Antianxiety Food Solution

The Anxiety Summit: Misunderstood and Mistreated – Reinventing Psychiatry

June 20, 2014 By Trudy Scott 8 Comments

[REPLAY on Saturday 6/21 – ENJOY!]

This is day 1 of the Anxiety Summit. Dr. Kelly Brogan, M.D., Holistic women’s health psychiatry, is interviewed by host of the Anxiety Summit, Trudy Scott, Food Mood Expert and Nutritionist, author of The Antianxiety Food Solution.

Misunderstood and Mistreated: Reinventing Psychiatry

misconceptions around causes of mental illness
the danger of psychiatry and a better model of mental illness
bodily problems that masquerade as psychiatric
top lifestyle interventions and powerful natural treatments

Here are great gems from my interview with Kelly:

there is never a realm in health where you have more opportunity to turn things around through these lifestyle changes than in mental health

we can use inflammatory markers like c-reactive protein to actually tell us which patients are going to develop depression

I have been most compelled by the fact that there is absolutely no mortality benefit for prescribing statins to women. Period

Lifestyle, diet, gut and inflammation

Kelly has a huge focus on lifestyle changes and a healthy Weston A. Price type of diet. She advocates for animal protein and teaches her patients about eating healthy fats. Isn’t that so wonderful? Here is one of her blogs on the topic: Western Diet Causes Cognitive Impairment, Anxiety, and Depression

I just love that she no longer writes prescriptions for SSRIs. She only writes benzodiazepine prescriptions when it’s acute post-partum or psychosis.

We talked about the role of the gut and inflammation in depression and anxiety. Here is a great article by Kelly on her website: Inflammation in Depression

We also talked about the role of the gut and microbiome. Here is a very interesting and recent article that Kelly wrote for GreenMedInfo – Primal Bugs: The Amazing Hunter Gatherer Microbiome.

GreenMedInfo

Kelly is an advisory board member for GreenMedInfo.com. It was at the recent NANP (National Association of Nutrition Professionals) conference that I met Kelly and Sayer Ji, founder of GreenMedInfo, for the first time.

GreenMedInfo.com is a cool resource I’d like to share with you. They are “The World’s Most Widely-Cited, Open-Access, Evidence-Based Natural Health Resource With 20,000+ Articles!” and are “dedicated to bringing the public information on the science behind natural healing methods, as well as to make available research on the inherent dangers associated with the use of chemicals in our food, drugs, water and environment.”

Here is a great GreenMedInfo infographic on what anxiety does to your body.

If you are like me and get all geeky about the science and research, the GreenMedInfo Professional Membership comes highly recommended. I wish I had been a member when I was writing my book! Here is an example of how they have gathered the research related to stress and anxiety

Kelly is not a fan of the low serotonin theory of depression and anxiety

The interesting thing is that Kelly is not a fan of the low serotonin theory of depression and anxiety. We had a rather interesting discussion around the topic, and we respectfully disagree with each other. Surprisingly enough, this is the only real difference of opinion in the whole summit. I had decided that I wanted to air Kelly’s interview on Day 1, and I could have moved it to a later date because of the difference of opinion that we had, but I think healthy debate is a good thing. Hopefully, we can convince Kelly that serotonin is a factor when it comes to anxiety and depression, but also I would like to learn more about why she feels low serotonin doesn’t play a role.

Julia Ross interview on low serotonin and the amino acids

Please do check out my interview with Julia Ross – Eliminating Anxiety: Amino Acid Therapy and Adrenal Balancing. We spend a big part of the interview discussing the role of low serotonin in anxiety and depression and how effective tryptophan and 5-HTP are for alleviating symptoms.

Meme Grant: Client success story with tryptophan

I use tryptophan and 5-HTP with great success with my clients. Be sure to listen to Meme Grant’s success story on Sunday June 22. She shares how she used amino acids to end her anxiety, panic attacks, insomnia and emotional eating. Tryptophan and GABA made a world of difference for her.

