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Could yeast infections impair recovery from mental illness?

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Julia Rucklidge, PhD, is an associate professor in the Department of Psychology, University of Canterbury, Christchurch, New Zealand and has published a number of studies looking at “micronutrients to treat psychiatric disorders including attention-deficit/hyperactivity disorder (ADHD), mood disorders, stress, and anxiety,” where benefits were reported. “Despite the positive benefits associated with micronutrients, some factors may limit a positive response, one of which may be the overgrowth of intestinal Candida.”

In this 2013 paper, Could yeast infections impair recovery from mental illness? A case study using micronutrients and olive leaf extract for the treatment of ADHD and depression the authors discuss the impact of candida on gut health and response to supplementation:

a number of factors influence optimal response and absorption of nutrients, including the health of the gut, particularly the presence of yeast infections, such as Candida.

As part of a wider investigation into the impact of micronutrients on psychiatric symptoms, many participants who experienced a yeast infection during their treatment showed a diminished response to the micronutrients.

One particular female client was followed for a 3-year period:

Kate (an alias) is a 24-year-old female of European descent who had participated in the 2010 trial by Rucklidge et al using micronutrients for the treatment of ADHD. In the past, she had been prescribed methylphenidate [Ritalin] by a psychiatrist but could not tolerate the side effects.

For just over 2 years, while using the micronutrient, she had no ADHD or mood symptoms, other than a mild increase around her period.

About 2.5 years participating in the trial, Kate started to feel increasingly unwell and reported the following:

(1) a chronic sore throat; (2) a constant runny nose; (3) cramps; (4) itchy toes, anus, and vagina; (5) rashes on her legs and groin area; and (6) an overall flu-like feeling. Concomitantly, all her psychiatric symptoms had returned… She was moody, anhedonic (unable to experience pleasure), and chronically irritable and was having cravings for sugary and starchy foods. Kate visited her family physician, who diagnosed Kate with a vaginal yeast infection

Over the next year, it was found that her psychiatric symptoms (ADHD and mood) got worse when she was infected with Candida and then her ADHD and mood symptoms improved once she was successfully treated with olive leaf extract and probiotics.

The study makes this conclusion about the role of inflammation, gut health and nutrient absorption:

This case outlines that micronutrient treatment might be severely compromised by infections such as Candida and may highlight the importance of gut health when treating psychiatric disorders with nutrients.

Given the role that inflammation can play in absorption of nutrients, it was hypothesized that the infection was impairing absorption of the micronutrients.

The authors also mention the growing body of literature on the gut-brain connection and how

the gut microbiota can influence brain function and subsequent psychiatric functioning.

Candida is always considered as one of many possible root causes with my anxious clients – it can contribute to anxiety as well as ADHD and depression, and out-of-control-sugar and intense carb cravings.

Olive leaf extract is one of many approaches for eliminating candida is more commonly used in Australia and New Zealand.

Another approach is to use garlic and oregano to kill the candida. I have great success with these products from Designs for Health:

  • Allicillin – a garlic product that contains Garlicillin®, a blend of garlic oil and parsley oil with specified levels of garlic sulfides and ajoene, the most bioactive compound formed from garlic and
  • Oil of Oregano – which has powerful antioxidant and intestinal cleansing benefits. It also helps to maintain a healthy microbial balance. This product is standardized for carvacrol and thymol, the principal phenolic compounds in oregano

Probiotics are also part of the protocol, as are dietary changes. Fresh garlic, onion, daikon, olive oil, coconut oil, lemon, apple cider vinegar, fermented vegetables and coconut oil are all therapeutic foods on an anti-candida diet.

In addition to killing the candida and restoring the good bacteria with probiotics, I also use targeted individual amino acids to help reduce the sugar and carb cravings, making it easier to quit the bread, sugar, cookies, cakes and fruit. These amino acids can also help to alleviate some of the anxiety, mood and ADHD symptoms from day one, offering relief and hope right away since eliminating candida is not a quick process:

  • tryptophan for afternoon cravings and mental worry (tryptophan also has some direct anti-candida effects – more to come on this in the future blog)
  • GABA for stress-related cravings and physical anxiety
  • glutamine for intense sugar cravings and low blood sugar
  • DPA for reward eating and weepiness
  • tyrosine for cravings due to low energy and low motivation

[all of the above supplements, including Allicillin, Oil of Oregano, various probiotics and an olive leaf product, called Olivirex Combination, can be ordered via my online store – details for creating an account on my supplements page. The category once you login is candida/dysbiosis]

Have you experienced anxiety, depression, panic attacks, ADHD and cravings with candida?

Have supplements that worked in the past stop working while you’re dealing with the candida?

