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

End emotional eating – no willpower required!

By Trudy Scott 16 Comments

chocolate-cake

I’m excited to be participating in the Emotional Eating Loving Food Loving Life telesummit being hosted by Aimee Serafini, a women’s empowerment coach and an energy psychology practitioner specializing in helping people transform their personal relationships with themselves and others.

Because we are all so different, the message can be many different things. The 12 experts are going to speak about emotional eating from many different angles including:

  • Which emotions are the biggest culprits
  • Why diets make it even worse
  • How Overwhelm and Overload contribute
  • How brain chemistry and hormones play a part
  • Why forgiving others who have wronged us can help
  • How our body image is a catch 22 with eating
  • A simple tool to release cravings right in the moment
  • How intimacy or lack of can affect our eating habits

Emotional eating isn’t one size fits all, so take advantage of this variety of experts to help you figure out what approach(es) are best for you.

I’ll be sharing “5 Easy Ways To Banish Emotional Eating and Balance Your Brain Chemistry – No Willpower Required!” and you won’t feel deprived! Really!

I’m going to be sharing how eating real whole food and using some pretty amazing nutrients can balance brain chemistry and end emotional eating, with zero willpower required and no feelings of being deprived!

There are some pretty amazing nutrients that can balance brain chemistry and end emotional eating and I will be talking about the amazing nutrient DPA (d-phenylalanine) or Endorphigen. It is SO effective if you’re low in endorphins! Just watch Angie’s reaction when she sampled some….she actually called it a miracle!

Join me and 12 other experts for a teleseries each evening at 5pm PST.   It starts Monday April 15 and runs through Friday April 26 

[Update: this event has concluded and this program is now available as a 6 week homestudy program: The Amazing Amino Acids for Ending Emotional Eating – No Willpower Required! Really!! (Home Study Program – with or without Live Q&A calls) ]

 

Eat Naked Margaret Floyd interviewed by Trudy Scott

By Trudy Scott 14 Comments

margaret-floyd-eat-naked

I’d love to introduce you to Margaret Floyd, author of Eat Naked: Unprocessed, unpolluted, and undressed eating for a healthier, sexier you and its follow up cookbook, The Naked Foods Cookbook: The whole foods, healthy fats, gluten-free guide to losing weight and feeling great, which she co-authored with Chef and husband, James Barry.

We met last year at the Weston A. Price conference and saw each other again at the recent Nutritional Therapy Association conference, where I interviewed her about her two fabulous books! (I also met her lovely husband James and delightful daughter Sia)

You can watch this video to hear why she wrote this book…

You’ll hear Margaret talk about: real clean food… misconceptions about food… healthy food… simplify… and plenty of recipes

Margaret wrote Eat Naked for her clients and to educate the public at large. This book is an excellent introduction for people who are completely new to the concept of real nourishing food. And if you have been on this path for a while, you’ll receive validation and some interesting new facts. This book also meshes so perfectly with the eating message in the first chapter of my book The Antianxiety Food Solution and is a perfect companion for those who are familiar with my work, and yet want and need more detail, and more “meat” (no pun intended!).

You may be in for some pleasant surprises if you’ve given up meat for health reasons and no longer eat butter – and yet secretly long for these foods. They are back on the menu, but with the emphasis of quality of course! I knew I was in for a treat when I read Margaret’s dedication to her gamma: “You were right, butter is better.”

Here are a few of my favorite parts of Eat Naked:

  • It’s for people who love food, want to eat well and don’t have loads of time
  • It covers all the bad stuff: hydrogenated oils, sugar and HFCS, artificial sweeteners, soy
  • It covers all the good stuff: organic produce with some great information on pesticides and climate change and why canned tomatoes are a good choice
  • It addresses some interesting aspects of red meat: the Certified Humane Label, the sustainability of meat and a nice review of grass-finished
  • The discussion on eliminating sugar!  (why? because as you’ve heard from me many times, sugar is toxic, addicting, and can contribute to anxiety and depression)
  • How to transition to this way of eating and how to shop naked (don’t you just love the play on words!?)
  • Many delicious and yet simple recipes (try the Eggs on a Bed of Greens)

I LOVE recipe books and The Naked Foods Cookbook is a happy addition to my collection and is one I’ll use and recommend to clients. It fits the bill of having simple, fast and delicious recipes with the added bonus of them being super-nourishing too.

Finally, don’t you just love the covers of these books and the concept of naked undressed food!? How can that not make you fall in love with real food all over again!? And as Margaret says, eat like this and soon you’ll be proud to see your naked body!

