Your ‘Second Brain’ and Anxiety and Depression

Surprising connection between mood and gut flora.

Gut
In school, we all learned about our primary nervous system, which is composed of the brain and spinal cord and its capabilities. But did you know that your gut actually contains one of the largest concentrations of nerves in the body and plays a large role in your emotions, moods and brain function?

Ever hear or say, “I had a gut feeling”? Or have you ever had “butterflies” when nervous, or been so upset you couldn’t eat?

Well, these are real feelings that emanate from your digestive system.

Both your enteric nervous system in your gut and your central nervous system were formed out of the same tissue in fetal development. These two nervous systems are connected and communicate via the vagus nerve, which runs from your brain stem to the nervous system in your gut.

The enteric nervous system in the gut is made of sheaths of neurons embedded in the walls of the entire gut, which is about 9 meters long from the mouth to the anus.

This second brain contains somewhere around 100 million neurons, more than in either the spinal cord or the peripheral nervous system!

This multitude of neurons in the enteric nervous system enables us to “feel” the inner world of our gut and its contents.

Your gut bacteria play an active and integral role in your body, and help the immune system, synthesize nutrients and process foods.
And as the latest research shows, are extremely integral in your brain and mental health.

What is also very interesting, however, is that about 90% of the fibers in the vagus nerve, carry information from the gut to the brain, and not the other way around.

These messages from the gut to the brain can have a powerful influence on moods, Including anxiety and depression.

Scientists also know that the enteric nervous system manufactures around 95% of the body’s serotonin, an important (feel good) brain chemical that has a direct effect on moods and even some mental illnesses, such as anxiety, depression, bipolar, schizophrenia, and OCD.

When you consider that your gut is your “second brain,” it becomes easy to see how your gut health can impact not only brain function, but psyche, and even behavior as well.

Abnormal gut flora, as well, can be directly tied to abnormal brain function. In coming years, psychiatry will most certainly expand to treat the second brain along with the brain in your head.  In fact, some of the more cutting-edge physicians, psychologists, and psychiatrists are now looking at digestive issues such as IBS, food allergies, and gluten intolerance as contributing to mental illnesses.

Our gut bacteria may actually have a very significant influence on early brain development and behavior, and the absence or presence of particular microorganisms in infancy can permanently change gene expression.

Gut bacteria can influence signaling pathways involved in learning, memory, and motor control. This suggests that gut bacteria are closely tied to early brain development and subsequent behavior and learning deficiencies.

Adding in the right probiotics (healthy bacteria) to your daily routine have also been found to influence the activity of hundreds of your genes, helping them to express in a positive, disease-fighting manner.

The types and function of your gut bacteria are extremely dependent on how things such as whether you were born via vaginal birth or by C-section, whether you were breastfed as a baby, and your diet and lifestyle choices, including whether you have a history of taking antibiotics and other medications, such as antidepressants (selective serotonin reuptake inhibitors, or SSRI’s).

Besides antibiotics, and junky processed foods, our gut bacteria are also highly susceptible to:
•    Chlorinated and fluoridated water
•    Antibacterial soap
•    Agricultural chemicals
•    Pollution

So how to get your gut flora under control?

First of all, if you have any type of IBS, gluten sensitivity, or other allergies, or if you have ever had issues with anxiety, depression, or any other mental or emotional issues, try cutting out gluten, corn and dairy first. Then cut out processed foods (like fast food, hot dogs, lunch meat, processed cheeses and frozen dinners), and sugars—including those in sodas and added to other foods. A diet heavy in processed foods and sugars will likely grow harmful bacteria. And sugars–of all kinds–feed bad bacteria and yeasts like candida, totally upsetting the delicate balance of the healthy intestinal flora.

Introduce large populations of healthy bacteria. While changing your diet can help, getting a good dose of probiotics can be hastened by taking a broad-spectrum supplement containing Bifidobacterioum longum, and Lactobacillus rhamnosus among others.

The December 2011 issue of Journal of Neurogastroenterology and Motility reported that Bifidobacterium is actually known to decrease anxiety by decreasing the excitability of enteric neurons.

Other research also found the probiotic Lactobacillus rhamnosus increased GABA, a calming neurotransmitter that regulates many physiological and psychological processes, also reducing the stress related hormone,  corticosterone.

So take care of your second brain, and you will affect not only your overall health, but you may find that you end up with a happier, less stressed, relaxed outlook on life. This, as you know, has far-reaching implications in every area of your health and wellbeing. You truly are what you eat. And you truly feel (good or bad) based on what you eat.

A Votre Sante!

cat

CAT cropped headCatherine (Cat) Ebeling RN BSN, is a back to basics diet and wellness specialist. In addition to her advanced degree in nursing, she has spent the last 30 years intensely studying diet, health and nutrition. She also has 4 books including the popular “Fat Burning Kitchen, Your 24 Hour Diet Transformation” that has sold over 300,000 copies worldwide, and has helped thousands of people transform their lives, lose weight and improve their health.

                                                  Her mission is to help others prevent disease and live their best life ever.

                                                      Nutrition made Easy. Simple.Smart.Nutrition.

References:

  • Mercola, The Root Cause of Anxiety and Depression That Few Suspect, May 3, 2012.

 

 

Do You Have the Power to Change?

How do some people totally change their habits while many of us are stuck in the same rut day in and day out? It appears that the key is…

 

happy lady

How do some people totally change their habits while many of us are stuck in the same rut day in and day out?

It appears that the key to losing weight, gaining healthy lifestyle habits, exercising regularly, and being very productive in your work all have to do with having a knowledge of how to form good habits.

