Advice from a nutriotional therapist!

[ems43]

Sorry.. bit misleading I am obv not a nutritional therapist. However, I have just payed to see one today and found it really helpful so thought would share with you all my insights. Basically, my anxiety came on after an episode of stress full life events ( as Im sure most peoples do) and she explained to me how the adrenal glands produce cortisol and the stress response. We looked at my current diet, which includes lots of sugar, and discussed the peaks and lows of excessive sugar intake ( I didn't think i was having that much but apparently the sweeteners used in no added sugar robinsons are just as bad/ if not worse that natural sugar. She discussed how this may be leading to a lot of the symptoms I am experiencing, especially derealisation and depersonalisation. Now, I am not so gullable to think this is the magic cure, but may be worth a try. So a diet plan she gave me was to have

Breakfast: wholemeal bread with eggs ( stated importance of having protein in breakfast) or a yoghurt smoothie and grind into it some sunflower seeds or another form of seed

Lunch: a healthy sandwich, including both protein and vegetables/ salad

snacks: non salted nuts, fruit ( stated that apples and pears are some of the best fruit to stabliise blood sugar)

dinner: ensure a large portion of protein ( oily fish esp good), lots of green veggies ( spinach and brocolli are excellent she said) with a smaller portion of carbs

i dont drink tea or coffe but do drink a lot of flavoured water/ cordial. she recommened a few drinks that wont affect sugar levels
1. welchs purple grape juice- can get from sainsburys or tesco
2. apple juice- copella, again from S or T
3. Pomgreat pomegranate juice

and obv lots of water/ green or herbal tea

for snack she suggested sugar free bars such as fruitis, food doctor, wholebake 9 bar, naked bar.

She also recommened that i take a good multi vitamins- nutri multi vit apparently esp good. also suggested a good omega 3 and recommened Lambert orac omega 3, one a day. i just ordered these from natural dispensary online.

Now, i do feel a little bit like i have just been to see Gillian McKeeth ( or however spelt) but I really am willing to give anything a try and will keep you posted on my progress.

PS: I told her was taking omega 3 sainsburys own brand and she said that usually these are quite rubbish and stated it really needs to be a good quality omega 3.

so... tomorrow i will try to beat the choc/ massive carb cravings currently have and at least try and stick to some of it xx:)

[ems43]

one more thing... she suggested that its best to eat chocolate ( dark pref) that is at least 70% chocolate and eat it after meals as this doesn't lead to sucha drastic peak in blood sugar. x

[shaz14]

Wow that's really interesting, would love to know how you get on. I've been watching what I eat and drink recently as anything is worth a try to help with this wretched anxiety! Thanks for the info and good luck :)

[ditzygirl]

It is interesting but I think there a lot of truth in what she says. I am imcreasing the amount of fruit and veg I eat and loads of brown pasta, i feel a lot, lot better.

Let us know how you get on - it;s really interesting.

[Nigel H]

I'm glad you have done something and are to take some action .... I hope it obtains good results for you, so am keen to see how you get on!

My personal feeling is that this will address the symptoms perhaps ... and maybe not deal with the underlying cause.

See the chain of events....

Stressful life events
Thought patterns in response to those events
body produces chemicals in response to those thought patterns and feelings of stress
eat differently to change chemical balance .....

This may be a short term response - and if the stress is a short term thing, then that is a useable and valid approach, in principal.

Much like - if you get a cold, you take Lemsip (or similar) to mask the symptoms, until it naturally gets better.... but Lemsip is not a cure in it's own right., it just makes you feel better until your body fights the cold off.

If you don't take anything for the cold, you feel crappy and it gets better anyway eventually.

This may be the same with the change in foods - and I say MAY ... because I am not trained in that aspect.

If you were to deal with the cause of the stress - and your thought patterns around those factors, your body would handle the stress better, so the cortisol would not be produced in the same way, so not need to be balanced through diet.... does that make sense? I hope so !!

but as I said .... I do hope you get good results through using diet in your tools to fight the stress and anxiety response. Good luck!

[ems43]

Hi Nigel, yes I am aware it does not address the underlying cause and am currently having CBT as well, I just feel that it is important to take a holistic approach.

[Nigel H]

Totally agree - whatever you can do to improve things until the cause is handled is perfect !

I always take Lemsip !

[ljd]

Hi i have a friend whos a nutrtionist and it does help being careful what you eat but i findit hard to keep to a healthy diet. good for you for trying it out. My friend has told me some amazing stories about how nutrition can help improve lifestyle.

I have been seeing a kinesiologist for a while now and found seeingher and she reccomends what supplements and bach flower remidies my body needs which i do think help. a good site to get good quality supplements fromis citoplan and nutri centre although good quality ones are not cheap but cheaper to order them off the net tha in the shops. tc

[olderfella]

Some good advice but dont be fooled by thinking because you paid more for the supplements they are better quality this not usualy the case also dont over do the fish oil the juries still out on the benefits,a diet that contains fish oils does not need supplementation have attached some facts published 2weeks ago

Fish Oil Linked to Increased Risk of Colon Cancer in Mice

ScienceDaily (Oct. 6, 2010) — Fish Oil -- long encouraged by doctors as a supplement to support heart and joint health, among other benefits -- induced severe colitis and colon cancer in mice in research led by Michigan State University and published this month in the journal Cancer Research.

