.”

I love that his review focuses on some of the very powerful and yet simple changes you can make:

Avoid Sugar and Control Blood Sugar Swings

Avoid Caffeine, Alcohol, and Nicotine

Address Problems with Gluten and Other Food Sensitivities

and Improve Your Digestion

Dr Chung has made one thought-provoking comment that I respectfully disagree with.

Dr Chung: “To those looking for help with anxiety, I would warn against stopping or trying to replace current modalities with dietary changes. In my opinion, antianxiety food solutions should be considered as an adjunctive approach to standard treatments.”

And my response: I have worked with enough anxious people and there is enough clinical research to support that food and nutrients may not necessarily be an adjunctive approach to standard treatments. Food and nutrients and lifestyle changes can replace current modalities for many people. But I do caution everyone to work with their doctor before stopping or trying to replace current modalities and medications.

You can read the whole review here:

http://blog.sfgate.com/wchung/2011/08/18/dietary-choices-may-decrease-anxiety/

Dr Chung teaches at a community-based, non-profit hospital in San Francisco. He produced and hosted “Mind and Body” radio on KUSF, and was previously a producer and host at Pirate Cat Radio, KPDO and KUCR. His writing has appeared in the Daily Illini, the Korea Herald and the Wall Street Journal. Be sure to check out his other very interesting articles on Bright Lights of SFGate – music therapy, ADHD, Prozac and much more.

The Antianxiety Food Solution: How the Foods You Eat Can Help You Calm Your Anxious Mind, Improve Your Mood and End Cravings, is now available in major books stores, at Amazon and via www.antianxietyfoodsolution.com

Bonnie: A tribute to a dear friend and wonderful nutritionist

September 21, 2011 By Trudy Scott 2 Comments

Bonnie passed away August 26, 2011 after battling autoimmune hepatitis for four months. She was comfortable and surrounded by her loving husband Howard, her three loving daughters Rachael, Leah and Merrill, and other family members.

There was a wonderful memorial service and potluck reception held in Point Reyes Station at the Dance Palace. And in the words of another dear friend, Grace: “Dance palace– what a perfect venue to celebrate the life of someone special”.

These organizations were very near and dear to Bonnie. And the family asked that in lieu of flowers (for those who wish to send), donations can be made to: West Marin Senior Services (www.wmss.org/) and CLAM / Community Land Trust Association of West Marin (www.clam-ptreyes.org/).

Bonnie was a very special friend to me …we met in 2004 at the first NANP / National Association of Nutrition Professionals (www.nanp.org) conference, chatted voraciously all weekend and continued to share, encourage and support each other from then onwards. We would meet for walks, lunches and at conferences around the country, and spend hours on the phone discussing new books, new research and anything food and nutrition-related.

Bonnie was an amazingly passionate nutritionist who went back to nutrition school in her 60s. She was very active in the NANP and served as a director on the board, headed up the Publications committee and helped design the conference program and other NANP materials (she was a very talented graphic artist too!) Her daughter Merrill shared this with me: “Mom told me recently when I asked what she was most proud of in her life that it was her nutrition career…”

Some of the feedback from fellow nutrition colleagues:

“Bonnie was always such a delight to see at each seminar and nutrition meeting. I am so glad I knew her”…Anasuya

“Please tell Bonnie’s family that we are receiving numerous emails about Bonnie. She made a huge impact on our members at the conferences. Many remember her passion for nutrition and willingness to share her knowledge – and just being a lovely person.” …Jane

“I am so saddened to see such a young spirit go, but at least she is not in any more pain and suffering. May your heart be filled with fond memories of Bonnie and that you keep her close in your heart”… Karen

Bonnie was also a HUGE supporter of me as a new author and I was honored that she agreed to be a peer reviewer of my book The Antianxiety Food Solution. As I write this, I’m smiling and remembering her honest and very useful feedback after she heard me present a large Vegas conference…“Trudy, it was a great talk and very informative and your enthusiasm and passion for the subject is obvious BUT you used the word HUGE too much! Low blood sugar has a HUGE impact on anxiety …sugar addiction is a HUGE problem…having a good breakfast makes a HUGE difference to how you feel the rest of the day…” Great advice and as a result, I try to tone down my use of the word HUGE when I present.

Bonnie – you will be sadly missed by your family, friends, colleagues and clients. I am missing you already… I really regret not coming to see you in those last few weeks…and you will always have HUGE place in my heart 🙂

New Book Offers Insights on Anxiety & Mental Health: Insights that Patrick Kennedy’s “Moonshot” Research Team Will Find Compelling

August 19, 2011 By Trudy Scott 10 Comments

patrick kennedy moonshot

The first book by local Food Mood Expert and Nutritionist, Trudy Scott, is released this month: The Antianxiety Food Solution: How the Foods You Eat Can Help You Calm Your Anxious Mind, Improve Your Mood & End Cravings. This release is hot on the heels of the CNN interview “Dr. Sanjay Gupta Reports: Patrick Kennedy – Coming Clean,” where Patrick Kennedy discusses his own battles with mental health and addictions, his mission to help remove the stigma of mental health, as well as create a “moonshot” medical research effort to find solutions to all brain diseases.