Did you realize that most of our lives is really just a mass of habitual behaviors? 

In fact almost half of the behaviors we do on a daily basis (about 45%) are based on habits. Yes we humans are truly creatures of habits. But think about it, habits do serve a very good purpose as well. If we had to actually think through everything we did on a day to day basis, we would go nuts with the details. Habits allow us to function in our lives, and our minds can actually be occupied with other, more important thoughts.

Take driving for example. When you first learned to drive, you had to think about everything—and there were a lot of details! Sit down, put on your seatbelt, adjust the seat and mirrors, adjust the radio and temperature controls, take off the parking brake, put the car into reverse, turn around, look behind you, and put your foot on the gas, and back out of your driveway. Put on the brake, put the car into drive, gently press on the accelerator, and drive. And that’s just the first few feet! Now we can drive for several miles and our minds can be totally preoccupied with other thoughts, but we (usually!) get from point A to point B in one piece with no traffic infractions, right? It’s habit.

One of my favorite books “The Power Of Habit,” by Charles Duhigg, takes a close look at habits and how they are formed. In it, he points out that in almost any scenario in life, habits can be changed for the better, provided we know how they work, how to disassemble then and rebuild other better habits in their place.

And yes, learning about habits can fill a whole book, so I am here to highlight a few things that may help see habits in a whole new light.

The funny thing about habits is that once they are ingrained, they sort of disappear and  operate in the background in our brains, making us behave somewhat like robots with automatically pre-programmed behavior.

The key then, to changing some habits, is to learn how to spot those behaviors and find ways to change them.

It’s not always as hard as it may seem.

One of the interesting things about habits is the ‘context’ in which they happen. Many habits are unconscious behaviors that exist because of certain sets of conditions in the environment. When the context changes, then so do the habits.

The same applies to the things you do or don’t do for your diet and health. Most all of those things we do or don’t do for our health are habits. Now here is where the habits become very important. People often eat out of habit, and exercise or NOT exercise out of habit. Perhaps the cue is sitting down in front of the TV at night. Since you are used to munching on something, every time you sit down in front of the TV, you eat—whether you are hungry or not. You eat at breakfast, lunch and dinner. Habit. Sometimes you eat at meals not because you are hungry, but because it’s habit.

Do you follow an exercise routine? If you do, it’s most likely become a good habit. Or, are you TRYING to get an exercise routine in your life? You need to make it a habit.

How do you do that? Well, if you break it down into its parts, you can analyze how habits work and start implementing the changes you desire. But first, it requires a bit of mindfulness on your part and an awareness of the habits you want to change. Being mindful can really make things snowball in your life. So start paying attention to what you are doing. Really paying attention.

When you take a look at any habit, you will find that habits generally have three parts:

  • The cue
  • The routine, which is the actual behavior or habit
  • The reward

Changing any one of these three parts will help to change a habit.

And the coolest thing about changing any one of these three parts of habits is that they often set off a chain reaction that can be so powerful its ripples affect other habits in a good way.

Take exercise for example. When people add the habit of exercise into their lifestyle, generally the ripples of that habit begin to extend to other parts of their lives—in a good way. Often exercise leads to eating better, and that makes you feel healthier. And then that leads to weight loss, which leads to other good things. Because your mood is better and you feel better, perhaps that leads to better relationships in your life. And maybe the improved relationships in your life improve your work and add to its success, and then you make more money, and on and on…

And the ripples can keep on going…and you end up realizing how much control you have over things in your life, things you thought you could never change!

So what’s important to remember here is that when you change a habit to become a positive habit, the immediate reward is not the only the actual positive change.

There is a definite ripple effect that goes on here.

The other thing about habits, and this is one that I KNOW is important, is that tiny changes and minor little habits have a cumulative effect over the course of your life and when you think about those little ‘things’ that you do, day in and day out, these little ‘things’ matter more than some of the BIG things or big changes.

That cookie you had last night while you watched TV is inconsequential, but if you have cookies EVERY night, it become a much bigger thing. And conversely, adding in a small behavior that benefits you in a positive way may not seem like a big deal, but if you do it day after day, after day, after day, the cumulative benefits start to really add up. You gotta look at the big picture here.

Those small decisions can have a huge impact, as they add up over time.  

Ok, so what about old habits, how do we get rid of them, and do they just go away?

Well, first of all, lets talk about physiology first. Habits actually create a neural pathway in your brain. Much like a dirt road becomes a major highway with repeated use, repeated behaviors create neural ‘highways’ so to speak, in your brain. So, yes, reverting to the major highway instead of carving a new path out of the wilderness is the easiest way to go.

But you want to change your habits, right? So that bad habit that has become the super highway, has to be diverted. A detour. And that detour then needs to become a major roadway. Just like cars and traffic help to change narrow little roads into major highways, you can create that major highway in your neural pathways.

It’s just repeated use over time.

What then happens to that now deserted highway in your brain—the neural pathway that was once a major habit? Does it just disappear? Well, no. It’s still there. Like a deserted highway, weeds may grow up around it, and cracks may appear in the road, and eventually it crumbles over time, but it is still there.

So this is where it gets a little tricky.

You have to find a new behavior that responds to the old cue and gives that behavior a reward and build on that.

So let’s break this down.

1.     Be mindful of your daily routine—and remember that’s more than half of the things you do on a day in and day out basis. Pay attention.

 2.     Identify the behaviors or habits you want to change.

 3.     What is the cue that brings on this habit? Is it a time of day, a location, an emotional state, or other people? What happens right before the habit that triggers the behavior?

