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The Food-Mood Connection: Nutrition-based and Environmental Approaches to Mental Health and Physical Wellbeing Gary Null and Amy McDonald See book keywords and concepts

Commonly, when someone close to us moves away or dies, or if we lose a job or have some other major disappointment, there's apt to be an even stronger mood reaction. There will be some sadness, perhaps some grief. Usually such periods of sadness or grief are of a limited duration. When they drag on for a longer period of time, or become much more profound, we may begin to speak of clinical depression. The causes of depression may include genetic factors. As Dr. William Gold-wag explains, "These may be related to changes in the brain metabolism and the nervous system.

For example, somebody with a mood disorder given an antipsychotic drug is at higher risk for developing tardive dyskinesia." Patients with schizophrenia appear to be at particular risk for TD. "Typically those with tardive dyskinesia are patients who have been treated for schizophrenia over the course of many years," Dr. Vickar says. "The ravages of the illness are combined with the cumulative effects of the medicine. The older antipsychotic drugs—Thorazine, chlorpromazine, Stelazine, Prolixin, Haldol?

Even 4 years after they are no longer depressed, people with mood disorders still have trouble making GABA. GABA helps you to relax." Dr. Michael Schachter reports that "sometimes depression is caused by a deficiency of the neurotransmitter for norepinephrine. In such a case the amino acid L-tyrosine, or the amino acid DL-phenylalanine, may be helpful. DL-phenylalanine consists of two forms of phenylalanine, namely D-phenylalanine and L-phenylalanineT,-phenylalanine is used by the body to make proteins.

Researcher Sid Baumel says that "the most often studied vitamin connection to depression has been the B vitamins, which are the most closely associated with the normal maintenance of mood and the brain." If you have a really significant B vitamin deficiency, the kind that gives you bleeding gums and obvious skin problems, depression is one of the other symptoms you'd be likely to have. People who are clinically depressed don't routinely get their blood levels of B vitamins measured, but it has been proven that depressed people have lower levels of the B vitamin folic acid.

When some individuals have typical allergies and environmental illnesses, if they have a mood problem, they can become nasty and irritable and angry. All I ask is, 'What did you eat, touch and smell?' To help find the cause I try to discover whether the change in behavior occurs inside or outside, after eating, or after smelling a chemical. It might be a food, dust, mold, pollen or chemical, which not only affects the brain [as a whole], but discrete areas of the brain.

Also, I had depression, mood swings, and a lot of confusion and memory loss. I would go into one room and forget why I was there. I know a lot of people have that complaint from, time to time, but I had it consistently throughout the day. I couldn 'f drive myself to the store because I wouldn't be able to find my way. I lost the ability to read normally. Still now, two years later, I have to read things over and over in order to retain the material. I still have that deficit. I have trouble dealing with numbers.

The Food-Mood Solution: All-Natural Ways to Banish Anxiety, Depression, Anger, Stress, Overeating, and Alcohol and Drug Problems--and Feel Good Again Jack Challem See book keywords and concepts

Many of these genes play a role in judgment and decision making, and at least some of these changes could permanently alter gene activity and affect mood and thinking processes. Cocaine and meth mimic neurotransmitters and radically alter neurotransmitter levels. Cocaine blocks the normal breakdown of dopamine, leading to high levels of the stimulating neurotransmitter. Similarly, meth acts like a super-dopamine and also reduces serotonin transport in the brain by at least half. With high dopamine and low serotonin activity, it's impossible to feel calm.

Violence and Nutritional Problems Studies of criminals, juvenile delinquents, and schoolchildren illustrate certain basic concepts about nutrition, mood, and behavior. Most of us are concerned by the increase in violence in the world. Violence in prisons, however, is an especially serious problem. After all, people who were violent as free citizens are likely to be violent when they're incarcerated. Yet nutritional supplements and dietary improvements have been found to reduce in-prison violence and rule breaking.