Get your free gift from Dr Kelly Brogan

Top 7 Therapeutic Foods

~~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~~

UPDATE: the summit concluded on Tues 6/24 – season 2 of The Anxiety Summit will be in November 2014. If you’d like to be on the notification list just sign up 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 + interview highlights and listen when it suits you

The Anxiety Summit: amazing aminos acids client success with Meme Grant

June 20, 2014 By Trudy Scott 14 Comments

This is day 14 of the Anxiety Summit. Meme Grant is interviewed by host of the Anxiety Summit, Trudy Scott, Food Mood Expert and Nutritionist, author of The Antianxiety Food Solution.

Meme had anxiety, had panic attacks, didn’t enjoy speaking in public, had insomnia and was an emotional eater. She found answers with the amazing aminos acids and the pyroluria protocol. Hear how:

glutamine allowed her to walk past the gluten and dairy free junk foods
tyrosine helped her flutterby mind, gave her energy, focus and a desire to do things again
DPA stopped her comfort eating for too much of the “healthy” sweeteners
Tryptophan stopped her mind talk, got her sleeping through the night for the first time in 11 years and helped reduce the frequency of her panic attacks
GABA was the best amino acid and how the panic attacks disappeared
zinc, vitamin B6 and evening primrose oil helped her pyroluria symptoms. Here is the pyroluria questionnaire we discussed.

Here is a great gem from my interview with Meme:

No matter how bad you feel, know that there is a natural solution out there

Natural solutions come naturally so keep looking

Meme is a GAPS Practitioner, Nutritional Therapist, FNTP, and fellow African.

You can find out more about Meme at www.givennewlife.info

~~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~~

UPDATE: the summit concluded on Tues 6/24 – season 2 of The Anxiety Summit will be in November 2014. If you’d like to be on the notification list just sign up here www.theAnxietySummit.com

The Anxiety Summit: Eliminating Anxiety – Amino Acid Therapy and Adrenal Balancing

June 20, 2014 By Trudy Scott 39 Comments

This is day 5 of the Anxiety Summit season 1. Julia Ross, MFT, pioneer in the field of Amino Acid Therapy and the author of best sellers The Mood Cure and The Diet Cure, is interviewed by host of the Anxiety Summit, Trudy Scott, Food Mood Expert and Nutritionist, author of The Antianxiety Food Solution.

Eliminating Anxiety: Amino Acid Therapy and Adrenal Balancing

the role of low serotonin and low GABA in anxiety
when to use tryptophan versus 5-HTP
the effectiveness of oral GABA supplements
how to assess for neurotransmitter deficiencies and the ineffectiveness of urinary neurotransmitter testing
the adrenals and excess cortisol: how to correct this cause of anxiety
the issues with using benzodiazapines and SSRIs for anxiety

Here are some great gems from my interview with Julia:

On a scale of zero to ten, zero is not an unrealistic goal when it comes to anxiety. It’s really the human potential and GABA and tryptophan give us access to it

Amino acids are really our only hope for quickly reversing the epidemics not only of anxiety, but of depression, compulsive eating, and obesity

We see these low serotonin symptoms disappear in front of us when we administer capsules of one of the two forms of serotonin fuel, either the amino acid tryptophan or the amino acid 5-hydroxy tryptophan

with GABA there’s a whole body relaxing element, as well as an anxiety-relieving, stress-relieving element

if you or someone that you’re working with is dependent on these kind of drugs [benzodiazapines] to get any kind of decent sleep at night, then you can be pretty sure that cortisol levels are too high

Julia talked about how when it comes to funding drug research to treat depression, schizophrenia, anxiety, and other psychiatric disorders, the global pharmaceutical industry prefers to invest its research dollars in cancer, metabolism, autoimmunity, and other disease areas. Here is a link to the article she referred to : Psychiatric Drug Development

We discussed how to assess for neurotransmitter deficiencies and the ineffectiveness of urinary neurotransmitter testing. This is the 2012 study Julia mentioned: Correlation of serotonin levels in CSF, platelets, plasma, and urine

This method of measuring serotonin levels in platelets results in a very strong correlation with levels in CSF (cerebrospinal fluid)

I highly recommend Julia’s wonderful books The Mood Cure: The 4-Step Program to Take Charge of Your Emotions and The Diet Cure: The 8-Step Program to Rebalance Your Body Chemistry and End Food Cravings, Weight Gain, and Mood Swings – Naturally

Be sure to listen to Meme Grant’s success story on Sunday June 22. She shares how she used amino acids to end her anxiety, panic attacks, insomnia and emotional eating. Tryptophan and GABA made a world of difference for her.