 4.     And finally, what are the rewards of that habit? Look closely. Think about this one. Find the reward. Its there, no matter how small that reward is and how unconscious, there is a reward.

Let’s use exercise as a habit. Do you have it now? Want it to be a habit? Ok, add in a reward. It can be a seemingly silly as a smoothie at the end of your workout or you get a latte from the local coffeeshop when you are done. Or it’s just the awesome way you feel afterwards.

Identify a cue—perhaps its your alarm clock going off an hour earlier in the morning, perhaps it’s the workout clothes you have at the end of your bed, ready for you when you open your eyes.

And then, repeat. Build that highway in your brain and reap the rewards.

Once you pinpoint the behavior or habit, the cue and the reward, you can make a plan to change it.

Begin now.

Start with ONE habit you want to change. Put a positive one in place of a negative. It may be something as simple as kissing your child, or spouse or significant other every morning and telling them you love them. The cue is the morning, the habit is showing someone you love them, and the reward is the good feeling it provides both you and them. Small, seemingly insignificant, but huge in the course of a lifetime.

Now do that with your eating habits. Take one thing and change it. Do it over and over again and your life changes. Remember the ripple effect? Go for it.

Sometimes it takes a long time. Sometimes it takes a lot of trial and error, but you can do it. Once you figure it out, you can gain power over your habits and make some major changes in your life.

Takeaway #1

Be MINDFUL of the things you do on a day to day basis.

Takeaway #2

Look at habits you wish to add, remove or change. Replace a bad habit with a good one.

Takeaway #3

Identify the cue and identify the reward. Replace the behavior with a positive one. Add in a cue and a reward. Lather, rinse and repeat over and over again, and you are on your way to positive changes in your life.

What habits do you want to change? How successful have you been?

I’d love to see your comments!

Till next time,

cat

Save the Colorado picCatherine (Cat) Ebeling RN BSN, (studying MSN/PH) is an international health, wellness and longevity expert, author, explorer, and adventurer. In addition to her advanced degree in nursing, she has spent the last 30 years studying sustainable diets, health and nutrition all over the world. She also has 4 books including the worldwide best-seller,  “The Fat Burning Kitchen,” “The Top 101 Foods That Fight Aging”, and “The Superfoods Diabetes Reversal Diet”,  and has helped thousands of people transform their lives, lose weight and improve their health

Her mission is to help create a healthier planet and healthier people.

                             Cat’s Global Green Kitchen

 

 

 

Never Give Up!!

I just wanted to share this really inspirational message with you. It’s awe-inspiring. If you have ever had obstacles to overcome and thought them too big, just check this out. It’s a great example of what you can do if you really, really want to. All it takes is the right mindset. YOU can do it. Go forward, one step at a time.

I just wanted to share this really inspirational message with you, from my friend, Mike Geary. It’s awe-inspiring.

If you have ever had obstacles to overcome and thought them too big, just check this out. It’s a great example of what you can do if you really, really want to. All it takes is the right mindset.

YOU can do it. I believe in you!! Have confidence in yourself and go forward, one step at a time.

And NEVER give up!

Enjoy.

Click here for an awesome inspirational story.

Till next time,

Stay Healthy, Lean and Inspired!

 

Look for our new book, “The Flat Belly Kitchen” out on Amazon Kindle soon!

 

Catherine (Cat) Ebeling RN BSN, is a back to basics diet and nutrition specialist. In addition to her advanced degree in nursing from a major medical school, she has spent the last 30 years intensely studying diet, health and nutrition. She also has a book titled “The Fat Burning Kitchen, Your 24 Hour Diet Transformation” that has sold over 60,000 copies worldwide, and has helped thousands of people transform their lives, lose weight and improve their health.

Her mission is to help others prevent disease and live their best life ever.

Nutrition made Easy. Simple.Smart.Nutrition.

What Do Migraines Have to Do with Acid Reflux Medication?

 

It’s called, “Heartburn, indigestion, acid reflux or GERD” and, like millions of other people, if you have gone to a doctor about this, most likely they have prescribed medication to reduce stomach acid. Medications like Nexium and Prilosec are some of the most popular proton pump inhibitors. 

Proton pump inhibitors reduce stomach acid.

But there’s one problem.

The acid in your stomach is there for a reason. Stomach acid digests the foods you eat, and turns them into essential nutrients your body can absorb.

If you reduce the acid in your stomach you reduce its ability to break down and digest food, and extract nutrients.

This in turn, causes serious nutritional deficiencies including vitamin B12, folic acid, vitamin D, calcium, magnesium, iron, and zinc.

And when your body fails to digest and absorb the foods you eat effectively, your chances of developing any number of chronic degenerative diseases is almost inevitable.

Even relatively minor vitamin and mineral deficiencies can cause fatigue, irritation, anxiety, depression, migraines, dizziness, mania, pychosis and memory loss.

In addition, deficiencies can also cause muscle weakness, tooth decay, bone fractures, hearing loss, osteoporosis, heart beat irregularities, high or low blood pressure problems, hair loss, mouth sores, neuropathy (unexplained weakness or numbness in the arms and legs), and more.

Is it worth it?

Long term, B vitamin deficiency can potentially cause severe and irreversible damage to the brain and nervous system.

And because the acid pH in the stomach as been increased, you lose the ability to fight off certain dangerous bacterial infections such as h.pylori, which is responsible for stomach ulcers, Clostridium difficile, which causes severe diarrhea, salmonella poisoning, a common type of food poisoning, and contagious pneumonia.

Suppressing stomach acid does not treat the disease, it only treats the symptoms, and at a very high cost too, as you can see.

