ann louise gittleman

Why Bile is the Key to Anxiety & Hormone Havoc with Ann Louise Gittleman on The Anxiety Summit 5: Gut-Brain Axis

October 4, 2019 By Trudy Scott 9 Comments

Ann Louise Gittleman is one my guest experts on The Anxiety Summit 5: Gut-Brain Axis and our topic is: Why Bile is the key to Anxiety & Hormone Havoc.

We had such a wonderful interview. She is sharp and funny, and really good with her short catchy phrases like this one: “Let’s make bile as important as probiotics!”

We start with the important role of bile in our bodies:

it emulsifies and digests fat, breaking it down into small particles so that your intestines can absorb them. It also helps escort toxins that your liver has removed out of the body.

We cover some of the many symptoms of low quality bile, such as queasiness, nausea, pale-colored stools, constipation and even motion-sickness.

Here is a snippet from our interview where Ann Louise shares about bitters, bile and the importance of digesting your fats:

I’m all for fat, I’ve written about it for years and have been on the frontlines of essential fatty acids. But if you’re not digesting fats you’re not using them and getting the benefits of your fat soluble vitamins A, D, E and K.

So bile is brilliant! Bring back the importance of bile and we know that bitter is better!

If you can remember all of that you’re on the right track to dealing with your anxiety and hormone havoc.

She covers role of bile in PMS, estrogen imbalance and thyroid health; how it’s involved in the removal of toxins from the body; and simple tools to improve bile production (one of them being the addition of bitter greens to your diet). We take a deep dive into key nutrients for bile production and quality: choline, taurine, inositol and methionine.

We also go into zinc: copper imbalances and the role this plays in PMS, hormone balance and anxiety. We talk about avocado and almond flour – both are good sources of fats and both need good quality bile to be digested. You may be surprised to hear what Ann Louise shares about these two foods. You’re going to have to tune in to know what I’m talking about. If you’re surprised (or even if you’re not) please let me know in the comments.

You likely know Ann Louise Gittleman as a New York Times Bestselling author of over 30 books on diet, detox, the environment, and women’s health. Beloved by many, she is regarded as a nutritional visionary and health pioneer who has fearlessly stood on the front lines of holistic and integrative medicine.

One of my favorite books of hers is Before the Change: Taking Charge of Your Perimenopause. This book helped me so much when I was in the midst of my PMS, anxiety and panic attacks in my late 30s. It was this book that taught me about my need for zinc and vitamin B6 and evening primrose oil before I even knew that pyroluria existed. It was one of the many books I read at that time, starting me on my lifelong journey of reading about nutrition, studying to become a nutritionist and attending conferences and summits.

Please join us and listen to the entire interview on The Anxiety Summit 5: Gut-Brain Axis. When you register you’ll get immediate access to Ann Louise’s interview and these two interviews:

Fix the Brain to Fix the Gut – Datis Kharrazian, DHSc, DC, MS, FACN, CNS
MTHFR, B12 Genes and Anxiety – Carolyn Ledowsky, ND

I’ll be sharing snippets like this over the weeks leading up to the summit, highlighting speakers and their topics. Do let me know how you like this format.

If you have already signed up for the summit, I hope you enjoy these interview highlights. If you have yet to sign up, please do come and join us and learn.

If you’d like to give feedback or ask a question, please post in the comments section below.

Even if you already receive my newsletters and have already signed up to be notified of the upcoming Anxiety Summit, you will still need to register at the new link here, because Health Talks Online is doing the backend work for me on this one. If you don’t register you won’t get access to the daily emails with all the interviews. You will however, continue to get these emails from me.

Radical Metabolism: boosting energy, enhancing digestion, improving hormone health and blasting fat

August 28, 2018 By Trudy Scott 11 Comments

Ann Louise Gittleman has a new book called “Radical Metabolism: A Powerful New Plan to Blast Fat and Reignite Your Energy in Just 21 Days.”

Last week I had the wonderful opportunity to interview her! The book is primarily about weight-loss but I chose to focus on other aspects in our interview. We talked about so many valuable topics for boosting metabolism and energy, enhancing digestion, improving hormone health and reducing anxiety.

She shares that no disease can be healed if your cell membranes – which direct nutrients in and poisons out – are weak and unstable:

Radical Metabolism is all about what to eat to rebuild and fortify those lipid (fat)-based cell membranes, so that toxins are prevented from moving up the chain and gunking up the function of every cell, tissue, and organ in your body, from your brain to your thyroid, gallbladder, liver, kidneys, and skin. This is where omega-6 fats really shine.

