Is There a Nutritional Component to Your Anxiety?

by Dr. Amanda Childress | Depression, Stress and Anxiety Articles

Anxiety is a condition that is very disruptive to daily life.

Could there be a nutritional component to anxiety?

Over the years, I have talked to hundreds of anxiety sufferers. Each case is very different. However, there is one common thread all these cases share …nutritional deficiency. There is a nutritional component to anxiety sufferers.

How is anxiety related to nutrition?

Regardless of whether nutritional deficiencies are the cause of your anxiety or an after effect, there is always a nutritional component. If you are anxious, your hormonal organs and glands are working overtime. As a result, your system burns through your nutritional reserves at an accelerated pace. The more your nutritional reserves deplete, the harder time your body has physically coping with anxiety which can make anxiety much worse. Thus, there’s a link between anxiety and vitamin deficiency. This continuous nutrient depletion is a terrible downward spiral!

Cause of Anxiety

Each person describes/experiences anxiety differently. Thus, it stands to reason that there are different causes to blame. Obviously, stressful and uncertain circumstances can spur or exacerbate anxiety. There are mental/emotional components in many cases. The majority of cases also have a physical component. Did you know that a symptom of B vitamin deficiency is emotional disturbances and feelings of impending doom? Low blood sugar can also present as anxiety.

How do you know if your anxiety has a physical component?

Some signs often point to the physical cause of anxiety. An excellent way to determine this is to reflect on this question:

What does your anxiety feel like?

Truly reflect on this question. Think not only about how you feel emotionally, but how your body feels. If you experience physical effects of the anxiety, such as chest pain, shakiness or stomach pains (just to name a few), chances are there’s something physical going on.

How can I improve my anxiety through nutrition?

There’s so much you can do naturally to feel better and improve anxiety! Low blood sugar is such a huge component so make sure you are eating protein for breakfast and not skipping meals. Cutting out white sugar (Confused about sugar? This should help. Blog) and refined carbs can be a lifesaver as well! Natural Calm is a safe and broadly available nutritional supplement that can alleviate anxiety and promote good sleep. It is a magnesium powder drink. You can buy it through your practitioner at The NHCAA or at most health food stores. As B vitamin deficiency is so prevalent in anxiety cases, a whole food sourced vitamin B for anxiety can also be very helpful. Quality matters, so steer clear of synthetic B vitamins for anxiety! They can be overstimulating and can create other deficiencies. If you have done the above actions and you still have symptoms or if your anxiety is severe, don’t despair!

These different types of stress signs indicate that you need to take targeted supplementation for your trouble areas. As there are many causes, you should consult with an NHCAA practitioner to find out the best route for you and to understand vitamin B and anxiety.

Call 734-302-7575 to set an appointment with me!

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Yours in Health.

Amanda Childress, Holistic PharmD

Medications vs. Nutritional Healing

Dr. Amanda, Pharmacist and NHCAA Practitioner, tells what medications do to the body and how nutritional healing is a better alternative in most cases.

Five Steps to Reducing Prescription Drugs “Side Effects”

by Dr. Amanda Childress | Depression, Prescription Drugs

Do you have “side effects” from the drugs you are taking?

Reduce prescription drugs’ side effects by reading these five steps written by a holistic pharmacist!

The definition of a side effect of a drug is any effect other than the intended effect. Anything that happens as a result of a drug that is undesirable is labeled as a “side effect.”

Side effects of prescription drugs are unavoidable. As a Doctor of Pharmacy, I know medicine and drugs have the ability to help people who need them. However, their good effects are very limited. Helping people reduce the need for most if not all, prescription drugs should be the true goal of healthcare. Here is a list of tips to reduce your medications’ side effects and hopefully minimize the need for any or most of them. Learn how to reduce the side effects of medicine below.