And, once you start taking acid reducing medication, it becomes very hard to stop. It is physically addictive. 

This type of medication causes a severe “rebound” effect. You start taking acid reducing medication to help a reflux condition, and although your doctor may say it is temporary, when you stop after a few weeks, it causes your stomach acid to go into overdrive. As a result the reflux comes back with a vengence.

So what do you do? Go back to taking the reflux medication.

Now you’re stuck…

Did you know 35-45% of the population experiences heartburn? That’s close to half the population! Heartburn or GERD is most profitably treated diagnosis in America. Prescription medications are given out by doctors like candy. Prilosec, Nexium and Prevacid are some of the top selling prescription drugs in the world.

It is not normal to have heartburn in spite of the huge numbers who do have it.

What exactly is gastritis or acid reflux?

It is acid that rises from the stomach and irritates the lower esophageal sphincter (LES), the valve that separates the esophagus from the stomach.

Gastritis is inflammation, irritation, or erosion of the lining of the stomach. Any of these can be chronic or acute. Acid reflux usually feels like a burning pain in the middle of the chest or stomach. It’s most bothersome at night, when lying down. Sometimes it can even feel like burning or pressure in the chest.

 Over time, this acid wash can damage the lower esophageal sphincter, and lead to a condition called Barrett’s Esophagitis, which is usually considered a precancerous condition. Anybody with chronic reflux or heartburn should be checked out by a GI doctor, to rule out any other serious health conditions.

The interesting truth is, for many, acid reflux is not a result of too much stomach acid, but too little acid, or ineffective enzymes to digest particular foods.

When we don’t have enough of an enzyme to digest a particular food, the body responds by sending out more acid in an attempt to digest it. Taking antacid medication further compounds the problem. If the foods that cause this are foods that are eaten frequently, which is often the case, soon the acid becomes an ongoing chronic irritant to the stomach, and can cause real damage.

There are two ways you can help acid reflux.

One is by taking a good digestive enzyme with meals. As we age we lose some of our digestive enzymes, and also our ability to digest certain foods. The best enzymes to supplement digestion are “Full Spectrum” and include pancreatin. Enzymes should be:

-protelytic (for proteins)

-lypolytic (for fats)

-amylytic (for carbohydrates)

You also want to make sure your digestive enzyme supplement contains betaine hydrochloride (or HCl). It’s plant-based hydrochloric acid which helps your body absorb calcium, among other important nutrients.

In many cases, food allergies or sensitivities can be one of the main causes of acid reflux. So eliminating food allergies is the next step.

Food allergies result when the body’s immune system launches an attack against the offending food item. Some of the most common allergenic foods are: milk, wheat, soy, eggs, peanuts, nuts, shellfish, and citrus. 

Severe symptoms of food allergies tend to occur with in a few minutes of eating the allergenic substance.  Symptoms can include tingling in the mouth or throat, swelling of the throat, difficulty breathing, abdominal pain, cramping, vomiting, diarrhea, nausea, eczema, hives and asthma attacks. But don’t rule out food allergies even if you don’t have reactions that severe.

Food intolerances or sensitivities (including gluten intolerance) are also often allergic reactions as well, but do not have the dramatic and sudden onset. They often share similar GI symptoms to food allergies but they do not involve the same immune system response. 

The biggest offenders are often commercially prepared dairy products, wheat/gluten, corn and soy.

The best way to find out if your digestive problems are the result of food allergies is to go on an elimination diet. Remove all wheat, gluten and dairy from the diet for a minimum of ten to fourteen days or more, and see if the reflux symptoms subside. Be vigilant and read labels carefully. Lots of gluten and dairy sneak into processed foods under other less obvious names.

For more information on gluten-containing food ingredients, check here: http://www.the-gluten-free-chef.com/foods-containing-gluten.html.

After you have eliminated the offenders, add the gluten and dairy back in, one at a time. Wait 2-3 days between each food trial, and write down all reactions in a food journal. Oftentimes though, it may take a month or more of avoiding the offenders before the acid reflux and gastritis is resolved, so be patient.

Other contributing factors that can cause heartburn/gastritis and GERD are:

* Certain foods cause the lower esophageal sphincter to relax, thus leading to heartburn. These include peppermint, coffee, alcohol and chocolate. 

* Hiatal hernia: This is a physical condition where part of the stomach protrudes through the diaphragm.

* Low Acid Production: Ironically, low stomach acid levels can result in heartburn. This is much more common than increased acid.

* Medications: Many medications cause heartburn as a side effect, including, ironically, several acid blockers. These include:

     o Prevacid, Prilosec, Zantac, etc. 

     o Asthma inhalers (beclamethasone, flovent, etc). 

     o Corticosteroids 

     o Nonsteroidal anti-inflammatory medications (NSAIDs), such as aspirin, ibuprofen, and      naproxen. 

     o Antianxiety medications, such as diazepam (Valium) and lorazepam (Ativan). 

     o Osteoporosis drugs such as alendronate (Fosamax).

* Overeating

* Pregnancy & Obesity: These are related in that both put pressure on the stomach, decreasing its volume and forcing food and acid upwards.

* Stress: Stress can be the sole cause of heartburn, but often it is exacerbating other causes.

* Smoking: Smoking also causes the lower esophageal sphincter to relax, leading to heartburn. 

You may have to make some lifestyle changes and keep a close eye on your diet.

Eating large amounts of processed foods and sugars is a certain way to worsen acid reflux, as it will upset the bacterial balance in your stomach and intestine, as well as being hard to digest.