Here are some of the highlights of what we covered, together with some related snippets from the book:

– our gallbladders and thyroid health

a study out of Finland found that people with decreased bile production are nearly ten times more apt to experience hypothyroidism. With low thyroid on the rise, this provides great hope to the millions of hypothyroid sufferers who experience metabolic slowdown as well as fatigue, dry skin, and constipation. Besides hypothyroidism, studies have also connected poor quality bile with chronic fatigue, migraines, depression, and autoimmune disorders.

– the importance of bile for digesting fat and absorbing fat-soluble vitamins

Bile is stored in the gallbladder to break down dietary fat and remove toxins from the body. Harvard Medical School research has revealed that subjects with improved bile health showed a remarkable spike in metabolism.

– the metabolic benefits of omega-6 fats – hemp seed oil, sesame seed oil, pine nut oil and ghee

Hemp seeds are one of nature’s greatest gifts, perfect little bundles of benefits for your entire body. You can reap the hemp’s benefits by consuming the oil, seeds (typically these are “hemp hearts” which have had their hulls removed), or by blending them into hemp milk. Hemp seeds are about one third healthful fats and one quarter protein, as well as a magnificent source of natural GLA (gamma-linolenic acid). It’s hard to find a food with a better essential fat profile – hemp boasts a 3:1 omega-6–to–omega-3 ratio.

– omega-6s and pyroluria/zinc absorption (my addition)

– why to include these oils if you’re eating a keto or paleo diet

– why bitters are beautiful – the big one is improving digestion and stimulating bile production!

Studies suggest bitters “get your juices flowing” (literally) by stimulating the release of bile, as well as saliva, HCl, pepsin, gastrin, and pancreatic enzymes.

– watercress as a great bitter food bile booster

Watercress is kind of the forgotten stepchild of the cruciferous family – a peppery-flavored cousin to cabbage, arugula, and mustard greens. Recent studies have put watercress back on the menu thanks to its powerful health-stimulating benefits, which is why it deserves a starring role in the Radical Metabolism plan

Besides being a bitter food bile-booster, in a study led by nutritionist Sarah Schenker a small group of women lost an average of 17 pounds in six weeks on a watercress soup diet. The exceptional antioxidants in watercress pump up your energy while exercising, while at the same time protecting you from exertion-related DNA damage. According to head researcher Dr. Mark Fogarty, watercress contains ten times as many beneficial chemicals as any other fruit or vegetable.

– how coffee and cacao work as bitters and dandelion tea as a good alternative (also bitter) if you can’t tolerate coffee

– and grapefruit as a bitter fruit (and one of the reasons why the grapefruit diet worked!)

– why testing ferritin is so important (and why to avoid cast iron pots)

Here is the audio of our interview. Enjoy!

And here is the recipe for: Creamy Dreamy Watercress Soup

This soup is not only fat-burning, but filling and flavorful. The recipe makes about one day’s worth of soup on the 4-Day Radical Intensive. You can either prepare it daily or cook up four batches in advance—whatever works best with your schedule.

Makes 6 cups

4 cups bone broth, either homemade (page 216) or Kettle & Fire

1/2 large bulb celeriac (celery root), (about one 5-inch bulb), brown exterior removed (do not to remove too much); cauliflower works as substitute

1 bunch leeks, cleaned and sliced

1 daikon radish, roughly chopped

1 (2-inch) piece fresh ginger, peeled and chopped

1 to 2 teaspoons sea salt, to taste

1 Radical Lemon Cube

1 large bunch watercress, roughly chopped

Optional: Add 1/2 to 1 teaspoon miso to each warm bowl of soup

Bring the broth to a simmer in a saucepan. Add the celeriac, leeks, daikon, and ginger. Add enough water to the pot to just submerge the vegetables. Simmer for 20 minutes, or until the veggies are tender.

Using an immersion blender, blend the soup until creamy. If too thick, you can always add a bit more water. Stir in the salt, lemon cube, and watercress. Simmer for 5 minutes, then blend again with your immersion blender.

Serve in a mug or bowl with or without the miso.

Note: To make Radical Lemon Cubes: 3 lemons quartered, 1 cup filtered water

Place the lemons and water in a blender or food processor and puree. Spoon the puree into ice cube trays and freeze.

Ann Louise Gittleman, New York Times bestselling author of more than thirty books including The Fat Flush Plan series and Before the Change, has been revolutionizing the rules of health and nutrition for more than three decades. She holds an MS in Nutrition Education from Columbia University, the title of Certified Nutrition Specialist (CNS) from the American College of Nutrition, and a PhD in Holistic Nutrition. Gittleman has also served as the Chief Nutritionist of the Pediatric Clinic at Bellevue Hospital and is the former Director of Nutrition at the Pritikin Longevity Center in Santa Monica, CA. She currently sits on the Advisory Board for the International Institute for Building-Biology & Ecology, the Nutritional Therapy Association, Inc. and Clear Passage, Inc. Read more about her at www.annlouise.com.