Make healthy lifestyle changes. The primary change that aids in reducing the side effects of medicine on the body is a healthy diet. Healthy eating is rich in protein, healthy fats, vegetables and low in carbohydrates, processed foods, and sugar. I cannot think of a single medical condition that is not aggravated by eating sugar and refined carbohydrates. Other healthy changes include drinking plenty of water, using Celtic sea salt instead of table salt and exercise regularly.
Talk to your healthcare provider about lowering and potentially weaning off your prescriptions. Most drugs cause more side effects at higher doses. In my experience, many people are at a much higher dose than needed for symptom relief. In fact, it’s been my observation that less than 5 percent of all drugs prescribed are necessary.
Take gentle detoxification supplements. Medications must be filtered out of the body and eliminated. If the body is not efficiently clearing these substances out, it can increase the pharmaceutical drugs’ side effects. Most drugs are eliminated primarily by the kidneys or the liver. There are many whole food and herbal supplements that can support the body in these filtering functions. Whenever drug detoxification is involved, you should be monitored by a licensed health care practitioner well versed in the application of supplements for detoxification.
Educate yourself. Make sure you read and research all side effects of your prescription drugs online or in the packaging from the pharmacy. You need to be able quickly to identify what is happening if you do experience “side effects” from medication. Make sure to check online many medicines’ side effects go unreported and do not make it into the official labeling. You can just type the drug name plus the word “side effects.” Another resource is www.askapatient.com.
Heal your body naturally for symptom relief. The majority of medications target symptoms and do not facilitate healing. When you have a symptom, it is a cry for help from your body. This S.O.S. is an indication of underlying organ dysfunction and nutritional deficiencies. A targeted whole food supplement program individualized for you through Nutrition Response Testing will help support and heal the stressed organs.

I am a trained pharmacist and NRT practitioner. I have helped many improve their health by getting off drugs and implementing a whole food program along with the appropriate supplements specific to their body’s needs.

Dr. Amanda
Your Wholistic Pharmacist

Read Dr. Amanda’s Bio

Mother Nature Can Defeat Depression … Every Time

by Kerry Cradit | Depression

Got the Winter Blues?

Are there natural ways to defeat depression?

The colder, darker months of winter have arrived. I’m ready for a sunny destination vacation! How about you?

If that’s not in your plan for the next couple of months here are some winter depression tips and ideas to help you defeat depression.

Get plenty of rest. Our schedules are often blamed for not getting enough hours of sleep. Try to make sure that you are sleeping enough (it’s when your body heals). And, that your sleep is restful. You shouldn’t wake up tired. If you are getting up to use the bathroom in the night or tossing and turning or having trouble falling or staying asleep your body is trying to tell you something is out of balance. Nutrition Response Testing can help find out why.
Eat good food. Fill up with veggies, protein, and good fats and limit sugar and grains. Fat and protein are especially important for better body function in winter. Coconut oil, olive oil, fish oils, flax, avocado, and butter will all make your brain work better, help you stay warmer and help with dry winter skin.
Get the right nutrition for your body. But, by supplying the correct nutrition to make the body work better, the stress will affect you less. Plus, I’ve got a simple formula for reducing stress I’ll be giving you in next week’s article.
Reduce your stress. Many people blame stress for their sadness, low energy, and irritability. The truth is stress is all around us and affects our bodies on a daily basis. It depletes us of stores of vitamins and minerals and puts us at risk for health problems. Reducing what stress you have can be helpful.
Get checked (at The NHCAA) for Vitamin D. Adequate stores of Vitamin D in your body is a health insurance policy. Being low in Vitamin D puts you at risk for bone diseases and fractures, hypertension, heart disease, diabetes, tooth and gum problems, decreased immunity, cancer, and multiple sclerosis. In the Winter with less exposure to the sun and our Vitamin D levels is low depression symptoms can increase.

The symptoms of depression and anxiety and fatigue that many people feel during the winter are real. They indicate that something is not going well with some areas of the body. They are a cue that your body needs something and that something is not a prescription. You are not deficient in antidepressants. There are more natural ways to get rid of seasonal depression.

Yours in Health, Kerry

Read Kerry’s Bio