Have you found the amino acids to help with anxiety and cravings while you’re addressing your candida?

Ketogenic diet: reductions in auditory hallucinations and delusions, better mood and energy, and weight loss

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Two schizoaffective patients of Dr. Chris Palmer, a psychiatrist from Harvard’s McLean Hospital in Belmont, Massachusetts, tried a ketogenic diet for weight loss. As well as losing weight, they experienced reductions in auditory hallucinations and delusions, had a better mood and had more energy.

Here is additional information about these remarkable results, published late last year in this letter to the editor – Ketogenic diet in the treatment of schizoaffective disorder: Two case studies.

The male patient: lost weight, reductions in auditory hallucinations and delusions, better mood and energy

The male patient, diagnosed with schizoaffective disorder, with a prior psychiatric history of attention deficit hyperactivity disorder and major depression, experienced “dramatic” reductions in auditory hallucinations and delusions, as well as better mood and energy on the ketogenic diet. He also lost weight, losing 104 pounds over the course of a year.

He weighed 322 lb and wanted to lose weight by following a ketogenic diet, typically consisting of coffee with medium chain triglyceride (MCT) oil and butter (“bulletproof coffee”), eggs, meat, fish, poultry, spinach, kale, and olive oil. Within 3 weeks, he had lost 15 lb, but also noted a dramatic reduction in his auditory hallucinations and delusions, and improvement in his mood, energy, and ability to concentrate. For the past year, he has largely remained on this ketogenic diet and has lost 104 lb.

His functioning has improved and he has become more independent:

He completed a certification course, successfully participates in an online college program, has friends, began dating, and moved from his father’s home into an independent apartment.

The female patient: lost weight, resolution of her delusions

After four weeks on the ketogenic diet, the female patient, also diagnosed with schizoaffective disorder, and with a prior psychiatric history of major depression and anorexia nervosa, had resolution of her delusions and lost ten pounds:

she wanted to lose weight, and went on a ketogenic diet, consisting mostly of coffee, eggs, poultry, and lettuce. Within 4 weeks, she lost 10 lb and noted that her delusions were no longer present, and that her mood and energy were much better. After 4 months, she lost a total of 30 lb and her PANSS score decreased to 70 [down from 107]

In both instances their symptoms returned when they stopped the diet, but then improved again when back on the ketogenic diet.

In case you’re not familiar with the ketogenic diet here is a quick summary:

The ketogenic diet is a high-fat / low carbohydrate [and low protein] diet that has been used since the 1920’s to treat childhood epilepsy, with some studies suggesting that over 50% of patients experience significant reductions in seizure frequency. The ketogenic diet results in ketone bodies, instead of glucose, being used as the primary energy source in the brain.

There simply is no psychiatric medication available with the power to accomplish these results

I had the pleasure of meeting Dr. Georgia Ede, MD  last year at the ISNPR conference. She is a Harvard-trained psychiatrist and nutrition consultant practicing at Smith College, and writes about these two schizoaffective cases in her article – Low-Carbohydrate Diet Superior to Antipsychotic Medications:

These outcomes are truly remarkable: improvement by dozens of points on the PANSS, significant weight loss, and better quality of life. There simply is no psychiatric medication available with the power to accomplish these results.

I agree with Dr. Ede especially when we look at the medications these patients had trialed. These medication trials for the male patient: methylphenidate, amphetamine salts, dextroamphetamine, bupropion, sertraline, paroxetine, buspirone, lamotrigine, lorazepam, clonazepam, gabapentin, haloperidol, perphenazine, aripiprazole, olanzapine, quetiapine, and clozapine. The female patient had a similarly long list of medication trials and she also received 23 electroconvulsive therapy treatments. For both of them, positive and negative symptoms persisted.

I do still have questions about the ketogenic diet

The research in epilepsy is extensive and the research in mental health is growing. I am really impressed with the results, but I do still have questions about the ketogenic diet. Perhaps you have some similar questions and concerns. Here goes…

