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Tag: anxiety

Meditation As Effective As Anti-anxiety Drugs

Recently, the first study to directly compare medication to mindfulness meditation for treating anxiety found that the two worked equally well.

After two months, patients participating in a weekly mindfulness program saw their anxiety decrease the same amount as patients taking anxiety meds like Lexapro. Now, one expert says that the study is reaffirming how “useful mindfulness can be when practiced effectively.”

Since one in five US adults live with an anxiety disorder, this information should change the standard of care to one that at least includes a mediation practice.

Anxiety disorders include social anxiety, generalized anxiety and panic attacks. Affected people are troubled by persistent and intrusive worries that interfere with their lives and relationships. In the U.S., anxiety disorders affect 40% of U.S. women at some point in their lives and more than 1 in 4 men, according to data cited in U.S. Preventive Services Task Force screening recommendations.

Meditation can also be a helpful tool for managing multiple sclerosis , which is one reason why I’m excited to share a new program that I am offering together with Dr. Irene Cop of the Stress-to-Success S.H.I.F.T. Institute.

In the Autoimmune Reset Experience, participants get the benefits of not only the functional testing and protocols contained in my signature Inflammation Investigator program, but also the Retrain Your Brain exercises and meditations that are Dr. Irene’s specialty.

Sound interesting? Jump into one of the upcoming live calls or recordings here to learn more!

New Discovery: Every Neurological Disease Has an Immune Component

depression

Newly discovered vessels in the brain connect directly to the immune system, says a research study by the University of Virginia (UVA) School of Medicine.

This pathway was previously not thought to exist and could have a major impact on how to address neurological dysfunction. Numerous neurological disorders present with signs of inflammation and accumulated waste in the brain.

“They’ll have to change the textbooks. There has never been a lymphatic system for the central nervous system…,” says lead researcher Jonathan Kipnis, PhD, professor of the UVA Department of Neuroscience and director of UVA’s Center for Brain Immunology and Glia (BIG). “It will fundamentally change the way people look at the central nervous system’s relationship with the immune system.”

The immune system is responsible for creating inflammation in the body. I have long believed that neurologic issues are related to inflammation, including Alzheimer’s Disease, Parkinson’s, autoimmune issues like M.S., and even depression, anxiety, and other mental health problems.

In my clinic we work to reduce inflammation naturally in order to allow the body to heal and function effectively. We see dramatic improvements in neurologic function simply by identifying and removing personal inflammatory triggers.

Do you wonder if your condition might improve by reducing inflammation in your brain? Book a complimentary, risk-free, no-commitment Natural Health Assessment here and find out if you can free yourself of inflammation and feel better quickly!

Bach’s Rescue Remedy: A Natural Remedy for Anxiety

Looking for a natural, safe, and effective way to address anxiety without taking pharmaceuticals or self-medicating with drugs or alcohol? Check out Bach’s Rescue Remedy.

Bach flower remedies are made from water infused with wild flowers. Dr. Edward Bach discovered 38 different flowers that could influence emotional and mental states by removing negative emotions. They are safe and gentle without any side effects.

Rescue Remedy is actually a combination of five different flowers and works to bring a sense of calm and relaxation to the user.

I recently was able to see Rescue Remedy work its magic on the little dog we got last year. She had been found in the middle of December, covered in ticks, in Joplin Missouri. Weighing in at 9 lbs. and less than a foot tall, she had to be on high alert all the time to survive. Even after she was picked up, she spent months in shelters, was shipped across state lines, lived with a foster family, was adopted and then returned before finally coming to land with us. When she arrived at our house, her coat was thin and scraggly and her skin raw and inflamed. She was aggressive toward other dogs and too nervous to be left alone.

After showering her with love and affection, putting her on a grain-free, meat-based diet, and investing in working with a dog trainer for several months, she was much improved healthwise with a full shiny coat and two more pounds of weight, but she still suffered from PTSD.

Then I remembered about Rescue Remedy. I began adding a drop or two to her wet food at dinner. After a few weeks I found I could tell when I had forgotten to give it to her as she would be more demanding and needy of my time and attention.

Now, after more than 6 months of taking the Rescue Remedy regularly, she’s a much calmer and more secure dog in general. She can watch me move between the rooms in the house without the previously-constant anxiety driving her to be at my heels every moment.

The Rescue Remedy has made a big difference in her anxiety and stress levels as well as her PTSD. It can do the same thing for humans.

Put one drop in a glass of water and drink it four times daily for relief from chronic anxiety or stress.

The Link Between Nutrients and Mental Health

Believe it or not, your depression, anxiety, insomnia, or even schizophrenia or bipolar disorder could be linked to what you are eating… or not eating.

Food for thought
Food for thought

Last week I gave a talk on the connection between digestion and mental health. There has been a lot of research recently on the gut-brain axis and specifically on how your digestive tract with its population of bacteria affects not only physical function but also brain function and emotional wellbeing.

In The Lancet Psychiatry journal, research has recently been published showing how micronutrient levels affect our mental health.

Micronutrients are vitamin, minerals, and other nutrients that our bodies depend upon as catalysts for body functions. Micronutrients are absorbed by the intestines after primary digestion has happened in the stomach. If the food is not broken down well enough when it leaves the stomach, the bowels will not be able to absorb the nutrients from the food and pass them along into the body for assimilation.

It’s looking more and more like not absorbing nutrients correctly can lead to mental imbalance.

According to Mark Moyad, MD, MPH, and author of The Supplement Handbook, these are some of the key micronutrients we need to keep our brains happy:

  • omega 3 fatty acids
  • SAMe
  • folic acid
  • NAC
  • Zinc
  • Vitamin D

Contact me if you’re interested in checking your micronutrient levels in pursuit of better mental health.

Could Your Gut Bacteria Be Making You Anxious or Depressed?

New research from neurobiologists at Oxford University shows there could be a link between the health of your gut microbiome and your emotions. The study suggests that using probiotics to populate your gut with good bacteria together with eating enough prebiotics –carbs that nourish your bacterial population– can help lift your mental state.

Gut xray

Foods high in probiotics

Foods high in probiotics include yogurt, keffir, kim chee, sourkrout, and other fermented foods.

Foods high in prebiotics

Foods high in prebiotics include asparagus, onions, leeks, grains, legumes, and cruciferous vegetables such as cauliflower, broccoli, kale, kohlrabi, radish, and rutabega.

It seems the bacteria inside us might affect us more than we ever could have imagined.

Yet another checkmark against the” Paleo”-style diet as being the ultimate diet for humans.

My motto: Be wary of fad diets that advocate elimination or extreme reduction of an entire food group.