stress

Smile and laugh to de-stress, calm down and boost your mood

June 14, 2013 By Trudy Scott 15 Comments

laughter

My biggest stress-relief and mood-boosting tip is to smile and laugh! It is one of the many things I encourage my clients to do! And I personally love a good comedy and opportunity to smile and laugh! I almost feel like I need my “fix” of laughter by the end of the day. It really relaxes me, boosts my mood and helps me sleep better.

I was further inspired to make a commitment to laugh each day when I read all the research supporting the many and varied health benefits. Many days I’ll just take a break and engage in spontaneous laughter for no reason at all – just the act of laughing leaves me feeling SO good. I do food-mood presentations around the country and typically end my talks with a laugher session with the audience! It’s a great hit and they leave my talk feeling great!

A 2012 research paper in Physiological Science actually showed that if you smile, you feel less stressed. Also in a 1999 study, “Personality traits such as warmth, calmness, extroversion, and low anxiety were closely related to an attractive smile.”

Laughter falls into a similar category as smiling and is wonderful for improving mood and reducing anxiety and stress and pain. This 2012 paper. showed that laughter “is associated with feelings of wellbeing” and improved mood, likely related to “the release of endorphins.” The release of endorphins also reduced pain levels.

Recent research also shows that the “combination of a laughter and exercise program might have physiological and psychological health benefits for the elderly”. Laughter may also “be an effective strategy to motivate the elderly to participate in physical activity.”

Laughter is actually good for the heart as indicated by the title of a 2009 paper: “The effect of mirthful laughter on the human cardiovascular system.”

Here are some things to make you chuckle: a fun post I did awhile ago about a wonderfully funny and romantic blog called The Musings of a Romantic Comedy Girl and a video of a laughing baby. Enjoy!

And of course, the added bonus: if you eat foods that raise serotonin (like grass-fed read meat and wild fish like salmon), you’ll be happier and more inclined to smile too – and feel even less anxious and less stressed. Tryptophan or 5-HTP will help boost your serotonin levels and are wonderful if you do have low serotonin. You can check for low serotonin levels using this Amino Acids Mood Questionnaire from The Antianxiety Food Solution.

The Role of Inflammation in Stress, Anxiety and Depression

March 8, 2013 By Trudy Scott 10 Comments

NTA-Conference-2013

“Inflammation: The Fire Within” is the theme of the annual conference of the Nutritional Therapy Association. It will be held in Vancouver, WA on March 15, 16, 17. I’m thrilled to presenting on Friday from 10-11:30am and my topic is “The Role of Inflammation in Stress, Anxiety and Depression.”

This presentation will provide health and nutrition professionals with current, evidence-based information the role of inflammation in stress, and on anxiety and mood disorders. It will explain:

the negative impact of pro-inflammatory junk food, trans fats, feed-lot meat, pesticides, gluten, fructose and caffeine on stress, anxiety and depression
the recent research supporting the anti-inflammatory benefits of real whole food, the Mediterranean diet (for both reducing inflammation and reducing and preventing depression, fish and fish oils (with some exceptions), dark chocolate (with some caveats), probiotics, zinc and vitamin B6
the links between social stress and inflammation
the effects of maternal inflammation on anxiety and social behavior of offspring
the links between pyroluria (see the pyroluria questionnaire here), social anxiety and oxidative stress
how inflammation leads to low serotonin and mood issues

It’s quite incredible how much of an impact inflammation has on mood disorders and how simply taking steps to lower inflammation can have a positive impact. What is equally fascinating is that so many of the foods and nutrients that eliminate anxiety and depression also lower inflammation! The body is quite amazing in its ability to heal when provided with the correct nutrients!

I will also be exhibiting and will have delicious 100% certified Organic Tulsi Teas donated by Organic India and great for stress-relief and you guessed it… inflammation! Do come and try some yummy lemon-ginger or licorice or find some in your local grocery store. We’ll also do zinc status testing because zinc is key for alleviating anxiety, stress and depression. I’ll also have DVD sets and copies of my book The Antianxiety Food Solution for sale. And I’ll also be offering Lidtke samples of the amazing amino acids tryptophan (for low serotonin) and DPA/Endorphigen (for low endorphins and comfort eating). These amino acids also help with inflammation!

And I’m thrilled that my friend and colleague Mira Dessy will be joining me at my booth. She is a Nutrition Educator, Real Food Advocate and author of the fabulous new book The Pantry Principle: How to read the label and understand what’s really in your food (find her here and on facebook here).

The event has many great speakers and will be a content-rich educational three days. You can learn more and register here:
http://nutritionaltherapy.com/events-resources/nta-conferences

The sessions will be recorded and available for purchase from Nutritional Therapy Association if you can’t make it to the live event.