  1. If this particular nutritional psychiatry approach works so well for severe mental health disorders such as schizophrenia and psychosis, how will it work for less severe conditions like anxiety and panic attacks? Are these severe cases like the “canaries in the coal-mine” paving the way and teaching us about the benefits of this way of eating?
  2. Should you use a ketogenic dietary approach as the first approach or consider it as a last resort once the other dietary approaches have been implemented and you’re not seeing full symptom resolution? In other words, should you start with a real whole foods diet, then implement a gluten-free diet, then a grain-free diet, then remove dairy (if it’s an issue), then incorporate low FODMAPs if needed and only then implement a ketogenic diet? (low oxalate, low salicylate and low histamine would be incorporated as needed earlier in the process, based on each person’s unique needs).  If we look only at schizoaffective disorder,  there is growing evidence of the role of gluten  in some individuals with this paper “suggesting that an antigliadin IgG positive population of schizophrenia could be a distinct subgroup.” This 2 person pilot study reports the benefits of a gluten-free diet: “this potential mechanism is exciting and may provide improvement for up to one-fourth of patients (antibody-positive) who suffer from this devastating disorder.”
  3. How do we clearly define a ketogenic diet and communicate this definition to practitioners and to those who choose to implement this way of eating on their own? I’ve had feedback from many people who tell me they have been on a ketogenic diet (and it’s worked well for them or maybe it hasn’t worked so well for them), only to discover they are not really eating a true ketogenic diet. How do we simplify this way of eating and make it easy for individuals to understand and then stay in ketosis?
  4. How do we create a ketogenic diet that is nutrient dense and also offers the benefits seen in this research. I have major concerns about long-term nutritional deficiencies with a diet of coffee, eggs, poultry, and lettuce (as eaten by the female patient in this case study). It should ideally include plenty of leafy greens, non-starchy vegetables like broccoli, cauliflower, asparagus etc. and healthy fats like avocado, grass-fed butter and coconut oil, together with fermented vegetables and bone broths. I’m also not convinced that coffee should be part of the ketogenic diet, especially if coffee increases your anxiety and affects your sleep.

  1. How do we help individuals make the switch to this way of low carb eating and help them maintain so they don’t feel deprived and are not relying on willpower alone? As you can see from these 2 cases, the diet can be challenging to sustain and slip ups are common. If you are eating enough health fats (and it’s a lot more than you’re used to eating), this typically helps with cravings. If you still have cravings and feel you are deprived and missing out on treats, the targeted individual amino acids offer powerful results: tryptophan (for afternoon cravings), GABA (for stress eating), DPA (for comfort eating), tyrosine (when there is low motivation) and glutamine (for low blood sugar cravings).
  2. Is the ketogenic diet the next big fad or weight-loss trend as we’re hearing in the media? Based on the above research it truly does have impressive therapeutic benefits beyond only weight-loss. So can we see similar benefits with a modified ketogenic diet, using intermittent fasting and/or cycling in and out of ketosis, and even adding in a ‘feasting day’ of carbs?
  3. Who shouldn’t adopt a ketogenic diet? For example: those with the APOE4 gene, women with adrenal and hormone issues, and individuals with thyroid issues and no gallbladder? The question then becomes this: of those suffering with anxiety and depression or another mental health disorder, who doesn’t have one of these issues? And how do we address the keto rash, constipation, fat malabsorption, fatigue, mineral deficiencies and other issues some people experience on a ketogenic diet?

Right now, this is my thinking: as with any nutritional or functional medicine approach, I would say there is no one-size-fits all for who should implement a ketogenic diet (we need to consider the unique biochemistry of each person) and there is no one set ketogenic diet (it will need to be customized for each person).

I’m hoping to get answers to many of these questions on the upcoming Keto Edge Summit (May 7-13, 2018), hosted by ketogenic diet expert, Dr. David Jockers. If you have similar questions, be sure to tune in too.  I’m going to reach out to Dr. Jockers for an interview too.

I’m also hoping to do my own interview with Dr. Palmer to discuss his interest in the ketogenic diet for mental health, to learn more about these cases and other patients he’s seen success with. Feel free to post your questions for Dr. Palmer (and Dr. Jockers) here and I’ll be sure to get them addressed.  We certainly appreciate Dr. Palmer for sharing these results so we can all learn, and also appreciate his patients for being willing to share their stories.

Please do share if you’ve adopted a ketogenic diet and the benefits you have experienced, and if you experienced any issues. Be sure to share what a typical day’s diet looks like for you.

Wi-Fi is an important threat to human health and may contribute to unresolved anxiety, SIBO, oxalate issues and high cortisol

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A new paper by Martin Pall, Wi-Fi is an important threat to human health, states the following:

Repeated Wi-Fi studies show that Wi-Fi causes oxidative stress, sperm/testicular damage, neuropsychiatric effects including EEG changes, apoptosis, cellular DNA damage, endocrine changes, and calcium overload.

He states that EMF effects are often cumulative, EMFs may impact young people more than adults and that voltage-gated calcium channel (VGCC) activation plays a role in all seven effects:

Each of these seven is also produced by downstream effects of the main action of such EMFs, voltage-gated calcium channel (VGCC) activation.

