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What’s normal for an eating schedule?  We hear everything from snacking every few hours with a couple of bigger snacks for meals to eating a big protein meal in the morning and only carbs at night. What are you to believe? What’s right?  In reality, who knows!  There is no right way, only a right way FOR YOU.  Figuring out your own nutritional / dietary needs can be the challenging part!

I can only share with you how I eat to achieve for optimal brain function and anxiety relief.  Eating on a schedule that my allows my body to operate at its best also has yielded other benefits such as losing 55 pounds, increased and ‘mojo’, and age reversal!

My meals include a morning smoothie, mid-morning snack like half an apple with raw almond butter, mid afternoon snack (the other half of the apple with almond butter), dinner that consists of a protein/meat and tons of non-starchy vegetables, dessert is typically a few strawberries or blueberries, and a snack right before bed like a handful of nuts with Ningxia wolfberries.

Eating this way balanced my blood sugar and 6 reasons why I love to eat this way:

1) never becoming ravenously hungry and over eating

2) the adrenals healed by not overworking as they tried to manage erratic blood sugar levels

3) since I like eating, having a snack right around the corner all the time made me feel happy! Yeah, it’s that simple.

4) repairing insulin resistance

5) stopped panic/anxiety attacks

6) losing weight because my cortisol levels were no longer elevated from not eating enough.

Play with your eating schedule.  It took me a long time to figure out my groove. I tried eating two or three hours in between snacks. Then I tried eating my heavy meal in the morning and light the rest of the day. What worked for me that set my body right for the day was the super smoothie first thing. If I don’t do that, my hunger levels are all over the place and occasionally I will still have a massive crash!

I could have sworn that I posted this recipe before, but I can’t find it anywhere!    Requests come to me daily for my “super smoothie” recipe because it starts of the day right by balancing blood sugar and helps stop gnawing cravings the rest of the day. Every ingredient in this delicious (almost ice cream like!) recipe is chosen with a specific action in mind.  So don’t go adding all sorts of stuff (bananas, pineapple, agave, sugar laden nut milk, soy milk) unless you really understand nutrition!!!  Long term daily enjoyment of this smoothie has helped repair my insulin resistance, blood sugar swings, anxiety / panic attacks, and adrenal fatigue.

SUPER SMOOTHIE RECIPE

2 scoops Power Meal

5 drops YLTG grapefruit oil for the taste, chemo prevention, bloating (lymph support)

2 drops YLTG  nutmeg oil for the adrenals

¼ tsp of Redmond Real salt for the adrenals

1 heaping tblsp of coconut oil for thyroid, blood sugar, and yeast (candida)

1 raw egg for the protein, fat, and vitamin A (1/2 an avocado can be used instead of eggs)

Stevia extract to taste

About 10 ice cubes in the blender 1^st, add ingredients.  Then fill up with enough water so it will blend until smooth. Blend super well so it gets fluffy and the coconut oil and ice cubes are no longer chunky.  Add Young Living’s stevia extract to taste.  It’s not only for the sweetness, but stevia is known to help balance blood sugar and decrease cravings.

Sometimes I add 1/4 cup of blueberries, raspberries, cherries, or strawberries to this. Nothing else. NO BANANNAS OR PINEAPPLE – although delicious they are very high in sugar.

If you are at work or on the road and can’t take time out with a blender, just do Power Meal as a snack. It taste goods even on the go by just adding water.

In the summer time I will often crave ice cream. By slightly tweaking the recipe above by adding a few more ice cubes and 1/2 an avocado – the smoothie will be very thick and can be eaten with a spoon. Yummy and health … PERFECT!

Recently I spoke at Young Living Essential Oils International Grand Convention on the topic of weight management.   I decided to post my presentation because people couldn’t take notes fast enough and during the second session many people had to be turned away because the room was over capacity.   This information is important not only for weight loss, but for building a strong endocrine system.  Strong and balanced endocrine typically yields a body at ideal weight effortlessly.

Warning -  side effects to building a strong endocrine system include: increased energy levels, decreased anxious / panic feelings, clearer thinking, improved skin tone, robust immunity, positive mood / outlook, balanced hormones, healthy sex drive, and normalized sleep patterns.  Who wouldn’t want these?!?!?!?!

The main reason I had 55 extra pounds in my body in 2006 was due to severe adrenal fatigue. I was experiencing severe hypoglycemia, mood swings/irritability, lethargy, imbalanced hormones, not stamina, skin rashes/bumps, bloating, impaired digestion, anxiety / panic attacks, food reactions, non-regulation of body temperature … I was a total mess!!!