To simplify the information, I've created a list of twenty different mood and behavior problems and the supplements that can help. (You'll rarely have to take more than two to four of the supplements.) Following the list are several sections that describe the supplements in more detail. The first group of supplements consists of vitamins, vitaminlike nutrients, and minerals. These neuronutrients are exceptionally safe, and it is virtually impossible to harm yourself with them. The same is true with the 59 second group of supplements, amino acids.

University of Calgary, Alberta, Canada, and her colleagues described the treatment of eleven children with behavioral disorders, including mood swings, anxiety, obsessive-compulsive disorder, oppositional disorder, bipolar disorder, and Asperger's syndrome. All of the children received a daily high-potency multivitamin/multi-mineral supplement. After just eight weeks, the children's behavior had gotten significantly better. Taking a high-potency vitamin supplement is one of the best things we can do for our health, and it's sad that this simple act is so widely ignored or discouraged.

Supplements Organized by mood and Behavior Problem General usage guidelines: Try the first or first two supplements in the category that is relevant to your needs (such as anxiety). If these supplements fail to help or produce only limited benefits after a couple of weeks, then add a couple of others, one by one. If, let's say, the fourth supplement you take yields benefits that the others did not, reduce or eliminate the previous supplements. Without a physician's help you'll need to use trial and error to figure out what works best for you.

I now enjoy cooking, but I didn't always relish being in the kitchen. Until 1999, I rarely cooked for myself, and my forays into the kitchen were usually to be served or to heat a packaged meal in the microwave oven. When I found myself living alone (after my divorce), I learned how to cook in a series of baby steps, sometimes by observing or assisting friends in the kitchen and other times by watching chefs on the Food Network. Despite the popularity of cookbooks and celebrity chefs, cooking often seems to be a dying art. Many people, especially women, feel that cooking is drudgery.

The Autoimmune Epidemic Donna Jackson Nakazawa See book keywords and concepts

Still, some studies suggest that a stress-free mood can persist, despite illness. In one study, researchers asked both chronically ill patients and a group of healthy individuals to record their moods into a handheld digital assistant, such as a Palm, every few hours for one week. The findings were both surprising and hopeful for those who assume that being diagnosed with a chronic illness means being sentenced to a lifetime of stress and anxiety. In many cases the moods of those who faced ongoing health challenges were not very different from those in excellent health.

The Myth of Alzheimer's: What You Aren't Being Told About Today's Most Dreaded Diagnosis Peter J. Whitehouse and Daniel George See book keywords and concepts

Changes in mood or behavior Everyone can become sad or moody from time to time. Someone with dementia may show rapid mood swings—from calm to tears to anger—for no apparent reason. Indeed, from Chapter 3 recall that Dr. Alzheimer described Auguste D. as becoming lachrymose and tearful without the slightest bit of provocation. Indeed, common symptoms that we see in the elderly are abrupt bouts of depression, psychosis, irritability, wandering, agitation, and aggression. In particular, depression coexists with Alzheimer's.

Toxic Overload: A Doctor's Plan for Combating the Illnesses Caused by Chemicals in Our Foods, Our Homes, and Our Medicine Cabinets Dr. Paula Baillie-Hamilton See book keywords and concepts

If you combine this with our ever-increasing use of mood-altering substances such as stimulants, alcohol, prescription medications, and drugs; our increased exposure to toxic chemicals; and our decreased intake of mood-stabilizing nutrients as a result of our overly processed and less nutritious diet—then the risk of developing a mood disturbance increases still further. It is, therefore, hardly surprising that moderate or severe depression is now one of the most common diseases of our time, affecting nearly 3 percent.

Stop Prediabetes Now: The Ultimate Plan to Lose Weight and Prevent Diabetes Jack Challem See book keywords and concepts

Mind, mood, and Energy Clues Do you • Feel tired after eating? • Feel tired or not have much energy in general? • Have difficulty concentrating after eating? • Experience fuzzy thinking a lot of the time? • Have bad moods when you don't eat on time? 2. Physical Clues Do you • Have love handles? • Have a potbelly, even a small one? • Have a forty-inch or larger waist (men)? • Have a thirty-five-inch or larger waist (women)? • Experience frequent heartburn or acid reflux or take meds for symptom control? • Have trouble maintaining an erection without medication (men only)?