Peroxynitrite is a very powerful oxidant leading to major oxidative stress in the body and his landmark VGCC paper covers how peroxynitrite is created:

EMF activation of VGCCs leads to rapid elevation of intracellular Ca2+ [calcium ions], nitric oxide and in some cases at least, peroxynitrite

I’m studying the human threats of Wi-Fi and EMFs in the practitioner ElectrosmogRx course being taught by Nick Pineault, so the timing of this new paper is excellent.  Nick’s course is highly recommended too.

I’ll have much more to share once the course is over but this is just some of what I’ve learned so far about the biological impacts of EMFs (other than what is mentioned in the above new paper by Martin Pall):

  • A contribution to mitochrondrial dysfunction
  • Increased inflammation
  • Glutathione depletion
  • Glutamate excitotoxicty
  • Break down of the blood brain barrier and other barriers like the gut
  • Melatonin depletion

And much more – all of which have major implications for mental health (and other health conditions too of course).

My speculations about chronic anxiety, insomnia, benzodiazepine issues, SIBO and oxalate issues

Based on the above and making some extrapolations from the research I am speculating that EMF overload may play a role in the following situations in some susceptible individuals:

  • Why some individuals have chronic high cortisol and yet nutritional support for the adrenals offers minimal help? And why some individuals continue to experience anxiety and insomnia (due in part to high cortisol and/or low melatonin) despite making all the root cause changes to diet, addressing gut health and addressing nutritional deficiencies? Or why ongoing nutrient support is needed despite following a healthy lifestyle?
  • Why some individuals on benzodiazepines have such a difficult time with tolerance, physical dependence and tapering, and even continue to experience adverse effects long after their last dose. This is based on extrapolations from research showing “Chronic benzodiazepine administration potentiates high voltage-activated calcium currents in hippocampal CA1 neurons”
  • Why so many have issues with dietary oxalates (found in nuts, wheat, leafy greens like spinach, strawberries, eggplant, kiwi fruit and other healthy vegetables and fruits) leading to increased anxiety and pain. I’m just starting to look at all the research – here is one paper that discusses the effects of electromagnetic radiation on the rat kidney: “kidney tissue is extremely sensitive to oxidative damage since it is one of the organs involving intense oxidation processes”
  • Why we are seeing such an increase in SIBO (small intestinal bacterial overgrowth) and why are there so many individuals who cannot resolve their chronic SIBO.  I’m still looking for some research linking EMFs and SIBO and/or IBS but Nick writes about this in his book. Is the high use of the cell phone for texting and communicating on social media playing a role since you hold your phone on your lap right by your belly? I did find this interesting research: could oxalate issues be contributing to chronic SIBO?

If you can relate to any of the above and you are now wondering if your Wi-Fi exposure could be playing a role, I’d love to hear from you in the comments. Please share your situation and symptoms and your current Wi-Fi and EMF exposure i.e. what are you being exposed to and for how long each day are you using various devices.

How to start mitigating your EMF exposure

I’ll be sharing more in the next few weeks, connecting some of the dots, digging into the research and sharing all the steps you can take to mitigate your EMF exposure. Here are some tips to get you started right now:

  • No electric blanket or clock radio next to your bed
  • Never have your cell phone on in a moving car (you can use Google maps with your cell phone on airplane mode – just do the search first and then put your phone on airplane mode)
  • Always have your cell phone on airplane mode at night (it’s even better to switch it off completely) and when carrying it in your bag or on your person
  • Never hold your cell phone to your ear – only ever speak on your cell phone using the speaker or use a hollow-tube headset
  • Stop texting/reading social media with your phone on your lap (it’s right by your belly and may be affecting your microbiome)
  • Do not allow children to use your cell phone or iPad or similar smart device unless they are on airplane mode.
  • Remove Wi-Fi from your home or at least (for starters) switch it off at night
  • Get rid of your wireless “toys” like wireless keyboard and mouse (I really didn’t want to get rid of mine)
  • Work on your laptop via an external wired keyboard and work on battery mode (charging it when you’re not working)
  • Get rid of cordless phones and get a corded phone

Nicolas Pineault is an investigative journalist and is the author of “The Non-Tinfoil Guide to EMFs” (my Amazon link). He is an expert on EMFs and his book is a wealth of knowledge.

I’d love to hear your level of awareness and concerns about the risks of EMFs? And what you currently do to reduce the risk for you and your family? And have you noticed any improvements in health or strange symptoms?

Or are you not concerned?

If you’re a practitioner is this something you discuss with your clients or patients? Have you observed they respond better to your recommendations and heal more quickly?