A note about proton pump inhibitors: PPI’s are very popular because they work. However, these drugs create both tolerance and dependence on them, so stopping them suddenly can have serious repercussions.

NEVER stop taking proton pump inhibitors cold turkey. Wean yourself off them gradually or else there can be a severe rebound of symptoms, and the problem may end up being worse than before the medication.

Ideally, get a lower dose, and then gradually decrease your dose. Once you get down to the lowest dose of the proton pump inhibitor, you can start substituting with an over-the-counter medications, Then gradually wean off the H2 blocker over the next several weeks.

 

Till Next Time,

Stay Healthy and Lean!

DSC 6815 A Deadly Epidemic You Can Avoid

Catherine (Cat) Ebeling RN BSN, is a back-to-basics diet and nutrition specialist. In addition to her advanced degree in nursing from a major medical school, she has spent the last 30 years intensely studying diet, health and nutrition. She also has a book titled “The Fat Burning Kitchen, Your 24 Hour Diet Transformation” that has sold over 60,000 copies worldwide, and has helped thousands of people transform their lives, lose weight and improve their health.   

                       Her mission is to help others prevent disease and live their best life ever.    

               Nutrition made Easy. Simple.Smart.Nutrition.

 

Sources:

 

Dr. Joseph Mercola, Why You Should Get Off Prescription Acid-Reducing Drugs ASAP! Mercola.com, September 09, 2009.

 

Center for Food Allergies, Innate Health Group. www.CenterforFoodAllergies.com, 2006.

 

Tracy Davenport, Health Central, Acid Reflux Connection.com, July, 2007.

 

Dr.Allen Spreen, The hidden dangers of stomach-acid reducers, July 2007.

 

Eat Your Depression Away

The Holidays are over, the decorations put away, and a huge pile of bills sits waiting for you.

Short, gloomy, dreary, cold winter days ahead. 



Enough to make you depressed? 

You are not alone. 



Although depression can make you feel alone, at least 20% of Americans live with depression. 



Women are almost twice as likely to become depressed as men. This is partly due to monthly menstrual hormonal swings, puberty, and pregnancy as well. And because women are often the caretakers of the family, they may feel overworked, stressed, and neglect their own wellbeing. 



Many men go undiagnosed, and fail to recognize depression or to seek help for it. While men can have the typical symptoms of depression, many actually become irritable, angry and hostile instead, and try to self-medicate with alcohol, marijuana or drugs. Suicide is more serious risk for men with depression, who are four times more likely to successfully attempt suicide than women. 



Did you ever stop to think that the pile of cookies you ate last night in front of the TV, or the carton of ice cream you ate after a stressful day, may actually be making you more depressed? 



The causes of depression can vary, but doctors usually never even consider that diet plays a huge role in our mental and emotional wellbeing.

While physicians tend to hand out anti-depressant drugs like candy, these drugs often can have very negative side effects.



Wouldn’t it be better to find natural cures for depression?
While you may not think so, what you eat has a very definite effect on your mood and outlook on life.

We truly are what we eat. 



There are some surprising and very effective ways to fight the ‘blues’ with diet, lifestyle changes and supplements, and you can avoid the trap of having to turn to medical antidepressants with their unpleasant, and sometimes tragic side effects.  



Your brain must have the right chemical balance in order to function optimally. Eating the wrong types of foods will not only alter the brain’s chemistry, but many processed foods have synthetic chemicals, preservatives, and other unnatural additives that confuse or distort your brain's natural chemistry. 

Brain chemistry can actually be changed significantly for better or worse by a single meal.

Some foods like sugar and caffeine can create a seemingly positive effect on brain chemistry immediately, but actually have the reverse effect in the long run. 
So knowing how certain foods can affect your brain chemistry and your mood can be very helpful in figuring out what to eat or avoid.



Did you know that a deficiency of any one nutrient can actually alter your brain function and lead to depression, anxiety, irritability, ADD, and other mental disorders? 



The natural chemicals in the brain that govern your mood are neurotransmitters. The ones that play a role in depression are serotonin, dopamine, and norepinephrine. 

In depression, there are primarily reduced levels of serotonin. Serotonin has a lot to do with your feelings of wellbeing and is involved with emotional control, mood, arousal, and even appetite. 



Along with decreased serotonin, there are lower than normal levels of dopamine and norepinephrine in depressed people as well.

These energizing neurotransmitters create a sense of alertness and excitement, and help you take action. 

Antidepressant medications help mostly by helping to preserve levels of serotonin in the brain, but when you change your natural brain chemistry with medication, you get side effects such as anxiety, drowsiness, irritability, nausea, diarrhea, and dizziness. Antidepressants can take away interest in sex and cause weight gain, as well as increasing thoughts of suicide.



Yes, antidepressants can actually increase the risk for suicide. 



These drugs have very dangerous side effects if you quit them cold turkey too. 

But there are ways to help our bodies naturally make more of these neurotransmitters, and avoid the harmful side effects and feel better too.
 


Many of the building blocks of our brain’s neurotransmitters are made from the amino acids in the protein in our diets.

The amino acid tryptophan or l-tryptophan as it is sometimes called, is a precursor to serotonin while the amino acid, tyrosine, is a precursor to dopamine and norepinephrine. 

Eating foods rich in protein will help to increase the amount of dopamine, norepinephrine, and serotonin in your brain, and serotonin is absorbed better by eating foods that are rich in complex carbohydrates. 



BUT, not all sources of carbohydrates will work for raising the serotonin level.



This is KEY. 



Sugar molecules in complex carbohydrates are bound together by fiber and must be broken down and digested in the small intestine in order to release the sugar into the blood. Because these sugars must be broken down during digestion, they are released into the bloodstream steadily and slowly. 