Jenifer Fenton, a food science and human nutrition researcher at MSU, led the research that supports establishing a dose limit for docosahexaenoic acid (DHA), one of the omega-3 fatty acids present in Fish oil, particularly in people suffering from chronic conditions such as inflammatory bowel diseases.

"We found that mice developed deadly, late-stage colon cancer when given high doses of Fish oil," she said. "More importantly, with the increased inflammation, it only took four weeks for the tumors to develop."

Specifically, the research team found an increase in the severity of the cancer and an aggressive progression of the cancer in not only the mice receiving the highest doses of DHA but those receiving lower doses as well. The mice used in the study were prone to inflammatory-like bowel disease; inflammation is an important risk factor for many types of cancers, including colon cancer.

"Our findings support a growing body of literature implicating harmful effects of high doses of Fish Oil consumption in relation to certain diseases," Fenton said. "Currently, there is a call by academics and the food industry to establish dietary guidelines for omega-3 consumption. This is primarily motivated by the fact that most Americans are deficient in omega-3 fatty acids, and there is substantial evidence supporting the beneficial effects of the consumption."

The findings were surprising, specifically because DHA has been shown to have some anti-inflammatory properties, according to Fenton: "We hypothesized that feeding Fish Oil enriched with DHA to mice would decrease the cancer risk; we actually found the opposite. These mice were less equipped to mount a successful immune response to bacteria that increased colon tumors."

Fenton cautions people may not need to avoid Fish oil; what the research shows is needed are guidelines on dosing. With any nutrient, there is a "bell curve" effect. On the left of the curve are those deficient in a nutrient; on the right are those in excess.

She said people already receiving enough omega-3 fatty acids through their normal diet and foods have no need for added supplementation.

"With Fish oil, we don't yet know how much is appropriate," said Fenton, also a researcher with the Michigan Agricultural Experiment Station. "There are many examples of taking supplements, nutrients or chemicals in excess that can promote cancer (for example, beta-carotene supplementation in smokers). Supplementation is most useful when the person taking them is deficient in that specific nutrient."

The research team's findings could have an important preventive health impact, specifically in light of the high rates of colon cancer in the United States. Individuals with inflammatory bowel disease have an increased risk of developing colon cancer, and when the cancer metastasizes it can be fatal.

The next step, Fenton said, is to test omega-3 fatty acid levels in people with inflammatory bowel disease. To that end, she is continuing to build relationships -- via MSU's College of Osteopathic Medicine campus in Macomb County -- with gastrointestinal specialists to develop a cohort of patients.

"To help develop guidelines, we need to see how these findings correlate to human populations," she said.

You may also find removing wheat and gluten from your diet may help

:)

[Nigel]

Hi ems,

I don’t know a lot about nutrition apart from the usual common sense stuff, however, it’s a subject that seems to come up a lot regarding mental wellbeing.

A lot of people don’t realise but the brain uses more of the body’s energy than any other single organ, and that energy is derived from the food a person eats. So it stands to reason that diet must effect a persons mental and emotional state to some extent.

I think it’s glucose that the brain needs, and that’s obtained from sugar. But it must be the right kind of sugar – not foods containing highly refined sugar. It’s a bit like filling your car with rocket fuel. Step on the accelerator and you’re instantly 10 miles up the road! But in doing that, the fuel’s all used and the engine probably knackered!

Consuming lots of refined sugar means the body doesn’t have to process it and get at it slowly therefore, the brain gets the whole lot at once. It tries to regulate and shut things down, but by now the all sugar has all been consumed, and the person lurches from an extreme high to an extreme low.

Well, that’s about the extent of my nutritional knowledge, and I know there’s a lot more to it than that; however, it’s enough to appreciate that there must be a valid connection.

Hope it works for you :yesyes:
Nigel

[supersezza]

Here's a few things I buy which I think help: :shades:



avacado
asparagus
cottage cheese
sunflower seeds
dark green leafy veg
kiwi
dark chocolate
bananas
porridge
fibre/wholewheat cereals
brown bread/pasta/rice

[daybyday]

Thank you ems. We can always glean good information to consider and look to apply for help.

My new dr. has me cutting sugars. I don't really eat that much, but I am scrutinizing more.

I really like how everyone here, will share helps they have found so freely.

[JaneC]

Just to add, the naturopath I see places a lot of importance on eating as much organic produce as poss - the other stuff simply may not contain the minerals our bodies need, she says

[olderfella]

Hi guys there is no proof whatsoever that organic foods are nutritionaly better than mass produced fruit and veg,with the greatest of respect these scare mongers are taking advantage of vunerable people,they think if they stick things in fancier wrappings,label foods organic etc that it makes their products better and more healthier what bullsh*t dont let these people fool you.:shrug:

http://www.telegraph.co.uk/earth/earthnews/5932100/Organic-food-has-no-added-nutritional-benefit-says-Food-Standards-Agency.html

[JaneC]

Each to their own as to what they believe or don't. Can only say my health has improved noticeably since I've been taking the minerals I was prescribed. Not only have my CFS symptoms improved, instead of taking 3 x 10mg propranolol and 3x colofac every day, I now only take one of each in the morning and that's probably just out of habit. I always feel it's worth keeping an open mind and never writing anything off as having potential benefits x