Here are links to purchase these books on Amazon: Eat Naked: Unprocessed, unpolluted, and undressed eating for a healthier, sexier you and the cookbook, The Naked Foods Cookbook: The whole foods, healthy fats, gluten-free guide to losing weight and feeling great

Margaret Floyd is a Nutritional Therapy Practitioner, Certified GAPS Practitioner and Healing Foods Specialist based in the Los Angeles area. She’s a passionate advocate for the healing power of a real, whole-foods diet, and works with clients all over North America and Europe to regain their health and vitality through food and lifestyle.

Anxiety and Depression Association of America 2013 conference highlights

By Trudy Scott 14 Comments

My gluten-mood poster at the 2013 ADAA conference
My gluten-mood poster at the 2013 ADAA conference

Last weekend I attended the annual conference of the Anxiety and Depression Association of America / ADAA and am pleased to share some of the highlights.

  • Gluten does have such a big impact on mood for so many people and I had many interested and curious visitors at my poster presentation (see the above picture)  “Evidence-based Research On The Serious Effects Of Gluten On Mental Health, With An In-depth Look At Testing And The Gluten-free Diet.” A number of people shared how gluten removal had eliminated their anxiety and/or depression too: a mom whose daughter quit gluten and found that this eliminated her panic attacks, a Canadian MD who didn’t know about gluten intolerance and infertility and the director of an anxiety clinic in Argentina. I was also honored to have Dr. Jerrold Rosenbaum, MD, ADAA Past President, Chief of Psychiatry, Massachusetts General Hospital and Professor of Psychiatry, Harvard Medical School, stop by. He said “interesting… everyone where I live is going gluten-free.” I asked him “and what kind of feedback are you getting?” Dr. Rosenbaum: “They’re all feeling better!”
  • I attended a great presentation by Dr. Teri Pearlstein: “Treatment of Perinatal Mood and Anxiety Disorders”. Dr. Pearlstein shared studies that show that babies born to depressed moms may have similar health problems as those born to moms taking anti-depressant medications i.e. lower birth weight and smaller head circumference. However, I also learned this: in a JAMA Psychiatry study of more than 1800 children, investigators found an adjusted 2-fold increased risk for ASD (autism spectrum disorder) among mothers who used an SSRI during the year before delivery and a 3-fold increased risk when SSRIs were ingested during the first trimester. The study was done in 2011 so it’s not new but it’s still an important finding. To me, this provides a very big incentive for using drug-free solutions for pregnancy – which is why the amino acids, fish oils and other nutrients that I cover in The Antianxiety Food Solution are worth investigating as a better option.  We really need some research in this area!

I’ll be sharing some other interesting posters (like “Mindful-based stress reduction for stress and cognition in older adults”) and presentations (like Benzodiazapine side-effects and tolerance) in my next post on the ADAA.

Gluten and the serious effects on mental health: ADAA 2013

By Trudy Scott 14 Comments

logo_adaa

The 2013 annual conference of the Anxiety and Depression Association of America  is April 5-7 at the Hyatt Regency La Jolla at Aventine (La Jolla, California).  It’s a wonderful conference to hear all the latest research on anxiety and depression.  The focus of the conference is primarily therapy and medications with some presentations and posters on exercise, nutrients, guided imagery, yoga and one topic on gluten (mine!)

I’m doing a poster presentation Friday, April 5, 6:30 – 8pm, “Evidence-based Research On The Serious Effects Of Gluten On Mental Health, With An In-depth Look At Testing And The Gluten-free Diet.” 

This poster will identify what gluten is, where it is found and if the gluten-free diet is a fad or very real concern for those with mental health disorders. The following will be explained: gluten sensitivity, celiac disease, and wheat allergies. Evidence-based research will be reviewed, showing the serious impacts of gluten on various mental health disorders: anxiety, social phobia, panic attacks, depression, schizophrenia and bipolar disorder.

Here are a few examples of some the research that will be reviewed: 

  • “gluten sensitivity remains undertreated and underrecognized as a contributing factor to psychiatric and neurologic manifestations” (Jackson, Psychiatric Quarterly 2011)
  • Spectrum of gluten-related disorders: consensus on new nomenclature and classification (Sapone, BMC Medicine, 2012)
  • Celiac disease, wheat allergy, and gluten sensitivity: when gluten free is not a fad. (Pietzak, Journal of Parenteral and Enteral Nutrition 2012)
  • Gluten-free diet may alleviate depressive and behavioural symptoms in adolescents with coeliac disease (Pynnönen , BMC Psychiatry 2005)
  • Social phobia in coeliac disease (Addolorato, Scandinavian Journal of Gastroenterology 2008)

There will be an in-depth discussion of the various testing options and the many associated health problems that may be associated with gluten intolerance. This session will clearly define gluten-containing versus gluten-free foods when it comes to eating a gluten-free diet.

Overcoming Monkey Mind in Experience Life magazine

By Trudy Scott 9 Comments

April Experience Life cover“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.” 

The Role of Inflammation in Stress, Anxiety and Depression

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.