An “omnivore” like diet or Paleo diet is associated with reduced anxiety and depression

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A new study published last month, Do patterns of nutrient intake predict self-reported anxiety, depression and psychological distress in adults? SEPAHAN study, reports that

An “omnivore” like diet high in amino acids, cobalamin, zinc, phosphorus, saturated fat, cholesterol and pantothenic acid is associated with reduced psychological disorders.

This was a cross-sectional study, meaning it was a type of observational study design where the outcome and the exposures in the study participants are measured at the same time. The aim was to find an association (rather than causal relationship) between patterns of nutrients intake and psychological disorders such as anxiety and depression.

The study authors had 3846 Iranian adults between 18 and 55 of age complete questionnaires in order to assess their diets and nutrient patterns, as well as psychological factors including anxiety, depression, and overall health in general. This group comprised 1712 males and 2134 females.

The study results

After calculating the daily intakes of 57 nutrients (including individual amino acids,

starch, dietary fiber, simple sugars, different fatty acids, vitamins, minerals, and bioactive substances), 3 nutrient patterns were identified:

1) the “omnivore” pattern

high in individual amino acids, cobalamin, zinc, phosphorus, saturated fatty acids, cholesterol and pantothenic acid

in both women and men, with pyridoxine (vitamin B6) high in men only

2) the “grains and dairy” pattern

high in thiamin, folate, selenium, iron, starch, maltose, betaine, calcium, riboflavin, and niacin

and low in the following

mono-unsaturated fats, vitamin E and polyunsaturated fats

3) “fruits and vegetables” pattern

high in copper, vitamin C, glucose, fructose, potassium, dietary fiber, sucrose, vitamin A, magnesium and vitamin K.

These are the associations that were observed after adjusting for confounding factors:

  • Men in the top tertile of the omnivore nutrient pattern had lower anxietyand depression scores than those in the bottom tertile
  • Women in the top tertile of the omnivore nutrient pattern had better overall poor health scores than those in the bottom tertile and had lower odds of psychological distress, such as anxiety and depression.

This type of diet is also referred to as a Paleo or cave-man type of diet. Even though this study was only showing associations and not a cause-and-effect, it’s still very encouraging to see new research in the field of nutritional psychiatry, further supporting the results we see in clinical practice.

What are the mechanisms?

The high amino acids provide the building blocks for the production of our feel-good neurotransmitters such as serotonin, GABA, dopamine and endorphins, with zinc being a key co-factor for making these brain chemicals. The authors share some of the mechanisms for the association in the discussion section of the paper:

Dietary protein intake and also individual amino acid status have been linked to psychological status in previously published studies. For instance, methionine in the form of S-adenosyl-L-methionine, tryptophan and serine were inversely associated to depression. Lysine, arginine, beta-alanine, tryptophan and tyrosine have been shown to have anxiolytic effects. As amino acids are important precursors for neurotransmitters; they might affect psychological condition. Important neurotransmitters like dopamine and serotonin are made from amino acids tyrosine and tryptophan, respectively.

Pantothenic acid is a B vitamin that is key for stress and adrenal health. Low levels of B12 or cobalamin can be associated with both anxiety and depression, as well as fatigue. Both zinc and B12 are common deficiencies, and more so in vegetarian and vegan diets. The authors discuss some possible zinc mechanisms:

  • zinc has antidepressant-like activities such as up-regulation of the expression of brain derived neurotrophic factor (BDNF) gene
  • zinc is an antagonist of the glutamate/N-methyl-D-aspartate (NMDA) receptor

Seeing saturated fat and high cholesterol mentioned in favorable terms in a study – both of which are needed for a healthy brain and for good blood sugar control – is always exciting. The authors discuss these possible mechanisms:

low serum total cholesterol may increase the risk of depression and suicide attempts. It is hypothesized that low cholesterol intake might cause a depressed central serotonergic activity which in turn leads to depression.

Here is my addition to the discussion: in our interview on a prior Anxiety Summit, Dr. Kurt Woeller and I discuss the link between low cholesterol and low oxytocin and the role this plays in anxiety, social bonding and depression.

One area I’m a little confused about is the findings on pyridoxine (vitamin B6). They report it was high only in men in the omnivore group, and not in women. As they report, vitamin B6 is also a key co-factor in the serotonin-tryptophan pathway and we know it’s important for alleviating anxiety- related PMS symptoms in women. It’s mentioned in the concluding paragraph for playing a role in the association for both men and women and yet it is not mentioned in the abstract. I’ll report back as I find out more.

Here are some actual real-life results from someone eating this way

I blogged about anxiety and depression success stories on Paleo and grain free diets around this time last year. I shared Andrea’s feedback about her diet-mood results with a grain-free and high fat diet:

I happened upon a fat loss diet that had me cut out grains, most dairy, and sugar while focusing on mostly meat, fish, fats from nature such as butter, olive, and coconut oils. Nuts, seeds, and legumes were allowed too. These rules made it so I had to avoid processed foods. There was one day a week of eating anything.