Here is Julia’s Townsend article on Urinary Neurotransmitter Testing

~~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~~

UPDATE: season 1 summit concluded on Tues 6/24/14 – If you’d like to be on the notification list for future summits just sign up 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 here and listen when it suits you

The Anxiety Summit: The Research – Food to prevent and treat anxiety and depression?

June 20, 2014 By Trudy Scott 12 Comments

Dr. Felice Jacka, Principal Research Fellow at Deakin University, Melbourne, Australia, is interviewed by host of the Anxiety Summit, Trudy Scott, Food Mood Expert and Nutritionist, author of The Antianxiety Food Solution.

The Research: Food to prevent and treat anxiety and depression?

Organizations and collaboration in nutritional psychiatry research and prevention
Study: Traditional diet lowers the risk of anxiety and depression in women
The surprising benefits of grass-fed red meat for improved mood
Food and mental health research in Norway, Japan, UK and Spain, across all ages and socioeconomic levels
Ongoing research on diet to prevent depression and future research on the gut

These are the two organizations we talked about:

International Society for Nutritional Psychiatry Research

Dr Jacka said she “initiated this society at the end of 2012 really in recognition of the need to get people collaborating and working together and creating those synergies to push this field forward”

Alliance for the Prevention of Mental Disorders

Here are some great gems from our interview:

we take the point that prevention is better than cure

there is no mental health without physical health

treating the whole person- their physical health as well as their mental health – is critical

We’ve now seen data from right around the world right across every continent and across age ranges, showing that diet really does matter to the prevalence and incidence of depression and anxiety.

Study: Association of Western and Traditional Diets with Depression and Anxiety in Women

We discussed the results of her Ph.D. paper that was published in the American Journal of Psychiatry in 2010: “Association of Western and Traditional Diets with Depression and Anxiety in Women.”

This study was published on the front cover of the journal with a big editorial and was nominated the most important study of 2010 in psychiatry research. It was considered really huge news in psychiatry.

a “traditional” dietary pattern characterized by vegetables, fruit, meat, fish, and whole grains was associated with lower odds for major depression or dysthymia and for anxiety disorders. A “western” diet of processed or fried foods, refined grains, sugary products, and beer was associated with a higher odds of mood disorders

We discussed the connection between red meat and mental health especially in women.

Dr. Jacka shared this: “One of the hypotheses that I had during the Ph.D. was that increased intake of animal foods would be toxic” and “would be associated with more mental disorders.”

This did not turn out to be the case. “In our study, out of every single dietary food grouping that I looked at including vegetables, fruits, salads, beans, etc the strongest correlate of mental health was red meat intake,” grass-fed red meat of course.

“Consistently, women who have less than the recommended intake of red meat seem to be in an increased risk for common mental disorders” (like anxiety and depression) “and bipolar disorder.

Women only need a small amount (a palm-sized serving) three or four times a week.

These are pretty profound results, especially in this day and age where people are being cautioned to eat no red meat or to eat less. I encourage all my clients to eat red meat, grass-fed of course. It’s a wonderful source of amino acids, zinc, iron and omega-3 fatty acids – all important for depression and anxiety.

The first randomized controlled trial

Dr. Jacka is looking for participants for the first randomized controlled trial looking at diet as a therapeutic approach for depression. They are seeking the following study participants: those with major depression, who are over 18, with no dietary restrictions and who live in Melbourne.

There is additional information on the Diet Depression Study page.

UPDATE March 2017:
Here is the outcome of the study: SMILES diet depression trial: reduced depression and anxiety

It’s the first randomized controlled diet depression study and ONE THIRD of the dietary intervention group saw improvements in their depression symptoms. This was just diet alone and switching from processed/junk food to real food with no specific dietary restrictions.

With regards to quality animal protein, it did include fish (at least 2 per week); lean red meats (3–4 per week), chicken (2–3 per week) and eggs (up to 6 per week).

