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

Woman with Anxiety at ADAA 2012 conference: food is the answer

By Trudy Scott 2 Comments

I’m heading to the 32nd Annual Conference of Anxiety Disorders Association of America . It’s on from April 12 – 15, 2012 at the Crystal Gateway Marriott, Arlington, Virginia.

The theme is: Integrating Mind-Body Connections: Advancing Science, Informing Practice for Anxiety and Related Disorders and you can find conference details here

I’m thrilled that I’ve been accepted to do a poster presentation on food/nutrients and anxiety – Food and Mood: Case Study of Woman with Anxiety. It will cover real whole food, including grass-fed red meat; neurotransmitters and amino acids GABA and 5-HTP; the mineral zinc; the omega-3 and omega-6 fatty acids; vitamin D; the mood impacts of gluten and more.  All supporting research will be provided.

The amazing thing is that this woman, a client of mine, was able to completely eliminate her anxiety and panic attacks, PMS and carb cravings using dietary and lifestyle changes only.

I look forward to sharing this information and my book The Antianxiety Food Solution  with attendees.

One of the newest food mood studies I’ll be sharing is one by Davison and Kaplan, titled Nutrient Intakes Are Correlated With Overall Psychiatric Functioning in Adults With Mood Disorders. It was recently published in the Canadian Journal of Psychiatry.

They looked at Canadian adults with mood disorders. Intake of carbs, fiber, total fat, linoleic acid, riboflavin, niacin, folate, vitamin B6, B12, pantothenic acid, calcium, phosphorus, potassium, iron, magnesium and zinc were measured and higher levels of nutrients equated to better mental health.

Dr Kaplan, PhD was quoted as saying: “Doctors should consider counseling their patients to eat unprocessed, natural, healthy foods and refer them to a nutrition professional if specialized dietary consultation is needed.”

Here are some other interesting poster sessions I plan to visit:

  • Evaluation of Oral Zinc Sulfate Effect on Obsessive-Compulsive Disorder: A
    Randomized Placebo-Controlled Clinical Trial
  • Dietary Supplements for Anxiety Disorders: A Systematic Review

There are also some very interesting sessions that I look forward to attending:

  •  Integrating Complementary and Alternative Medicine Into the Treatment of Anxiety and Related Disorders
  • Exercise for Mood and Anxiety
  • Adding Biofeedback to a Mental Health Practice
  • The Ethics of Psychology in the Media: Print, Internet, and TV
  • Anxiety and Gastrointestinal Distress Across the Lifespan
  • Benzodiazepine Use

All in all it should be a great three days of sharing, learning and networking at the ADAA 2012 conference and then a day of leisure in Washington DC before I head to Wisconsin for 3 days of Food-mood-anxiety workshops . I’m going to need that day of leisure!

I’ll be sharing what I learn on future blog posts and have plans to share my new beautiful 3ft x 5 ft poster too (created by my wonderful assistant Mika Howard) . And of course, I’ll take plenty of photos too.

Food and Mood: 9 Steps to Calm the Anxious Mind in Wisconsin

By Trudy Scott 10 Comments

What are the 9 steps? the power of real whole foods and the 4 food solutions from The Antianxiety Food Solution; removal of sugar and balancing blood sugar; removal of gluten and caffeine; optimizing digestion, balancing brain chemistry with amino acids; addressing pyroluria with zinc and vitamin B6; addressing lifestyle and other factors.

Please join me for a full 1 day seminar to learn about the powerful connection between food and mood, and anxiety specifically.

“Food and Mood: 9 Steps to Calm the Anxious Mind, Improve Mood & End Cravings”

I’ll be doing 3 live talks in Wisconsin in these locations and on these dates:

Tuesday, April 17, 2012 at 8:30 AM – 4:00 PM in Appleton, WI

Wednesday, April 18, 2012 at 8:30 AM – 4:00 PM in Madison, WI

Thursday, April 19, 2012 at 8:30 AM – 4:00 PM in Milwaukee, WI

In addition to the live talks above, a LIVE WEBCAST will also be available! It will be interactive and you will have the opportunity to send in questions via email on the day and I’ll answer your questions during the talk. (It will also be available to purchase as a DVD after the event).

Thursday, April 19, 2012 at 8:30 AM Central Time/ 9:30 AM Eastern Time

Note: This webcast (audio & video) will be broadcast over the internet. You may access this event from anywhere with an established internet connection.