So the complex carbohydrates found in fresh vegetables, fruits, and starchy root vegetables like potatoes, help your body maintain high levels of serotonin. 



Refined carbohydrates on the other hand, are simple sugars with no fiber, that enter blood stream immediately after the first bite without the long process of digestion. So, blood sugar instantly goes up, creating a quick burst of serotonin (this is why you feel good immediately after eating sweets).  

Simple sugars are burned very quickly and the end result is low blood sugar. When blood sugar levels drop, so does serotonin.

So a diet of sweets and simple carbs actually will make you MORE depressed.

Besides depression, low levels of serotonin also contribute to sleep disturbances, hostility, aggression, and irritability. 

While certain foods act to raise serotonin and prevent depression, other foods can actually trigger depression. These include processed foods, sugary foods or foods containing hydrogenated oils. Alcohol can also contribute to depression, by causing hypoglycemia (low blood sugar). And while caffeine is a stimulant, too much of it causes anxiety and nervousness. 



So the bottom line is, when you are down and think that going on a drinking binge, or eating a pile of cookies and ice cream to help you feel better, you are wrong.

It will actually make you feel worse, besides what it does for your waistline.



Molecules of certain types of partially digested foods actually affect the body’s chemistry and can definitely have an effect on mood. In many people these foods are not fully broken down during digestion, and the proteins and peptides from these partially-digested foods leak into the bloodstream through the intestines. 

Research on people with celiac disease (gluten intolerance) shows that their lack of the right type of digestive enzymes may cause this kind of situation. And depression and irritibility are commonly symptoms of gluten intolerance or celiac disease. 



Casein, (the protein in diary products), is very difficult to digest and can definitely be one of the primary undigested food substances that leak into the bloodstream. These substances affect the amounts of serotonin, dopamine, and norepinephrine levels in the brain, and in turn affect mood. Incomplete breakdown of both casein and gluten leaking into the bloodstream can easily become a source of depression, anxiety, irritability or mood swings, affecting normal levels of brain chemicals.



[Note: casein, the protein molecule in dairy products primarily causes problems when the dairy products have been pasteurized—as most commercially produced dairy produts are. Raw dairy products like raw, aged cheeses or raw milk do not usually cause this reaction.]



It’s not surprising to conclude that intestinal permeability, and digestive enzyme deficiencies can also found in many folks suffering from clinical depression, the once in a while ‘blues,’ and mood swings. 

So if you are suffering from depression, it may be a function of your digestion, food intolerances, and intestinal permeability.

I know I am so sensitive to dairy, and all it takes is a bite to feel really depressed the next day. Try avoiding dairy and wheat gluten entirely for a week or so and see if that helps you feel better mentally and emotionally. 



A diet to prevent or cure depression is rich in natural, unprocessed foods.

Especially plant foods, such as fruits, vegetables, seeds, nuts, and organic, or grass-fed meats, organic poultry and eggs. 

Foods like beans, seeds, nuts, and legumes are also rich in protein and contain tryptophan which is what you need to make more serotonin, as well as dopamine and norepinephrine.

Just remember to get some complex carbs with your tryptophan as well. 



Consider that five servings of beans, a few portions of cheese or peanut butter, or several handfuls of cashews provide 1,000–2,000 mg of tryptophan, will work as well as prescription antidepressants—but don't tell the drug companies. 



Tryptophan is really quite easy to get from the foods listed below (in mg):

Lentils 215
Dried peas 250 
  
Navy 200   
Pinto 210  
Red kidney 240     

Soy 525 
Brazil nuts 185
  
Cashews 470   
Filberts 210 
  
Peanuts 340 
 
Peanut butter 330 (natural, not commercial) 

Pumpkin seeds 560     
Sesame seeds 330     
Tahini (ground sesame seeds) 575    
Sunflower seeds 340
Cheddar 340   
Parmesan 490   
Swiss 375
Eggs 210    
Poultry 250    
Brewer's Yeast 700



And, grass-fed beef, as well as fish and other seafood are very healthy, high-protein, dopamine and norepinephrine boosting foods, in addition to their contributions of Omega-3’s, CLA and zinc that help healthy brain function.
 
People suffering from depression generally are missing some important nutrients.

The most common deficiencies are:



Folic Acid (Vitamin B9)

Vitamin B12

Vitamin B6


Omega 3’s


Vitamin C
   

Sunshine or vitamin D3



Folic acid and vitamin B12 are essential B vitamins and work together in many biochemical processes.

In studies of depressed patients, at least half were found to be deficient in folic acid. 
Depression is the most common symptom of a folic acid deficiency. 

A vitamin B12 deficiency (more often a problem in vegetarians) can also cause depression. Correcting a folic acid and vitamin B12 deficiency with supplements or diet will quickly result in a dramatic improvement in mood. 



Food sources that are rich in folate include beef liver, pumpkin seeds, leafy green vegetables, and yeast. Vitamin B12 is abundant in animal products such as red meat, fish, poultry, milk, cheese and eggs. 



Vitamin B6 is another B vitamin that is often low in many depressed people. The best food sources of vitamin B6 are protein-rich foods such as red meat, fish, and eggs. Other good sources of B6 are quinoa, brown rice, oats, lentils, peanuts, and walnuts. 



The latest research also shows a strong connection between depression and low levels of omega 3 fatty acids.  And the more severe the depression, the lower the level of omega 3 fats. 

Omega 3 fatty acids are an essential part of brain cell membranes in healthy individuals, and a component of the myelin sheaths, which cover nerves and transmit messages properly. Omega-3 fats are generally found in grass-fed meats as well as wild caught fish and organic eggs, or as supplements.  