Grab your copy of Radical Metabolism on Amazon here (my Amazon link). Grab bonus ebooks and details about the private Facebook group here

Enjoy! And do let us know what you think of these tips and the watercress soup recipe. And be sure to leave a review for Ann Louise.

Parasites, heavy metals and Lyme disease on the Parasite Summit

September 10, 2017 By Trudy Scott 2 Comments

Here are a few snippets from some of the interviews on the Parasite Summit:

The Trio of Parasites, Heavy Metals and Lyme Disease by Dr. Jay Davidson

from what we understand research wise, Lyme disease, which is technically a bacteria or spirochete, has been shown to live inside of certain nematodes, which is essentially a type of parasite like a roundworm. So parasites can actually house Lyme disease, or bacteria, or other viruses, or other bacteria. And then, parasites are also a huge sponge for absorbing heavy metals.

And here’s what’s really crazy to think about. Parasites absorb heavy metals. So if you run a test and think, “Oh, man, I must have a ton of heavy metals because Dr. Jay and Dr. Scott are saying heavy metals are like this big thing,” and all of a sudden you have like no heavy metals show up or even false lows, and let’s say you “ran the test right,” it could mean that you also have a massive parasite issue because parasites absorb heavy metals. And if you didn’t deal with the parasites, then the heavy metals are still in the parasite, which then means that, from a testing standpoint, can still come up negative.

Digestion Strategies for Parasite Prevention by Dr. David Jockers

Now, somebody that does have their gallbladder taken out, you’re still producing bile. You just can’t produce as much. And so ultimately, therefore, you’re going to be at a much greater risk of developing something like a parasitic overgrowth if you don’t already have one. Which is typically one of the problems when you do have a sluggish gallbladder, oftentimes, it’s associated with a parasitic overgrowth or some sort of bacterial overgrowth in your small intestine.

I think it has to do with the ability of bile to be an emulsifier. Okay. So not only is it good for breaking up fatty acids in there, which is super key for digestion there, but the outer membrane of a lot of bacteria and microbes also is a fatty membrane. And so it can help break that up, as well. I believe that’s the main mechanism for it.

Parasites: Root Cause of Mystery Diseases by Ann Louise Gittleman

I think if any of your listeners have real difficulty in shaking off some of sort of illness, and if they’ve been feeling tired and listless and if they have a problem that the doctor simply can’t identify, then they have to begin to suspect that parasites could be the underlying cause. I also want them to remember that parasitic diseases don’t always happen to people just in other countries. The rate of parasite related disorders in our country is just about skyrocketing. And every single one of the 134 species that have been identified has been found on our shores.

The dark circles, the intermittent diarrhea, the persistent acne, anorexia, food intolerance, palpitations, puffy eyes, depression. Oh, that’s a good one. And there have been clinical studies from JAMA, as I recall, where they’ve connected toxoplasmosis with depression. So depression is big…who would connect it with a parasite? And the inability to relax and anxiety and being overly angry very oftentimes can have a toxoplasmosis connection.

I cover toxoplasma gondii in great detail in my interview on the Parasite Summit, as well as malaria and malaria medications.

At the Parasite Summit, experts will help you determine if parasites are silently impacting your health–they’re FAR MORE COMMON than you think! Parasites aren’t just found in third-world countries, millions are already infected in industrialized countries and could be silently hampering your health. Fortunately, with awareness and appropriate care, parasites can be prevented and treated, once detected.

If you’re struggling with any of the following, don’t miss this event:

Gastrointestinal: pain/cramps, excess gas, bloating, constipation/diarrhea
Infertility and hormone disorders
Skin issues: acne, itching, rashes
Mental health: depression, bipolar disorder, anxiety, OCD, schizophrenia
Challenges with autoimmune disease recovery (Toxoplasma gondii may be a factor in Hashimoto’s thyroiditis)

The Parasite Summit is online from September 11-18, 2017 and you can register here I hope you can join us!

Please share feedback and ask questions in the comments below.

The New Fat Flush Plan book, poor bile production and anxiety

December 2, 2016 By Trudy Scott 9 Comments

A new book by Ann Louise Gittleman, Ph.D., C.N.S., The New Fat Flush Plan, has just released and already it’s a New York Times bestseller. The first edition of this book was an all-time favorite with me and my clients when I first started working as a nutritionist. I’m really pleased to see she has a new edition and I am loving the updates.