You Don't Have to be Afraid of Cancer Anymore Bill Sardi See book keywords and concepts

Testosterone may drive the growth of prostate tumors, but it is also needed to maintain mood, bone health, and other functions. Reduction in testosterone may result in hot flashes, breast enlargement, changes in mood, decline in sex drive, fatigue, anemia and bone loss and fractures. [Current Urological Reports 6: 210-16, 2005] Men with prostate cancer may already have low bone mineral density prior to any hormone therapy. [Cancer 91: 2238-45, 2001] Various medications, calcium and vitamin D may be recommended to strengthen bones. However, these measures alone may be ineffective.

Hunger Free Forever: The New Science of Appetite Control Michael T. Murray and Michael R. Lyon See book keywords and concepts

Interestingly, test subjects also showed improvement in mood with lowered scores for depression independent of weight loss. In other words, just being included in the clinical study was enough to improve mood and depression. Rather than waiting to have healthy self-esteem until you actually lose weight, you can take steps to build self-esteem and program yourself for the success right now. The following success exercise program is just as essential to your weight-loss plan as physical exercise. To get started, you will need to get a notebook that will become your personal journal.

Medicine vs. healing, war vs. peace and male vs. female thinking (opinion) Mike Adams, the Health Ranger See article keywords and concepts

If you discuss things like bioenergy or the idea that conventionally-raised meat has negative energy that affects mood or that a plant has positive energy that makes you feel better, most men reflexively reject these ideas without even bothering to consider them. That's because such ideas take the sense of control away from them. Men like to feel like they are in control of their minds, emotions and moods, and they don't like the idea that unhealthy foods or "low energy" foods could somehow diminish their cognitive function or worsen their moods.

Omega-3 supplements rapidly eliminate ADD, ADHD and bipolar disorder in children Mike Adams, the Health Ranger See article keywords and concepts

What this study shows is that every child with ADD, bipolar or any other mood disorder should be on OmegaBrite," said Dr. John Ratey, author of the best-selling Driven to Distraction and a well-respected expert on ADD. "And the only side effect is a longer life." "This is great news for parents," said Dr. Carol Locke, who served on the Harvard Medical School faculty for 14 years before creating OmegaBrite. "Parents are always struggling with how best to help their children. It is incredibly gratifying to develop a product that offers a safe mood stabilizer and natural anti-depressant.

The Sunfood Diet Success System David Wolfe See book keywords and concepts

Good mood Food Deli Cafe 5930 Warner Avenue Huntington Beach, CA 714-377-2028 www.goodmoodfood.com rentachef@goodmoodfood.com This cafe offers Southern-California-style raw-food cuisine with a hint of German influence brought in by the owners. A wonderful place offering a great service to the community. Jade Cafe 1521 Griffith Park Blvd. Angeles, CA 90026 Contact: Lesa Carlson 323-667-1551 A fusion of Mexican, Italian and Thai elements, Jade Cafe designs seductive dishes from purely organic and completely raw ingredients. True art from Lesa Carlson, one of America's leading raw chefs.

Superfoods Rx Diet: Lose Weight with the Power of SuperNutrients Wendy Bazilian, DRPH, MA, RD, Steven Pratt, MD, Kathy Matthews See book keywords and concepts

If you have a balanced snack in the late afternoon, you give a little boost to your metabolism, you tamp down your hunger and you actually improve your mood. In fact, one study reported that those who enjoyed a snack also enjoyed an improved mood as well as better recall on a simple memory test.9 (So you'll be able to remember to eat a healthy dinner!) I suggest you choose two to four snacks from the lists on page 68. Having two to four snacks slotted into your 2-week cycles makes it easier to plan, shop and to have them prepped and ready in advance.

