Feeling anxious? Anxiety disorders are the most common mental illness in the United States, affecting 40 million adults, 18 percent of the population every year. 54 percent of US children are suffering from a physical or mental health issue and infrastructures can’t handle their needs.
We know many of the root causes and many are reversible.
Why I am passionate about Functional Medicine Lab Testing since it provides insight into how your body is working as opposed to guessing. Gaining insight into your neurotransmitters is important in healing anxiety!
The brain regulates activities we rarely give any thought to-heartbeat and respiration, wakefulness and sleep and digestion, just to name a few. The brain also directs our thoughts, actions, emotions and basic desires. In support of this tremendous workload, the brain utilizes 20 percent of the entire energy supply from the body. Where does this energy supply come from?
In the last 75 years, we have moved from a primarily whole foods diet to one that is primarily based on processed foods and refined plants. The main features of the Standard American Diet (SAD) consist of lots of meat and processed food, lots of added fat and sugar, lots of everything-except fruits, vegetables and whole grains.
Americans suffer with much higher rates of cancer, heart disease, diabetes, obesity and anxiety than people eating more traditional diets. Traditional diets-foods such as whole, unprocessed, nutrient dense foods have been consistently associated with significantly lower risks of mental health issues.
Your Brain on S.A.D. We are experiencing a bad mood epidemic, 100 times more likely to have significant mood problems than people born 100 years ago. Your mood is the first casualty of malnutrition even before your physical health begins to deteriorate. Forty percent of how you feel right now is related to your last meal. Let that sink in.
Brain on Sugar: According to brain scans did you know that sugar is as addictive as cocaine? Just like cocaine, sugar intake eventually blunts dopamine release. High sugar consumption is linked to lower IQ, anxiety, aggressive behavior, hyperactivity, depression, learning difficulty, fatigue, dementia and Alzheimer’s.
Brain on Trans Fats: The World Health Organization declared that trans fats from hydrogenated vegetable oils really are toxic to humans. Most sensible countries now ban them. These “fake fats” raise the risk for type II diabetes, cardiovascular disease, obesity and inflammation. Trans Fats are associated with depression, anxiety, memory problems and irritability and aggression. Trans fats are hidden in almost all convenience food and fried.
Brain on Gluten: Gluten free isn’t new or a fad. It’s the diet that humans have consumed for more than 99.9% of our existence on this planet because they did not eat gluten or need it to survive. Recent review in New England Journal of Medicine listed 55 diseases that are related to consuming gluten including disease such as anxiety, depression, schizophrenia, dementia and migraines. Gluten contains significant amounts of glutamate which is an excitotoxin. Excitotoxin is a substance that overexcites and kills or damages brain cells.
Nutritional NeuroScience: The nutritional influences on mental and neurological health. Nutrition is historically glossed over in medical school and post graduate mental health programs. While the idea that dietary choices impact health is not a new one, nutritional neuroscience is in it’s infancy. If your practitioner was educated in the AMA, American Medical association then their toolbox is limited to conventional tests and medication. They do not know how to empower you with insight into why you feel this way, what foods are best for you as well as what supplements to support your imbalances to assist you in reaching optimal wellness of mind and body.
Vitamin & Mineral Deficiency: Micronutrients are critical for optimal brain function, mood and anxiety. Half of the U.S. populations does not meet the recommended dietary allowance for important brain vitamins and minerals, including B vitamins, Vitamin C, D, and others. Find out your levels and customize your daily supplement regime to stay at optimal levels. You may be low in the vitamins and minerals that your body is so desperately in need of to make you feel balanced, even-keeled and anxiety-free.
Healthy Gut, Healthy Mind, Healthy Mood: our body is colonized by a multitude of organisms that outnumber your cells on a 10-1 ratio. For each human gene in your body-there are 360 microbial ones. Many of these organisms live in your digestive tract and take center stage in every conceivable aspect of your health. No other system in the body is more sensitive to changes in gut bacteria than the central nervous system, especially the brain. So much research supports the GI health connection to our adrenal system, emotions and brain. Let’s get your GI gut strong and healthy with what it needs. Find out where the imbalances are in your gut and we can implement with what you need.
The Good, Bad & Ugly of Nutrition: Read nutrition labels and question ingredients. What the heck is aspartame anyway? What are the side effects of these ingredients? How does my diet impact my mood? What are the foods that positively impact my mood? What are the foods that negatively impact my mood?
The most powerful tool you have to change your brain and your health is first gaining insight into how your body is functioning then following a customized supplement regime and eating foods that positively impact your total wellness.
9 Ways to Naturally Reduce Anxiety
1 Stay active. Regular exercise is good for your physical and emotional health even if it’s walking outdoors.
2 Stay Hydrated with Water. Don’t drink alcohol. Alcohol is a natural sedative.
3 Stop smoking. Do you have any vices you want to work on removing?
4 Ditch caffeine. If you must have one cup then make it organic and load up on the almond or coconut milk to make it more of a latte.
5 Get some sleep.
6 Meditate. Laugh. Find Joy and Gratitude.
7 Eat a healthy diet, no to low sugar, no corn, no gluten, no dairy. What’s left? Check out my IG page at @nancyguberti to see the delicious and nutritious foods available.
8 Practice deep breathing.
9 Get functional medicine testing to work on your imbalances with a customized supplement regime as opposed to guessing and spending tons of time and money. Watch the latest video on Beat Anxiety.There are some great natural remedies to incorporate. If you want to read a page a day then I encourage you to pick up a copy of Healthy Living Everyday, Your Wellness Blueprint: available on Amazon: http://bit.ly/HealthyLivingEveryday
Anti-Anxiety Food
Nuts. Brazil nuts contain selenium, which may help to improve mood.
Fatty fish. Fatty fish, such as wild Alaskan salmon, mackerel, sardines, trout, and herring, are high in omega-3.
Eggs
Asparagus
Pumpkin seeds
Dark chocolate
Turmeric
Food rich in zinc such as cashews, liver, beef, and egg yolks have been linked to lowered anxiety.
Magnesium rich foods such as leafy greens, such as spinach and Swiss chard. Legumes, nuts, seeds, and whole grains are good too!
Eating probiotic-rich foods such as pickles & sauerkraut help lower anxiety.
Foods rich in B vitamins, such as avocado and almonds.
Anxiety depletes your antioxidant levels which protect you against free radicals and supports your immune system.
Foods designated as high in antioxidants by the USDA include:
Beans: Dried small red, Pinto, black, red kidney
Fruits: Apples (Gala, Granny Smith, Red Delicious), prunes, sweet cherries, plums, black plums, Blackberries, strawberries, cranberries, raspberries, blueberries
Nuts: Walnuts, pecans
Vegetables: Artichokes, kale, spinach, beets, broccoli
Spices with both antioxidant and anti-anxiety properties
include turmeric (containing the active ingredient curcumin)
and ginger.
Do you have questions?
Call (203-548-0317) or email me at nancy@nancyguberti.com to guide you on the right path with testing to gain insight into how your body truly functions so we can work on finding balance of mind and body. Your health is worth it because YOU are worth it.
Join the other members and get your questions answered. Are you a member yet? Join today http://totalwellnessempowerment.com/membership/
Subscribe and listen to the Total Wellness Empowerment Podcast: https://nancyguberti.com/podcast/
Watch the latest video on Beat Anxiety.
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Tags: anxiety, anxiety testing, anxiety-free, beat anxiety, functional medicine testing, mental health, Nancy Guberti, total wellness
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