Within 6 weeks I was shocked that I got much much more than fat loss. My depression, anxiety, mood swings, sleep issues and all but one pesky health symptom disappeared. I was stronger, faster, and felt energy I never remember having.

Have you found benefits with an omnivore or Paleo diet? Less anxiety and depression? Better overall health? More energy? Better sleep?

If you’re a practitioner have you found this approach works with your clients/patients?

New book: The Healing Power of Essential Oils

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The Healing Power of Essential Oils: Soothe Inflammation, Boost Mood, Prevent Autoimmunity, and Feel Great in Every Way by Eric Zielinski, launched last week and I promised you a book review so here goes. I have always loved Dr. Z’s research-based approach and practical how-tos when it comes to essential oils and was so excited for this book. Well, all I can say is that this is one of the best books I’ve read this year! I read it cover-to-cover in one sitting and I have lists of things I want to try!

It’s perfect for you if you’re:

  • a total newbie to essential oils and have been hearing how great they are and want to learn the basics (and the science)
  • someone like me who does has been using essential oils for a few years but could really take things up notch in terms of therapeutic use and how to use blends
  • someone who is well versed in using essential oils therapeutically, making your own cleaning products and self-care products and wants the science behind each essential oil
  • looking for a great resource to give a loved one like your sister or mom, or to a friend, and if you’re a practitioner, as a resource for your clients and patients, so they too can benefit by what you already know
  • looking for a non-branded resource (Dr. Z has no brand loyalty but does teach you how to find quality brands of essential oils)

Here are some of the many reasons I love this book:

  • Dr. Z emphasizes biochemical individuality – just like with food and nutrients there is no one size fits all with essential oils and you have to find what works for you. He teaches you how to figure that out in the recipes sections
  • He addresses the ‘overwhelmed and where do I start’ aspect – he calls it “paralysis by analysis”. One way he does this in a few ways: 7 steps to start using them, a daily morning and/or evening practice and the tops oils everyone should start with. Here’s another idea (from me): start with a calming essential oil like lavender or neroli!
  • The background information is excellent: the source of the essential oil (for example cinnamon bark vs the leaf); why knowing the chemotype is important in terms of their different therapeutic effects; shelf life; how to find quality oils; why plants native to an area are better; dilution rules; inhalation, topical use and ingestion of oils
  • The research is comprehensive and best of all he refers to studies where the essential oil has been shown to provide therapeutic value, rather than referencing studies on various constituents
  • There is extensive coverage on carrier oils (like jojoba, coconut oil, fractionated coconut oil etc.) and emulsifiers (like Castile soap and aloe vera oil). He also shares that liquid stevia is a solubilizer (this one intrigues me)
  • All the wonderful recipes – from home cleaning to personal care products to many products for addressing specific health conditions like aching muscles, wounds, candida, dandruff and much more. Here are a few ways he shares how peppermint essential oil, one of my favorites, can help: as a digestive aid (I use it topically in coconut oil, together with lavender at night and love it!), to ease muscle tension, to clear sinuses, as a potential solution to antibiotic-resistant infections (I’ve used lavender and lemongrass when I had a boil but wasn’t aware peppermint had similar properties), to give you focus and provide an energy pick-up and much more.  Here is one application for your hair/scalp:

A few drops of peppermint essential oil included in your shampoo and conditioner will tingle your scalp and wake your senses. As a bonus, peppermint’s antiseptic properties can also help prevent or remove both lice and dandruff.

 

  • Here is a safe and effective bathroom cleaner recipe from the book – and it smells wonderful! I love the added bonus of getting a mood boost while cleaning!

    Tea Tree Citrus Bathroom Cleaner

    The star of this blend is orange essential oil, which is a known mood booster. You’ll be happier even though you’re stuck cleaning the bathroom!

    1 tablespoons Dr. Bronner’s liquid castile soap

    2 tablespoons baking soda

    20 drops tea tree essential oil

    15 drops orange or lemon essential oil (or 7 drops of each)

    15 drops lemon eucalyptus or lemon myrtle essential oil

    2 cups distilled water

    Supplies: 32 oz spray bottle, preferably glass

    1. Combine the liquid soap, baking soda and essential oils in the spray bottle and mix well.
    2. Pour in the water and shake well
    3. Use as you would any other bathroom cleaner. Shake before use.

    Elsewhere in the book, Dr. Z writes about how eucalyptus is highly antimicrobial, helping to clear surfaces of potential germs (and says you can use regular eucalyptus in the above recipe too).