The Feel-Good Diet Cheryle Hart, M.D., and Mary Kay Grossman, RD See book keywords and concepts

These were depressed mood, fatigue, low motivation, poor focus, poor muscle strength or feeling weak, anxiety or worry, fearfulness, PMS-related moodiness, irritability, anger, chronic pain, achy muscles, sleep problems, cravings in the afternoon or evening, eating large food portions, feeling not satisfied after eating, thinking about food often, and craving chocolate, caffeine, nicotine, starchy foods, sweets, or alcohol. Discussion of Study Results There were originally eight participants in each group of either active ingredients or the placebo lozenges.

These were depressed mood, fatigue, anxiety or worry, achy muscles, sleep problems, and not feeling satisfied after eating (eating satiation). The active group had significantly more improvement than placebo in the symptoms of fearfulness (500%), PMS moodiness (440%), muscle strength (460%), thinking a lot about food (260%), irritability (210%), focus (190%), craving starchy carbohydrates (190%), cravings in the afternoon or evening (170%), craving sweets (110%), motivation (100%), food portions (100%), and chocolate cravings (50%).

What If Medicine Disappeared? Gerald E. Markle and Frances B. McCrea See book keywords and concepts

According to NIMH, "depression" is an illness that "involves the body, mood, and thoughts [which] affects the way a person eats and sleeps ... feels about oneself... and thinks about things." Depression is not the same as "a passing blue mood." Nor is it (recall the sociological concept of "sick role" which, in part, removes blame) "a sign of personal weakness." Without treatment, the disease and its consequences can be serious, but "appropriate treatment can help most people who suffer from depression.

Asthma Controlled Naturally: Techniques That Work Dr Ron Roberts See book keywords and concepts

Whether or not we are aware of it, the smells that surround us daily can change our mood by either lifting or lowering our spirits. Many essential oils are linked to our emotions, to improve harmony and balance in our lives. They have a significant effect on our moods and energy levels. They can be uplifting, calming, invigorating—or simply have an appeal to our sense of smell, which passes reactive messages to our brain. Modern medical circles are beginning to recognise the merits of aromatherapy.

Conscious Health: A Complete Guide to Wellness Through Natural Means Ron Garner See book keywords and concepts

The monthly cycle brings on pms, and menopause, when it occurs, is accompanied by hot flashes, weight gain, fatigue, and mood swings. There is much suffering for women who go through such episodes, and sometimes, for those who live with the women experiencing them. But it wasn't meant to be that way, and it shouldn't be. Women in other cultures sail through these cycles and times of life without the problems that many women in western cultures experience. For them, it seems they have happy hormones. Why is there this difference? Female hormonal difficulties have been turned into diseases.

Menopausal women can experience symptoms such as: hot flashes, vaginal dryness and atrophy, water retention, fat and weight gain, sleep disturbances, decreased libido, mood swings, headaches, fatigue, lack of concentration, short-term memory lapses, thinning of scalp hair, increased facial hair, osteoporosis, various body aches and pains, and dry, thin, and wrinkled skin. Estrogen dominance has also been linked to male problems, including lowered sperm counts, physical feminization symptoms such as enlarged breasts, as well as osteoporosis and prostate cancer.

Supplement Your Prescription: What Your Doctor Doesn't Know About Nutrition Hyla Cass, M.D. See book keywords and concepts

The keys to your brain function are the chemical messengers of mind and mood called neurotransmitters. As they travel around your brain and nervous system, they help determine how you feel. 113 Here's the important part: we can influence our brain function by supplying the right nutrients to make our brain cells and neurotransmitters work at their peak. While there are hundreds of neurotransmitters, the following are the main players: • GABA (gamma-aminobutyric acid) is the "cool" neurotransmitter, relaxing you and calming you down after stress.

Conscious Health: A Complete Guide to Wellness Through Natural Means Ron Garner See book keywords and concepts

In premenopausal women, symptoms can include: fatigue, depression, weight gain, water retention, headaches, loss of sex drive, mood swings, inability to handle stress, irritability, fibrocystic breasts, uterine fibroids, endometriosis, low metabolism, symptoms of hypothyroidism, unstable blood sugar levels, sluggishness in the morning, and a craving for caffeine, sweets, and carbohydrates.

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