Natural Anxiety Therapy

One of the oldest forms of anxiety therapy is the practice of massage.  It was first recorded in the 2nd Century BC in China.  Think about it, it’s common sense.  When someone is down and out, don’t we often instinctively touch  to soothe another?   I know I have sought out many a massage during times of anxiety, stress, or physical exhaustion.  Many of my clients come to me for essential oil therapies, full body massage, or reflexology to de-stress and relax.  When I was experiencing anxiety and panic attacks 24/7, I had weekly massage appointments.  It wasn’t a luxury, it was one of the only things that helped the restlessness I was experiencing.

Through one of my professional bodywork magazines I found an article on “Anti-Anxiety Foot Massage” that was very interesting.  This technique developed by John Mramor that induces hypnosis and deep relaxation by using some simple techniques on the feet.  You can read the whole instructional article or better yet … watch the video by clicking HERE.   You’ll need to enter page 52 in the box at the upper right corner to take you directly to the article and video. Watching the video almost hypnotized me alone!

To enhance the action of this technique, I am going to use therapeutic grade (not health food store) essential oils. My top choices are Stress Away, Peace & Calming, or Tranquil blends and I will add them to a base oil like almond, grape seed, or V6.   Stress Away for me has worked like an instant, fabulous smelling, anxiety busting elixir. Just a few passes of the roller under my nose and on my neck and I get the “Xanax” like effect without the drugs!  Peace & Calming was instrumental about 10 years ago when I came off anti-depressants. Every time I felt a withdrawal effect from the Effexor, I would rub Peace & Calming on my ears.  Got me through those tough couple of weeks!

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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!

I had a terrific question posed to me, “What type of supplements do you use for hypoglycemia?”.   Duh, with all of the posts I’ve done recently on how to eat for blood sugar balance, I forgot to address what I’ve used to remedy the crazy blood sugar swings that gave me panic attacks and anxiety.  Be sure to also look at any of my posts on adrenal support.  Recovering their health is extremely important blood sugar balance and anxiety therapy.

As for the correcting insulin resistance and hypoglycemia, I’ve tried just about everything that claimed to balance blood sugar. Many things dropped me too low. So caution: if a product claims to support diabetes (high blood sugar) it does NOT mean it will balance low blood sugar.  Some supplements (cinnamon, ocotea, green tea extract) gave me anxiety because it caused my blood sugars went down into the 50’s.  So anytime I change my supplementation program I only introduce one new thing at a time, test my sugars frequently, and note how I feel until I’ve determined if it’s working well or not.

Through research and personal experimentation, this is what I’ve found that helps regulate my high / low blood sugar swings:

1. Fiber.  I get 7 grams of fiber through my Power Meal. I also eat a lot of non-starchy vegetables, so there is more fiber there. But, the one thing my body really loves as a fiber source is … an apple.  Very complex and hard to find, right?  Every day I have one along with raw almond butter as a meal or snack and my body is happy.  Fiber has been well documented to help regulate blood sugar levels.
2. Omega 3 fatty acids.  These help anxiety, depression, seasonal affective disorder, etc. but as far as blood sugar goes – they are terrific. They help insulin sensitivity as well as cell membrane fluidity.  Huh?  Helps fix the root problem of hypoglycemia and insulin resistance at the cellular level.  Plus, they help perk up my mental attitude.  My prefered Omega 3 source is Omega Blue and my doctor recommends about 5 grams a day.
3. Reservatrol.  This has been shown to support insulin regulation.  I get reservatrol from my True Source food based vitamin / mineral.  I prefer “food” versus synthetic vitamins.
4. Vitamin E.  Another thing shown to improve insulin sensitivity.  The source that I get my Vitamin E from pairs it up with CoQ-10 – which also has been shown to assist with insulin resistance.  I use CoQ-10 from Ortho Molecular Products. It’s available through health practitioners.
5. Coriander oil.  Historically coriander oil has been used for anxiety and to regulate blood sugar.  Makes sense because many times anxiety is caused by blood sugar swings. This has been a LIFE SAVER for regulating my blood sugar levels immediately while all the other nutritionals I take repair the actual problem over time. I ONLY USE THERAPEUTIC GRADE CORIANDER OIL.  Stuff from the health food store is cheap and it can be very unsafe. I just rub 3 drops on veins close to the surface, usually on the wrists or neck once or twice a day.
6. Herbs.  I have played with many herb combinations over the course of the past few years. Some with wild success, other times not.  The most success I’ve seen is through Ortho Molecular’s Diaxinol and Amazon Herb’s Metabazon. I do only 1 Diaxinol a day and 2 Metabazon’s with each meal.