The Anxiety Summit: GABA, magnesium, pyroluria and digestive issues

June 19, 2014 By Trudy Scott 15 Comments

This is day 12 of the Anxiety Summit. Host of the Anxiety Summit, Trudy Scott, Food Mood Expert and Nutritionist, author of The Antianxiety Food Solution, interviews two clients who saw transfromational changes in their mood and anxiety when they made food changes, added in nutrients, addressed digestive issues and food intolerances.

Client success story: Carolyn Gard

GABA and magnesium helped her feel calmer, the amino acids have helped with her sugar cravings and she wishes she had known about pyroluria, introversion and social anxiety when she was at college

Here is a great gem from my interview with Carolyn. We were talking about GABA, the main calming neurotransmitter and amino acid. She said it:

makes me feel very calm and focused no matter what I’m doing. I feel like I’m on a real calm, peaceful cruise control.”

Client success story: Sophia Elizabeth Archambault

Sophia Elizabeth struggled with chronic sadness and an eating disorder, and now she has resilience, balance and lives happily on a farm with her husband, 3 dogs and 10 goats. She found solutions by addressing food sensitivities, pyroluria and digestive issues.

Here is a great gem from my interview with Sophia Elizabeth. We were talking about the value of keeping a food mood log:

And then you note with each meal or each beverage how you’re feeling, or the various things you notice in shifts of mood or sensations in the body. And it’s all there in black and white. It’s sort of like using your own body as research.”

Both Carolyn and Elizabeth did better with nutrients for pyroluria. Here is the pyroluria questionnaire we discussed.

~~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~~

UPDATE: the summit concluded on Tues 6/24 – season 2 of The Anxiety Summit will be in November 2014. If you’d like to be on the notification list just sign up here www.theAnxietySummit.com

The Anxiety Summit: Sleep Your Way to Better Moods

June 19, 2014 By Trudy Scott 9 Comments

This is day 12 of the Anxiety Summit. Robin Nielsen, Certified Nutrition Consultant and co-creator of Sexy Younger You, is interviewed by host of the Anxiety Summit, Trudy Scott, Food Mood Expert and Nutritionist, author of The Antianxiety Food Solution.

Everyone needs sleep! The CDC /Centers for Disease control says “Insufficient Sleep Is a Public Health Epidemic” According to data from the National Health Interview Survey, nearly 30% of adults reported an average of ?6 hours of sleep and only 31% of high school students reported getting at least 8 hours of sleep on an average school night. How do you feel when you don’t get enough sleep – other than awful…irritable, anxious, depressed and you very likely gravitate to sugar and caffeine to keep you going – which is only going to make things worse!

Research published just last month in the journal Pediatrics suggest that poor sleep in children under age 7 can lead to weight problems later on in life and can also affect their emotional health leading to more anxiety and depression.

Robin shares how you can …

Sleep Your Way to Better Moods

Learn why restorative sleep is the key to being happier
How anxiety and poor sleep are connected: sugar, blood sugar, caffeine, gluten
What sleep has to do with brain chemistry and hormones
How you can feel so much better when you get restorative sleep

Here are some great gems from my interview with Robin:

restorative sleep means sleep without medication

sleep helps to keep us beautiful as we age

insomnia can really be caused by just about anything and things that we would never guess

if you have a busy day, you’re going to have a busy night

chronic infections are constant stressor (and can affect your sleep)

hypothyroidism can cause sleep apnea

if you’re exercising improperly it’s going to raise your stress hormones and it’s going to affect your sleep and anxiety

We certainly did cover all the causes of insomnia and there are a lot of them.

Robin also shared that one of her favorite books is Lights Out: Sleep, Sugar, and Survival by T.S. Wiley.

Robin is so funny…she starts out by saying talking about sleep is not sexy and then ends with a sexy bombshell about oxytocin that left me speechless! Be warned!

Get your free gift from Robin Nielsen. She has a great Sleep Quiz, Checklist and Journal for you.

~~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~~

UPDATE: the summit concluded on Tues 6/24 – season 2 of The Anxiety Summit will be in November 2014. If you’d like to be on the notification list just sign up here www.theAnxietySummit.com