The fee of $79.99 includes comprehensive course materials, questionnaires and selected references.

These are PESI seminars and are geared towards mental health professionals and are also open to the public. They are delivered as a live event with Q & A at various times during the presentation. I’ll be covering all the latest research on food and mental health, as well as practical steps for implementing changes.

[Update after the event: go to the PESI site and at the Title, enter Trudy Scott, and hit SEARCH to see all the future events, plus DVD/CDs that are available for purchase.]

I recently did the same series in the Boston area and this is what Bob Weiss had to say:

“The role of nutrition is huge and I thank you so much for opening up what has been too focused on aggressive psychotropics. What you are offering is part of the vital current that is changing the healthcare waters. I thought your piece about the role of amino acids, not just diet, was extremely valuable. I am going to be suggesting your book, The Antianxiety Food Solution, to my patients.”
Robert L. Weiss, L.I.C.S.W., C.A.S.
Licensed Psychotherapist and Certified Addictions Specialist
www.bobweiss.com

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

Natural remedies for a cold, flu and sore throat

By Trudy Scott 21 Comments

On my recent food-mood trip to Boston, I was able to keep going for three days despite the fact that I had picked up a bug or two!  I had a slight sore throat before leaving and the long flight and time change didn’t help. It was also a pretty demanding 3 days of all-day presenting on Food and Mood: 9 Steps to Calm the Anxious Mind, Improve Mood & End Cravings.  Each day I lectured for about 7 hours and had about an hour of Q&A time answering questions. I really thought I might lose my voice by the end of day two but these natural remedies for colds, flu and sore throats really saved the day!

  • Vitamin D (5000IU), which has important antimicrobial properties
  • Vitamin C (1000mg 4 x day) and Zinc (30mg), both of which help with the common cold
  • Boiron Cold Calm, a homeopathic product that is amazing for cold symptoms
  • Boiron Oscillococcinum, a homeopathic product that is amazing for flu symptoms
  • Boiron Roxalia, a homeopathic product for hoarseness/voice strain. I love Boiron Cold Calm and Oscillococcinum and always have some on hand, especially when travelling. The Roxalia product was new to me but worked wonders for all the talking and I think should be a standard for speakers and singers! You can check out all the Boiron products here. Another favorite is the Arnica cream which I used on my aching feet (all that standing!)
  • I drank warm herbal tea all day. I had a jug of hot water up near the podium and enjoyed sipping on Throat Coat!
  • I also gargled twice a day with a few drops of tea tree oil diluted in warm water
  • And another new one for me was Manuka lozenges – lozenges made from pure manuka New Zealand honey, very soothing on the throat and with great anti-bacterial properties. This is a keeper too!

I did of course also make sure to eat well, drink plenty of filtered water and get a good night’s sleep. I hope you can benefit from some of these wonderful natural remedies too.

Total cholesterol that is too low: anxiety and depression in women

By Trudy Scott 29 Comments

If your total cholesterol level is too low, you’re at increased risk for anxiety, depression, and even suicide, as well as increased risk of strokes, cancer, digestive diseases and respiratory diseases.

A study by Suarez in 1999 in Psychosomatic Medicine found a relationship between low cholesterol and increased anxiety and depression in women. And in a 2008 paper in the Journal of Clinical Psychiatry it was reported that when total cholesterol is less than 160 mg/dl (milligrams per decililter), there may be an increased risk of suicide.

An interesting 1992 editorial in the journal Circulation reported that these same levels were also associated with increased risk of death from strokes, cancer, and digestive and respiratory diseases. In addition, this editoral emphasizes that, among women, there is no association between high blood cholesterol and cardiovascular deaths.

Dr Mark Hyman, MD is one of my favorite integrative physicians and he writes extensively on cholesterol and why it may not be the cause of heart disease.  He talks about the importance of ratios (total cholesterol to HDL and triglycerides to HDL) and considering additional testing if you’re concerned about heart disease: NMR Lipid Profile to look at particle sizes, Hemoglobin A1c, Cardio C-reactive protein for inflammation, Homocysteine, Fibrinogen, Lipoprotein (a) and others.

Low total cholesterol is a topic that I address in 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.  It is just one of many factors that need to be considered for anxiety and mood issues.