A depletion of the neurotransmitter called norepinephrine may result in poor memory, loss of alertness, and clinical depression. To make norepinephrine,  amino acids from our diet are changed into dopamine, which then turns to norepinephrine. To do this, it requires a large amount of vitamin C. 

Physicians have had great success reversing depression with large doses of vitamin C, and is a very safe and inexpensive approach to try.



Sunshine or vitamin D3 helps banish the blues as well. When we can’t get enough sun exposure in the winter, obviously a trip to a tropical island would certainly put a smile on your face, but since we can’t all do that, just getting out in the sunshine when you can, and supplementing with vitamin D3 will definitely help brighten your mood as well as protect your health.

And, my favorite natural (very effective) antidepressant is Sam-E.

SAMe (known formally as S-adenosylmethionine) is not an herb or a hormone. It's a molecule that all living cells, including our own, produce constantly. To appreciate its importance, you need to understand a process called methylation. It's a simple transaction in which one molecule donates a four-atom appendage—a so-called methyl group—to a neighboring molecule. Methylation occurs a billion times a second throughout the body, affecting everything from fetal development to brain function. It regulates the expression of genes. It preserves the fatty membranes that insulate our cells. And it helps regulate the action of various hormones and neurotransmitters, including serotonin, melatonin, dopamine and adrenaline.

And without SAMe, there could be no methylation as we know it. Our bodies make SAMe from methionine, an amino acid found in protein-rich foods, then continually recycle it. SAMe breaks down to form homocysteine. Homocysteine is extremely toxic. But with the help of several B vitamins (B6, B12 and folic acid), our bodies convert homocysteine into glutathione, a valuable antioxidant.

High homocysteine is a major risk factor for heart attack and stroke. During pregnancy, it raises the risk of spina bifida and other birth defects. And many studies have implicated it in depression.

How does SAMe improve a person's mood? Scientists are not really sure, except for the fact that it really works well.

Since the 1970s, researchers have published 40 clinical studies involving roughly 1,400 patients. And the findings are remarkably consistent. In 1994 Dr. Giorgio Bressa, a psychiatrist at the University Cattolica Sacro Cuore in Rome, pooled results from a dozen controlled trials and found that "the efficacy of SAMe in treating depressive syndromes… is comparable to that of standard… antidepressants." Without the side effects of regular medical antidepressants.



Our brains do not require antidepressant medications to function properly.

Instead of masking the symptoms with a drug induced haze, is far far better to find the underlying cause of depression, and diet is KEY. 



Amazingly, a healthy diet not only reduces or eliminates the symptoms, but it also prevents the occurrence of depression by keeping those important brain chemicals in balance. 



The quick fix may be tempting, but in the long run, you will feel drastically better following a healthier diet—without the side effects—and have improved health and well being. 



Studies show our mood and physical bodies favor traditional foods that our ancestors ate. These foods include grass-fed meats, organic and raw dairy and butter, nuts, seeds, whole grains, and fresh fruits and vegetables.



Avoiding processed, packaged foods with refined flour, sugars, or corn syrups, and preservatives and chemicals is extremely important for those of you with depression.



Don’t go for the quick fix, when you can permanently change your life and health for the better. 



REAL Happiness is just around the corner!


 
Till next time, stay Happy, Healthy and Lean!

 

 


Catherine (Cat) Ebeling RN BSN, is a back-to-basics diet and nutrition specialist. In addition to her advanced degree in nursing from a major medical school, she has spent the last 30 years intensely studying diet, health and nutrition. She also has a book titled "The Fat Burning Kitchen, Your 24 Hour Diet Transformation" that has sold over 60,000 copies worldwide, and has helped thousands of people transform their lives, lose weight and improve their health.   

                       Her mission is to help others prevent disease and live their best life ever.    

               Nutrition made Easy. Simple.Smart.Nutrition.

 

References:
Andrew Saul, Depression, Doctoryourself.com, 2007. 
Food Allergies and Depression,
Ron Hoggan M.A. & James Braly M.D.,About.com
Food and Depression,
http://sulcus.berkeley.edu/mcb/165_001/papers/manuscripts/_9.html
WebMD, Depression and Diet, Jan 2012

The Power of a Hug

We are all born with a hunger for the touch of another human.

 

Of course you know babies have a need for touch. Nurtured in the womb, and held close to feel mother’s beating heart, babies are soothed and nourished by hugs and human touch.

 

Children, too have a physical need for hugging and closeness. A hug or a touch stops bad dreams, helps heal injuries, frightens away the ‘boogieman’, and helps to instill a sense of calm and self worth.

 

Studies show that orphans who are not hugged or touched on a regular basis, actually grow less, have weaker immune systems, get sick more often and have more physical and emotional health problems than children brought up in a home with affectionate parents.

 

These children actually suffer from something called ‘failure to thrive’ when they are lacking the human touch. They have malnutrirtion, lose weight and even die. All from a lack of being touched and held.

 

Hugs can calm a stressful day, relieve tension and turn a bad day into a good day.

 

But physical closeness—touching, hugging, is just as important a need as we get older, but it is often neglected or overlooked.

 

Nothing compares to the loving hugs of a mother or a bear hug from your dad. An embrace from your loved one or spouse can instantly calm a stressful day and relieve tension. And for those who are sad, or mourning a difficult loss, a heartfelt hug does so much more than any well-chosen words.

 

Our skin is the largest organ on our body. Our skin not only protects our insides, but it contains our very important sense of touch. While we know that our sense of touch can protect us from injury, our sense of touch also has the real need to feel closeness from others.