My strategy for recovery was to:

1. Adrenal Support
2. Regulate Sleep Pattern
3. Repair the Digestive System
4. Repair Insulin Resistance

My presentation outlines simple ways on how to get started back to health via nutritional changes, essential oil application, and lifestyle modifications.  Also included is an 18 point checklist that can help one determine if adrenal fatigue is a factor.

CLICK HERE to view the presentation.

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A few months ago I started working out, again. I had tried a few times over the past few years but after exercising for a few weeks, anxiety returned.   I couldn’t figure out what was causing it. Then, a week ago I had to prepare a lecture on blood sugar.  As I did my research, I read that exercise induced hypoglycemia can happen up to 24 hours after physical activity.  “Ah ha!” I thought.  Maybe now I can get this anxiety cause handled!

Pre and post work out I would check my blood sugar levels and they would test within normal range.  This didn’t make sense because I was showing classic signs of hypoglycemia, including anxiety. Sheri Colberg mentioned in her article Dealing with Exercise-Induced Hypoglycemia that blood sugar levels may test normal during a hypoglycemic episode, especially during and post exercise. Symptoms occur due to rapid blood sugar changes, so a person needs to know the signs their body gives to identify when there’s a problem.

When the glycogen is depleted from the muscles during exercise symptoms like shakiness, weakness, dizziness, anxiety, confusion, profuse sweating, and extreme muscle fatigue may occur.  Know these first hand!  I consulted with a personal trainer who is well versed in nutrition. He said to try consuming some kind of carbohydrate and protein when symptoms occur and during the cool down.

I have experimented with this and have had great results. I’ve been using Young Living’s Ningxia Red because it is low glycemic and is full of amino acids.  I add 2 ounces to my water bottle at the end of my work out. Within a few minutes the shakes and fatigue is gone. Plus, the next day I’m fine – no hypoglycemic drops or anxiety.

On the other hand,  I’ve even experimented with just a simple carb (like a fruit juice) without the protein, that did NOT work!  Hypoglycemic symptoms lasted for over an hour and the next day I was wiped out.  Pretty good indicator it didn’t work.

Exercise is an important part of repairing the damage from insulin resistance. Also, it helps balance the feel good chemicals in the body that fight anxiety.  Figuring out what works takes experimentation and patience.  It can be frustrating at times but when the solutions are all figured out, it’s worth it!

Fast foods? Say what? I’m not talking about greasy burgers and fries. I mean “on the go” whole and nutritious foods as anxiety therapy.

Nutrition has as a huge impact in how we feel. Our choices can leave us feeling vibrant or anxious and depressed.  As the old saying goes, “We are what we eat.”  In the past, if I was hungry I would often stop for a fast food salad or sandwich.  I thought I was making healthy choices. Little did I know that the dressings and marinades were full of hidden sugar, preservatives, and flavor enhancers.  Many chemicals in prepared foods mess up brain chemistry, compounding anxious feelings.  As I discovered these things, I would often stop at health food stores for a snack to no avail.  Again I found refined carbohydrates and tons of sugar.  A label that says, “natural or healthy” most often doesn’t mean so.

Now I hit the road prepared.  When I’m going to be gone for a long day, I pack a few snacks that will nourish my body and keep my mind calm.  To keep my adrenals and blood sugars happy, I eat a little something every couple of hours.

These are my favorite anxiety busting fast foods:

• Avocados. Good fats, good carbs and nutrient dense.  Really yummy with a sprinkle of chipotle pepper and Real Salt!
• Nut Mix.  Not your ordinary Plantar’s variety that are loaded with salt and chemicalized oils.  I sprout almonds, walnuts, and Brazil nuts using the method I gave in a previous post.  I mix the nuts with protein packed and low glycemic Ningxia Wolfberries.
• Smoothie on the Go. In case my blood sugar plummets, I have dry PowerMeal mix in a shaker cup ready so I can just add water. I spruce it up a bit with unrefined stevia and a few drops of therapeutic grade orange oil.
• Apples & Almond Butter.  You’ve heard me tout the greatness of this snack in previous posts. It’s satisfies and it’s nutritious!
• Left Overs. If I’ve made something great the night before, I’ll pack in in my mini-cooler lunch box and save it for a meal away from home.  I always ensure I have substantial protein along with twice as much vegetables.
• Hummus & Celery. Generally I make my own hummus so I know exactly what’s in it.  It’s low glycemic and high in protein. The natural sodium in the celery is terrific for the adrenals.  Really yummy with added roasted garlic!

If you have found healthy home-made fast food ideas, please share!