  • There is a big focus on women’s health and anxiety and depression, so it’s perfect for you. The recipes for PMS, perimenopause and menopause are fabulous – with help for anxiety, depression, insomnia, vaginal dryness and much more. Here is one where clary sage helped with depression (anxiety was not assessed but we know high cortisol and low serotonin impacts both anxiety and depression)

Clary sage offers antidepressant effects as described in a 2014 study that was conducted on twenty-two women in Korea. The trial measured neurotransmitter levels found in blood samples of menopausal women and discovered that, by simply inhaling clary sage oil, levels of the stress hormone cortisol dropped considerably and serotonin levels were elevated. The result was an overall improvement in depression symptoms.

  • There is an entire chapter on essential oils for fertility, pregnancy and postpartum
  • Photosensitivity is explained and he lists all the oils that fall into this category (such as bergamot and expressed lemon)

Some essential oils can increase the photosensitivity of your skin. For example, chemicals in the citrus family such as bergapten are notable for their phototoxic effects. When bergapten is left on the skin and then exposed to the sun, it can amplify the effect of UV rays, potentially causing sunburn and leading to sunspots. Some people just decide not to use any bergapten-heavy oils topically, but simply avoiding the sun after use (for example, by applying them at night) is sufficient.

  • He addresses the concerns about lavender and tea tree being estrogenic and explaining why they are not (I get this question a lot!)
  • Plenty of oils and recipes for digestive support like a SIBO blend of a 1:1:1 ratio of caraway, lavender and neroli (which I am very interested in exploring further)

As you can see, this book is comprehensive, research-based, practical and I would even say pretty exciting and fun! Here is the official blurb about the book:

Eric Zielinski, D.C., host of the Essential Oils Revolution summits, offers a soup-to-nuts guide to mastering essential oils for vibrant health and well-being, featuring dozens of recipes and formulations for restful sleep, reduced inflammation, balanced hormones, and more.

Achieving true health is not an easy task. For many people, it might be easier to pop a pill or push aside lingering discomfort in favor of finishing everything on your to-do list. In The Healing Power of Essential Oils, Eric Zielinski, D.C. shows readers how to make their health a priority with the life-changing benefits of essential oils. Essential oils are the natural solution to everything from anxiety and depression to deep-seated inflammation.

For beginners, Dr. Z teaches everything you need to know to get started, including the top seven oils you should stock from Day 1 and the commonly used techniques and tools. He illustrates daily practices you can follow to enjoy the properties of essential oils, including a five-minute devotional using frankincense and neroli to set you up for a productive and stress-free day, and a simple bedtime routine harnessing the soporific effects of lavender.

Backed by extensive research, Dr. Z also supplies essential oil blends that promote hormone balance, reduced inflammation, improved digestion, increased immunity, and so much more. You’ll be armed with over 150 recipes for every health need, and a special section on women’s health includes dozens of formulations for PMS, fertility, pregnancy, candida, and menopause. Even those well-versed in essential oils will benefit from this thorough approach. With your newfound knowledge, you can begin tailoring an essential oils practice to your unique pain points and lifestyle right away – and start experiencing amazing results.

Grab a copy from your nearest bookstore or online store such as Amazon (this is my amazon affiliate link)

Be sure to grab the bonus gifts here after you’ve purchased the book

And let us know what you think and some of your favorite recipes and how they have helped you!

Knitting to ease anxiety, depression and dementia and give to a good cause

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Knit for Peace, a UK based charity that “matches knitters with good causes” has published an extensive review of studies that reports the many physical and mental benefits of knitting, including easing anxiety and depression, benefiting those with dementia, helping with chronic pain, promoting a sense of community and improving sociability.

There is evidence-based research that shows that knitting does the following:

  • Lowers blood pressure
  • Reduces depression and anxiety
  • Slows the onset of dementia
  • Is as relaxing as yoga
  • Distracts from chronic pain
  • Provides an opportunity for creativity (at a time of reducing capacity)
  • Increases sense of wellbeing
  • Reduces loneliness and isolation
  • Increases sense of usefulness and inclusion in society

Knitting for those in need is a volunteering activity that can carry on into extreme old age and can be undertaken by those whose sight, hearing and mobility are severely limited. It provides an activity that gives a sense of purpose. Knitting for charity makes people feel more useful and worthwhile. Self-worth is important post retirement, especially with physical decline.

They also surveyed their members about their knitting experiences. Here is some of the feedback they received:

You can read a summary of that report here and request the entire digital report here.