The combination of items above is what I used that addresses swinging blood sugar levels in the now as well as cellular repair in the long run. Because of their role in blood sugar balance, I also support my liver and adrenals. I did a report on called Loving the Liver that outlines what works for me.  Plus, there’s a recorded training I did called Adrenal Intro Audio that’s accessible HERE.

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Eating out is one of my favorite things to do because I love to have fun with trying new foods.  I also travel quite a bit, so eating out is often my only option.  On the road I will always stop at the local grocery store to stock up on snacks, smoothie ingredients, and water.  But how boring is that do to for all meals?  BIG TIME BORING!  I have a few tricks up my sleeve that have worked well so I can eat on the road and still have anxiety relief.

There is no doubt, eating out exposes me to a lot of temptation.  High carbohydrate rich food and drink are the yummiest delights on earth; however they are the worst thing for a hypoglycemic, adrenal fatigued, and anxious person.  Every restaurant I go seems to have tempting treats like home made Dutch apple pies, cocktails, triple baked cheesy potatoes, and creamy broccoli soup.

How do I avoid temptation? I DON’T!  Of course I have to watch what I eat in order to keep my blood sugar balanced. When I was really, really weak and the panic attacks and anxiety were 24/7, I couldn’t have anything that remotely looked like dessert or starch.  But as I rebuilt my adrenals and ate a blood sugar balanced diet, I could have “treats” now and again.

These are my (Jen Crippen) dining out blood sugar balancing for anxiety relief tips:

1. I pick ONE treat for the meal. It’s either the sweet potato, margarita, or flourless chocolate cake. Not two of them, not a bit of each – ONLY ONE.

2. If I plan on picking a treat for dessert, I choose a very heavy fat and protein entree.  Some examples:  10 ounce steak with extra steamed broccoli, salmon with grilled vegetables, baked chicken with green beans.

3. To add fat, I usually put butter on steamed non-starchy vegetables. I don’t add more if the veggies already come with olive oil or butter already.  Acceptable veggie sides are: zucchini, yellow squash, green beans, spinach, and cauliflower. Not acceptable sides are: potato, corn, white rice, couscous, and pasta of any type. Sides acceptable if they are the one “treat” chosen for the meal: carrots, beets, sweet potato, quinoa, wild rice, squash (butternut, acorn, etc.).

4. I always add a salad with my meal. I order it with no croutons and 99% of the time choose plain oil and vinegar as a dressing. Sometimes I only asked for lemon wedges and dress with that. Most salad dressings are full of hidden sugar, especially Asian and honey mustard types.  I also ask the wait staff if I can add avocado and/or egg. More fat and protein!

5. Watch the sauces and marinades! These delicious meal additives are flavorful, but they are full of SUGAR.  They are also sources of hidden allergens like soy, corn, and wheat – all of which I choose to avoid.  I will ask the wait staff about the ingredients and if I choose them with my order, I have it “on the side”.

6. One of my favorite things are soups. I love them all!  Unfortunately I rarely can have them when ordering out.  They are thickened with wheat or corn starch. Plus, they have high sugar and low protein.  When I get a soup craving, I make it at home.

7. Let’s talk alcoholic drinks.  Some people will shun me for even considering the acceptability of having one as a hypoglycemic / insulin resistant person.  But reality is, 100% avoidance is not always reality.  So, if I choose to have a drink – I will have ONE.  My body prefers margaritas, the ‘ol traditional lime ones.  No fancy umbrella or tropical drinks for me, WAY to much sugar.  I also can do a glass of wine, usually red. Red is typically lower in sugar than white.  Because alcohol is so hard on a hypoglycemic and adrenal fatigued body, I have a drink once every few months. I know when I’ve overdone it or chosen the wrong type of drink because the next day I will feel anxious.

8. God put taste buds on our tongue that sense sweet for a reason!  To avoid all sweets for the rest of my life isn’t a reality.  If I avoid all sweets, over time I will crave them and fall off the wagon in a very damaging way to my body. When I choose dessert as my ONE treat for the meal, I also have a strategy.   Fact: all desserts are full of sugar.  However, there are a few “better” options.  Cheesecake, flan, custard, flourless cake, ice cream, and tapioca pudding are a few I will consider.  To lessen the sugar blow, I will share with someone else and just have a few bites.

These are a few of my tips for eating out.  It took a lot of experimenting and listening to my body to figure out what worked for me.  You’ll have to do the same. Have fun and experiment!