I especially enjoy the new sections that address the Top 10 Hidden Weight Gain Factors (the notes in parentheses after each hidden factor are mine):

Hidden Factor #1: Your Tired, Toxic Liver (she has always been an expert on this topic)

Hidden Factor #2: False Fat (this one is intriguing, isn’t it?)

Hidden Factor #3: Fear of Eating Fat (I’m constantly amazed this fear still exists)

Hidden Factor #4: Insulin Resistance and Inflammation (a big factor in so many diseases)

Hidden Factor #5: Stress as a Fat Maker (we know all about this one, don’t we?)

Hidden Factor #6: Messy Microbiome (we’re seeing so much new research on this topic)

Hidden Factor #7: Poor Quality Bile (we don’t hear much about bile so I’m going to share more on this topic – I shared some of it from the Medicinal Supplements Summit here)

Hidden Factor #8: Tuckered Out Thyroid (more and more people are experiencing thyroid issues)

Hidden Factor #9: Hidden Hitchhikers – Parasites (you heard her share her expertise on this topic in our Parasite-Anxiety interview on the Anxiety Summit)

Hidden Factor #10: Missing Magnesium (this one is also a big factor for anxiety)

As you can see much of the above applies to both weight-gain and anxiety. I’d like to share some of the excellent information on poor quality bile because it’s not something we hear much about. Because it’s tied to fluctuating blood sugar levels, toxins and fat digestion, it has a direct impact on anxiety.

If you’ve been taking or are currently taking prescription anxiety or depression medications (SSRIs or benzodiazepines) or other medications then there is also the need for more liver and gallbladder support.

Let’s start with the function of bile:

Made from lecithin, cholesterol and bilirubin, your bile has two jobs. First it emulsifies and digests fat, breaking it down into small particles so that your intestines can absorb them. Second, it helps escort toxins that your liver has removed out of the body.

Ann Louise shares how bile deficiency affects your overall health, prevents weight-loss and encourages weight gain:

You know that erratic blood sugar levels, haywire hunger hormones, a tired toxic liver, and poor detoxification prime the body to accumulate excess fat.

What she shares next is very interesting:

Each of these factors are rooted to some degree in low quality bile as well as other causes. As a matter of fact, bile has such an important role in weight regulation that improving bile quality has been shown to increase metabolism by 50 percent. If you thin the bile you thin the body. Period.

I really enjoy the signs and symptoms she shares in the book. Here are some of the signs and symptoms of low quality bile:

Queasiness after a fatty meal (impaired bile flow)
Light-colored or floating stools (lack of bile output)
Nausea (not enough bile)
Dry skin and hair (lack of essential fatty acids)
Constipation (inadequate bile for lubrication)
Constant feeling of fullness
Inability to lose weight
Pain under the right rib cage (reflective pain from the gallbladder)
Hemorrhoids (congested liver)
Varicose veins (pressure from constipation due to thickened bile)
Pain between the shoulder blades (reflective pain from the gallbladder)
Bloating or gas
Headache over the eyes (gallbladder meridian passes over this region)
Bitter taste in the mouth after meals (sign of bile regurgitation)
History of prescription or recreational drug use (need for more liver and gallbladder support)
Sensitivities to chemicals
Easily intoxicated (need for more liver and gallbladder support)
Fibromyalgia (sign of liver and gallbladder overload)
Hypothyroidism (sign of deficient bile to stimulate active thyroid hormone in fat cells)

Here is a quick summary of the advice she offers to improve bile production:

Elimination of food allergies
Addressing low levels of hydrochloric acid or stomach acid
Controlling stress
Adding bitter greens to the diet
Hot lemon water in the morning (a favorite of the original Fat Flash Plan)
Adding non-GMO lecithin from soy and sunflowers to your morning smoothie
Using castor oil packs
Using a bile building formula that contains choline, taurine, beet root and pancreatic lipase

Here is the link to the New Fat Flush Plan on Amazon so you can check out the bile chapter in detail and read about all the other hidden factors and tools for weight-loss and overall health.

Get a copy for yourself as a gift or get a copy for a friend or sister or other family member. And let us know what you think? And how you do with improving your bile production?

I’m going to work on improving my bile production and I’ll keep you posted on my progress.

Bile and modified citrus pectin for detox: Medicinal Supplements Summit

September 16, 2016 By Trudy Scott 23 Comments

Wendy Myers, co-host of the Medicinal Supplements Summit, addresses minerals, toxins and heavy metals and shares one her favorite supplements for detox support: modified citrus pectin. This entire interview is fascinating!