 

 

We are all programmed by nature to want to touch and receive touch from others.


 

Did you know that without physical closeness, relationships will

not progress? Not just between lovers, but also between parent and child.

 

 

Many emotional problems stem from a lack of closeness and bonding between parent and child. Did you know that most failing marriages are lacking in touch and physical closeness? Think of what the power of touch could do…

 

For many who live alone, days and weeks may go by without a touch or the feel of a human, or being physically close to anyone. The elderly, the disabled, and the very ill are at greatest risk of touch deprivation.

 

Touch can do so much:

 

·      It helps loved ones feel more lovable

·      It can forgive or soothe tension

·      Reduces pain

·      Relieves loneliness, frustration, anxiety and depression

·      Overcomes fear

·      Gives one a sense of connection and belonging

·      Transfers energy

·      Strengthens the immune system

·      Lowers the blood pressure and the heart rate


 

We all tend to live in our own little personal technological bubbles now…we text, we email, we talk on our cell phones, we visit on Facebook, we Twitter, but our face-to-face contact is limited, and physical contact, even more so.


It seems that we retreat into our personal space more and more, even though our physical world has become more crowded.

 

For a person to survive, it has been said that we need at least 4 hugs a day, and 12 hugs to feel good and improve our emotional state.

 

While we feed our bodies and eat healthy foods, we need to also feed our spirits and care for our emotional health.

 

Lift your head up and look around. Reach out your hand to shake someone else’s hand, touch someone on the arm when you speak to them, or better yet, give your friends and loved ones a heartfelt hug next time you see them.

 

Till next time,

Stay healthy, lean and happy!

 


Catherine (Cat) Ebeling RN BSN, is a back to basics diet and nutrition specialist. In addition to her advanced degree in nursing from a major medical school, she has spent the last 30 years intensely studying diet, health and nutrition. She also has a book titled "The Fat Burning Kitchen, Your 24 Hour Diet Transformation" that has sold over 60,000 copies worldwide, and has helped thousands of people transform their lives, lose weight and improve their health.

       Her mission is to help others prevent disease and live their best life ever.    

Nutrition made Easy. Simple.Smart.Nutrition.

 

 

 


How to Find Happiness

Did you know that YOU have the power to make yourself happier?  


I know, everyone wishes for things like lots of money and a mate that looks like Brad Pitt, or Megan Fox.

But do these things bring about happiness? And even if we did have those things, would we be happy?

For some of us, happiness may be more harder to find.

When we are stuck in the middle of dreary weather (or blazing hot weather), a bad economy, no job, little money, and rising prices, it can all be very overwhelming. 

Although happiness is the one emotion we all seek, it also is one of the least understood.  

While scientists, doctors and researchers have studied in depth the negative emotions of anger, anxiety, fear, and depression–and how to get rid of these emotions–they have spent little time studying happiness, and how to increase this positive emotion. 

It's been found that over half of a person's tendency for happiness, hopefulness, and positive emotion is based on nature or purely genetic makeup. But that leaves the other half–which has to do with experiences, emotions, upbringing and one's own ability to MAKE oneself happy.

Just making a habit of looking for the good side in people, events or circumstances can actually make one more optimistic.

Happiness is a learned behavior.

Many people, including myself are able to maintain optimism and confidence–in spite of everything.

This ability to survive and even thrive in the face of stress and adversity is the process of 'coping'. Seemingly negative events can be turned into a positive as we become even more resiliant and resourceful. 

Happiness, is a biological need born out of necessity. It is something our brains crave, seek out and create. 

Did you know that happiness is contagious?
Yes, it is true. The more happy people you know, the more likely you are yourself to be happy. The key here is to surround yourself with happy people and to stay in contact with friends, spouses, loved ones, neighbors and other acquaintances. The more social connections you have, the happier you will be.
 
Happy people not only have lower levels of the stress hormone cortisol, which is at least partially responsible for illness and disease, but they have higher levels of immune function.

So you see, happiness has an effect not only on your mental health, but your physical health as well.

Happiness has important positive effects on pain reduction, lower blood pressure, improved cardiac function and reduced mortality.

We can train ourselves to be happy, by practicing certain ways of thinking and behaving;  expressing gratitude, following life goals, being true to ourselves, practicing optimism, investing in healthy relationships, and paying attention to those little things that make us smile. Surround yourself with happy people, and stay in touch with your loved ones.

Don't forget to hug, touch and laugh often! A human touch can lift spirits, relax tension and create a positive outlook like nothing else can.

And one last thing– don't forget to smile.

Smiling, even if you are not happy, will actually make you FEEL happier.


To Your Happiness!  🙂


For more tips on mood and the effects of diet, go to www.simplesmartnutrition.com
 


Catherine (Cat) Ebeling RN BSN, is a back to basics diet and nutrition specialist. In addition to her advanced degree in nursing from a major medical school, she has spent the last 30 years intensely studying diet, health and nutrition. She also has a book titled "The Fat Burning Kitchen, Your 24 Hour Diet Transformation" that has sold over 60,000 copies worldwide, and has helped thousands of people transform their lives, lose weight and improve their health.

       Her mission is to help others prevent disease and live their best life ever.     Nutrition made Easy. Simple.Smart.Nutrition.

 

Sources:

Reuters; Maggie Fox,"Happiness is Contagious",  Health and Science Editor, December 5, 2008.

Amy Ellis Nutt, "How to be Happier-Research Shows We have the Power to Change", New Jersey Star-Ledger , October 09, 2008,