How women entrepreneurs can reduce business stress and anxiety with food

April 30, 2012 By Trudy Scott 5 Comments

It was wonderful being a guest on Spotlight on Success, hosted by Dr. Shannnon Reece and I was honored to share food-mood-stress-anxiety information with her viewers and readers. It’s so important for balance in our often hectic lives! Now I get to share it with my readers too! The topic was Food & Mood: Calm Your Anxious Mind and covered all aspects of how women entrepreneurs can reduce business stress and anxiety with proper nutrition. (It also applies to all women and men too).

Today I had a delicious and satisfying breakfast of boiled eggs on a bed of cooked spinach. What a difference a good breakfast makes to how we feel the rest of the day – mood, energy, anxiety and stress levels, and focus and mental clarity! I also often enjoy a fruit smoothie with whey protein and coconut milk so do whatever appeals to you. The important thing is to ALWAYS eat breakfast! This is just one of the many tips shared in this interview – enjoy…breakfast and the interview!

[youtube]http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=q_e_aDNbW5g[/youtube]

Shannon shared before the interview: “Trudy believes (as do I) that life is meant to be spent feeling well, mentally and physically, and that stress and anxiety don’t have to be the status quo that we accept.”

Here is what we covered:

Do women really need to focus on doing something about their stress and anxiety?
What are the 3 biggest food-related factors that contribute to stress and anxiety?
What other dietary factors play a role?
And, what should you do if you’re eating a healthy diet but are still feeling anxious and stressed?

After the interview Shannon shared this “It was a pleasure to have you on the show to share your expertise with me and my audience. I always learn something new from each guest, and that makes each one so exciting. Women often don’t take their health needs seriously, so I am thrilled to have had you give us all a good “kick-in-the-butt” reminder. 🙂 Shannon”. This is your good “kick-in-the-butt” reminder!

Dr. Shannon Reece is an amazing business resource for women entrepreneurs and I thoroughly enjoy her blogs and interviews. This is from her website: “My background as a competitive athlete, sport psychologist, and a woman in the male-dominated business world taught me the importance of hard work, effective strategy, sound tactics and leveraging my strengths. If you want to succeed, conformity is not an option! After too many years “working for the man” I turned my life right side up becoming an entrepreneur and I’ve never looked back. With a global reach, I am helping like-minded women — just like you — through the start-up and launch of their entrepreneurial dreams and am having loads of fun in the process.”

I encourage you to check out her articles and other Spotlight on Success interviews! And to follow these tip to reduce business stress and anxiety!

You can also find out more 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.

Low blood sugar can result in anxiety

March 12, 2012 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

Low GABA Questionnaire from The Antianxiety Food Solution

December 10, 2011 By Trudy Scott 16 Comments

This questionnaire will help you identify whether you may have low levels of GABA. Check off any of the symptoms below that apply to you:

Anxiety and feeling overwhelmed

Feeling worried or fearful

Panic attacks

Unable to relax or loosen up

Stiff or tense muscles

Feeling stressed and burned-out

Craving carbs, alcohol, or drugs for relaxation and calming

If you checked off 3 or more symptoms, you may have low GABA levels.

You may benefit from taking a supplement containing GABA. GABA is the most important calming neurotransmitter, and is also an amino acid. Low levels of GABA are associated with anxiety, agitation, stress, and poor sleep. If you have sufficient GABA, you’ll feel relaxed and stress free. You won’t have anxiety or panic attacks, and you won’t eat sugary foods or other starchy foods or feel like you need a glass of wine in an effort to calm down.

Try some yoga, which has been shown to raise GABA levels. It’s also important to do whatever you can to reduce stress in your life. In addition to yoga, try tai chi, meditation, taking walks outdoors in a peaceful environment or taking a vacation.

It’s amazing how many women tolerate low-grade anxiety. I’m working with a client at the moment, who came to me because she has low energy and arthritis. It turns out, based on the Low GABA Questionnaire, she has low grade anxiety and stiff/tense muscles. Based on her Low Serotinin Questionnaire she also has mild depression, imposter syndrome and negative self-talk. When I asked why these were not on her list of health objectives, she said they were just so much a part of her everyday life, that she really didn’t think there was anything she could do about it. I’m pleased to report that there is plenty we can do and did do and she is feeling a LOT better after a few short weeks!

Worry and anxiety can be a result of low GABA and also low serotonin, so you may check off anxiety in both this questionnaire and the Low Serotonin Questionnaire. I’ll address this in a future post.

This questionnaire is taken from chapter 6 of 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.