Low blood sugar can result in anxiety

By Trudy Scott 29 Comments

Signs of low blood sugar may include:

  • Anxiety, irritability, agitation, nervousness
  • Shaky between meals or when you skip a meal
  • Poor memory, focus and fatigue
  • Intense sweet craving at various times of the day
  • Feeling stressed and overwhelmed
  • Waking in the night (low blood sugar is one of many causes of insomnia)

When you have stable blood sugar, you will feel grounded, experience less overwhelm and stress, feel less anxious and have no cravings – if your cravings are blood sugar related (cravings can also be due to yeast, low serotonin, low endorphins, low catecholamines and low GABA)

Simple dietary changes to help stabilize your blood sugar

1.     Eat enough protein

  • Eat at least 20-25g (4oz or palm-sized portions) of good quality protein at each meal
  • Grassfed beef, lamb, wild fish, pastured chicken, turkey and eggs, dairy (if it’s not an issue for you), legumes
  • This is not negotiable – you must eat breakfast every day! And within an hour of waking
  • If you can’t quite give up your coffee make sure to eat breakfast first
  • Make sure to include protein at breakfast! (egg, fish, chicken sausage, cheese/yogurt, even dinner for breakfast)
  • Substitute packaged cereals with real oatmeal, buckwheat & other grains and add nuts, seeds, coconut, butter, yogurt or kefir or a scoop of whey protein
  • Smoothies are good too – use fruit like berries and banana, use water as your base, add 1/3 cup full-fat coconut milk, 20g whey protein powder (other optional additions: green powder or freshly juiced greens, yogurt or kefir, nut butters, freshly ground flax seeds)

2.     Eat 3 meals and 2 snacks

  • Protein, fat and carbohydrate at each meal and snack.
  • Lunch example: protein= Beef, lamb, fish, chicken, turkey, legumes fat=butter, olive oil, avocado; carbohydrate = starchy veggie like sweet potato or brown rice
  • Meal ideas: meat and veggies, salad and protein, veggie soup with protein, lentil soup
  • Snack ideas: boiled egg; crackers and hummus; fruit and a few nuts; crackers and cheese; raw carrots/zucchini and cream cheese
  • Always carry some nuts with you for emergencies! Pumpkin seeds are a great choice.

Thanks to Elizabeth E for her recent comment on Amazon (this is an excerpt):

“I just recently finished reading this book and am grateful for such a great resource! I’ve already begun employing some of the suggestions laid out and they are helping. For example, I am making sure to include more protein in my breakfast and it’s definitely helping my anxiety!”

There are nutrients that help with blood sugar control: the amino acid glutamine, and zinc and chromium. These will be addressed in a later blog post.

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

Lentil and Sweet Potato Soup

By Trudy Scott 8 Comments

Lentils are a good source of protein, fiber and complex carbohydrates, and they are packed with nutrients. They provide folic acid and tryptophan, and are also an important source of iron, especially for menstruating women, whose iron needs are greater. Eating lentils with foods rich in vitamin C, such as tomatoes, green peppers, broccoli and citrus fruits helps the body absorb iron more efficiently. The soluble fiber found in lentils is good for the digestive system, lowers cholesterol and decreases insulin requirements for people with diabetes. It will also help keep blood sugar levels stable if you are prone to low blood sugar (and low blood sugar can leave you feeling anxious and stressed with poor focus).

Lentils are also quick and easy to prepare since they don’t require soaking. They are also versatile and can be made into a soup or stew or loaf, and can even be sprouted.

Lentil and Sweet Potato Soup

1T butter or coconut oil 1 cup red lentils, rinsed
5 cups vegetable stock 2 sweet potatoes or yams
2 chopped onions 1 chopped green pepper
2 chopped garlic cloves 2 T apple cider vinegar
1 t ground coriander 1 t ground cumin
½ t chilli powder (optional) 1T chopped fresh ginger
Chopped cilantro 2 tomatoes or 1 can tomatoes

Heat the butter and sauté the garlic, ginger and onion. Add the spices (coriander, chilli, cumin). Stir in stock and lentils, tomatoes, sweet potatoes and bring to boil and then simmer for 20 minutes. Blend in a food processor until smooth. Add vinegar and stir well. Sprinkle with chopped cilantro and serve. Enjoy!