You’ll be able to read some of the heartwarming backstory of Knit for Peace in the above summary… how they “started as an income generation project for Hutu and Tutsi widows, victims of the Rwandan genocide and civil war” and grew to a similar project in India “bringing together Hindu and Muslim women in the slums of Delhi” and then “Knit for Peace groups were set up in Pakistan, Bangladesh, Nepal and Afghanistan.” … And then “when people in the UK heard about this project they asked if they could knit for the children of Afghanistan.” “Through word of mouth the idea spread, and we were soon receiving a positive tsunami of knitted goods.”

Positive feedback about knitting

I asked my community on Facebook if they knit and how it makes them feel.

Diane shared this: I noticed that knitting lowers my blood pressure but interesting to note that crochet lowers it even more. Maybe because the crochet is an easier pattern?

Catriona shared this: I did some knitting when I had horrible anxiety and depressive symptoms. Really helped keep me focused on the present, which made it hard to ruminate and worry while doing it. Like mindfulness. And you end up with a nice gift at the end of it.

Maria shared this: I don’t knit but I crochet a lot. Very therapeutic 

Knitting is not for everyone

Knitting certainly isn’t for everyone. Bonnie shared this:  Knitting did not lower my stress level at all. First of all, I don’t like to sit or stand still that much, it bothered my wrists and was not easy to pick up. I think I was more stressed from doing it. Mountain biking is my stress reliever!

Aminda shared this: Knitting leads me to want to poke out eyes with knitting needles lol. I’ll stick to my crossword puzzles. I’m super tired of being told I just have to try it and being treated like something is wrong with me because I find crafts the opposite of de-stress. I’m glad people love knitting… I’m just not one of them and I only got happier when I stopped trying to fit onto the mold.

If knitting isn’t for you don’t worry about it, rather find something that you love to do.

Knitting is for kids too

I was very fortunate to have my granny teach me when I was about 8 years old. We had such fun time together, making scarves, gloves, baby clothes for my dolls and then my baby sister and eventually jerseys/jumpers for myself. It was a very special bonding time and it’s a skill I’ll always have. My granny was fearful of storms and I’d like to think knitting helped ease some of her anxieties.

I feel we should be encouraging kids to knit too. Many anxious kids could benefit from anxiety relief and contribute to a worthy cause by giving away their finished items.

Christina shared this on the Huffington Post blog: I’m an elementary teacher and I have a knitting group at lunch on Wednesday’s! The kids love it! It promotes patience, concentration and perseverance! I have about 25 students ages 10-12, both girls and boys!

Some of the research

In this Norwegian study, Knitters in a Day Center: The Significance of Social Participation for People With Mild to Moderate Dementia, the main activity of elderly women with mild dementia was knitting. It was found that

the social activity of knitting facilitated conversations about different topics, required various forms of memory and problem solving, and involved different participant statuses. Being part of the knitting group appeared to help the participants maintain their skills and facilitated sociability.

In this study, Managing anxiety in eating disorders with knitting, 38 women with anorexia reported these benefits of knitting:

  • it lessened the intensity of their fears and thoughts and cleared their minds of eating disorder preoccupations (74%)
  • it had a calming and therapeuticeffect (74%)
  • it provided satisfaction, pride and a sense of accomplishment (53%)

Where do you start if you don’t know how to knit?

If you didn’t learn to knit as a kid and want to learn now or possibly want your child or grandchild to learn, knitting is inexpensive and easily learned. Here are some resources for you:

  • The Complete Beginner’s Guide to Knitting (DVD). “Beautiful and clear demonstrations can get you started knitting in just 30 minutes.” You’ll learn all the basic stitches, get a booklet with scarf patterns and other bonus goodies.
  • A good starter yarn such as Lion Brand’s Wool Ease is recommended. Avoid dark colors when you are first learning to knit.
  • Wooden needles like Brittany 10-inch long Single Point Birch Knitting Needles are also suggested, US Size 10, 10.5 or 11. They say to avoid the more slippery metal needles (although I used these and they were fine), and the “grippy” plastics. (All these links are my Amazon affiliate links)

Knit as part of a group and give to someone in need

Whether or not you’re new to knitting, consider getting a knitting group together for that wonderful community aspect and once you’ve knitted enough goodies for family and friends, start to send knitted goods to a charity such as Knit for Peace or take them to a local shelter.

If you work in a nursing home or long-term care facility, in a school or after-school program, or are part of a church group, I encourage you to get a group knitting program together. Or you could even get together with friends and start knitting.

Notice the calmness you feel when you knit and the joy of giving your finished product to someone in need.

We’d love to hear if you knit and when you learned? And how do you feel when you knit? Are you part of a community knitting group and who do you knit for?