This is all taken from a press release when my book launched. I commend Patrick Kennedy for openly discussing his challenges with mood and addictions, and for being a leader in the field of mental health research! For more information on Kennedy’s Moonshot research go here http://www.moonshot.org/ and for a review of the CCN interview go here.

And continuing with the press release….

Foreword writer and author of Textbook of Integrative Mental Health Care, Dr. James Lake MD, feels that Scott’s book “marks an important contribution to the public dialogue on the appropriate role of nutrition in mental health care in general and anxiety disorders in particular” and he strongly endorses this unique resource.

Scott’s book offers four different antianxiety food solutions, all of which emphasize the importance of real whole traditional food, but address each person’s biochemical uniqueness. Other chapters cover: why and how to quit sugar and control blood sugar swings; the effects of caffeine; the importance of optimal digestion; the bad-mood effects of gluten; balancing brain chemistry with individual amino acids; correcting pyroluria with zinc and vitamin B6; low vitamin D, hormone imbalances, toxins and medications; and finally simple lifestyle changes that include sleep, exercise and yoga.

An editorial by Dr. Marlene Freeman MD, in the American Journal of Psychiatry offered a very powerful comment on the recent food-mood studies, all of which are included in this heavily referenced book: “It is both compelling and daunting to consider that dietaryintervention at an individual or population level could reducerates of psychiatric disorders. There are exciting implicationsfor clinical care, public health, and research.”

Scott, who has a nutrition practice with a focus on Food, Mood and Women’s Health and is President of the National Association of Nutrition Professionals comments: “I truly don’t believe dietary intervention is daunting and I am living proof it does work. I have been able to overcome my own anxiety and eliminate my panic attacks using the very same methods I cover in my book. And I see the same success with my clients every single day. Food and nutrients are very powerful!”

Edmund Bourne PhD, author of highly successful The Anxiety and Phobia Workbook says that Scott’s book “provides clear, helpful guidelines for utilizing nutrition to overcome anxiety” and Dr Katherine Falk MD, feels Scott’s book “provides important adjunctive help in the treatment anxiety, depression, and serious mental illness.” All this provides a compelling resource for Kennedy’s research team and for Kennedy himself, who said in his interview that he was looking to live a full life and not just survive.

The Antianxiety Food Solution is now available in major books stores, at Amazon and via www.antianxietyfoodsolution.com.

You can find the official press release document here https://www.everywomanover29.com/media.html

Charlize Theron, Piers Morgan, inositol for OCD & Africa Outreach

August 12, 2011 By Trudy Scott 13 Comments

I’m a big fan of the amazing beautiful and talented actress Charlize Theron. I am so proud that a fellow South African has wowed Hollywood and even won an Oscar. She won her Oscar for Monster – brilliant performance, so real and quite disturbing. I also really enjoyed her in The Italian Job! She’s been in so many movies and you can find out more here http://www.charlizetheron.com/

Piers Morgan interviewed Charlize recently and she spoke about her childhood and marriage. You can see some of the interview here. I’m really enjoying the Piers interviews – he seems to ask really interesting questions and his guests appear to have a lot of fun! “Brilliant performance!” – doesn’t that just sound like Piers and don’t you love his British accent!?

For me, it’s quite strange hearing her talk with an American accent – she said she had to change it in order to be successful in Hollywood. And she says he doesn’t like the sound of her voice! She did speak a few sentences of Afrikaans right at the beginning of the interview – Afrikaans is her first language and my second language, so I could understand her of course. I look forward to her one day playing a South African and talking like a South African – I think she’ll do an excellent job!

During her interview with Piers she also jokingly shared that she has OCD (obsessive compulsive disorder) and can’t handle messy closets. If OCD really is an issue that causes distress and affects day-to-day functioning, it’s worth trying many of the same nutrients that help with anxiety issues: GABA, tryptophan or 5-HTP. They often help with OCD too. However, one particular nutrient called inositol is particularly helpful with obsessive behaviors and ruminating thoughts. Of course, these nutrients and others, are covered in my book The Antianxiety Food Solution. I think I should send a copy to Charlize!

Charlize also talked about her foundation (created in partnership with the Entertainment Industry Foundation) where she gives back to South Africa. It called the Africa Outreach Project which is committed to reducing the prevalence of HIV/AIDS and sexual violence among African youth by supporting and collaborating with organizations that provide preventive education. I loved it when Charlize emphasized education and the goal of teaching the youth that violence is not ok, and prevention of HIV/AIDS – very smart! Much of the work is done in KwaZulu Natal, close to where I grew up. This makes me pretty homesick but also proud of what she is achieving on so many levels! You can learn more and make a donation here http://www.charlizeafricaoutreach.org/

My message to Charlize: “Baie dankie [thanks very much in Afrikaans]. You go girl! And check out some of these amazing nutrients for OCD and anxiety – you SO deserve to feel on top of the world in every way!”