I just love Ann Louise Gittleman’s interview on the importance of bile for absorbing fats, hormone production, removing toxins, thyroid health, digestion and anxiety, and so much more. For promoting bile production and thinning, she covers choline, taurine, beets, lipase, bitter greens, apple-cider vinegar, hot lemon water and more.

Tune in to hear these entire interviews and all the other great speakers!

You can use this link to register for access https://qt247.isrefer.com/go/SUPP16reg/trudyscottcn/

And use this link to purchase at summit special prices https://qt247.isrefer.com/go/SUPP16order/trudyscottcn/

The Anxiety Summit – The Parasite/Anxiety Connection

May 9, 2015 By Trudy Scott 45 Comments

Ann Louise Gittleman PhD, CNS, author of The Fat Flush Plan and Guess What Came to Dinner, was interviewed on the Anxiety Summit by host of the Anxiety Summit, Trudy Scott, Food Mood Expert and Nutritionist, author of The Antianxiety Food Solution.

The Parasite/Anxiety Connection

How common are parasites and how do we become infected (even if we live in a first world country)
How do parasites contribute to anxiety and depression and even schizophrenia
Other symptoms of a parasitic infection
How to avoid being exposed to parasites
How to test for parasites and how do we get rid of the parasite/s

Here are some gems from our interview:

Parasitic infections in the USA are far more common than you would expect – in fact the estimates are that 1 in every 3 people have a parasite or more than one

Parasites can contribute to or cause anxiety and fear by altering “hormonal and neurotransmitter communication and/or direct interference with the neurons and brain regions that mediate behavioural expression”

According to folklore, parasites are more active around the full moon, so testing and treating around this time may yield better results

Toxoplasma gondii is one parasite that has been researched a great deal and is one that has big implications for anxiety and other mood conditions, especially schizophrenia.

Ann Louise shared this interesting article from Scientific American called Toxoplasma’s Dark Side: The Link Between Parasite and Suicide

In 2003, E. Fuller Torrey of the Stanley Medical Research Institute in Bethesda, Maryland his colleagues noted a link between Toxoplasma and schizophrenia – specifically, that women with high levels of the parasite were more likely to give birth to schizophrenics-to-be

scientists have discovered a link between suicide and parasite infection

In 2006, researchers linked Toxoplasma infection to neuroticism in both men and women.

When we are infected with a parasite like Toxoplasma gondii, our immune system goes on the offensive, producing a group of molecules called cytokines that activate various immune cell types. The exact mechanism by which cytokines cause depression and other mental illnesses is poorly understood, but we do know they are able to pass the blood-brain barrier and alter neurotransmitters like serotonin and dopamine in the brain.

Here is the parasite testing and products we discussed:

The Expanded GI panel (for testing)

Colon Cleaning kit with Verma-Plus and Para- Key (together with a probiotic)

Verma-Plus contains the Native American herb called Centaury (aerial portion) (Centaurium erythraea)

It seems to have antimicrobial properties too: Volatile organic compounds from Centaurium erythraea Rafn (Croatia) and the antimicrobial potential of its essential oil.

And gastroprotective effects: Gastroprotective effect of small centaury (Centaurium erythraea L) on aspirin-induced gastric damage in rats.

We also talked about using filtered water for washing fruits and vegetables and this is the water filter Ann Louise recommends: Countertop Ultra-Ceramic Water Filter. “It purifies your tap water for the removal of incoming contaminants including parasites, chlorine, chloramines, heavy metals, cloudiness and sediment. The ceramic filter also inhibits the growth of bacteria”

Ann Louise has written many wonderful books. Here are three of them that were mentioned in this interview:

Guess What Came to Dinner? Parasites and Your Health (this is the book about parasites)

Ann Louise Gittleman_guess what came to dinner

Before the Change: Taking Charge of Your Perimenopause (this is the one that helped me so much when I was in my late thirties and having perimenopausal symptoms – with the zinc, vitamin B6 and evening primrose oil )

The Fat Flush Plan (this is one of many her classic weight loss books)

Here is her gift: a 50-Page Report on Parasites – Still the Greatest Masqueraders of All Time

If you are not already registered for the Anxiety Summit you can get live access to the speakers of the day here: www.theAnxietySummit.com

Missed this interview or can’t listen live? Or want this and the other great interviews for your learning library? Purchase the MP3s or MP3s + transcripts and listen when it suits you.

You can find your purchasing options here: Anxiety Summit Season 1, Anxiety Summit Season 2, and Anxiety Summit Season 3.