As promised, the ebook is here! The inspiration to write it is because I am long time anxiety and panic attack sufferer and was frustrated by all the treatments I tried that never worked permanently. When anxiety was at it’s worst, I was on a mission to uncover the root causes of why I was a hostage of how I felt. At the lowest point I was afraid to drive, go into social situations, and paced my house continuously. I felt I “CRACKED” and thought I’d never feel normal again.

I found there are many things most of us do every day that contribute to anxiety and panic attacks that can eventually leave us helpless and feeling completely debilitated. Over the course of my recovery I documented what worked for me and I realized there are 6 key areas we must address in order to completely recover. Most of us have done the medication and therapy route, these things definitely have their place. But there are missing pieces that are almost never addressed. To learn more, go to http://www.LetsGetPhysicaleBook.com for more on this different approach to anxiety therapy!

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!

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!

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My previous two posts have been on blood sugar balancing to help anxiety.

One thing that has been a great help to me is understanding how glycemic index and  load of a food impacts blood sugar levels.   Not all carbohydrates are created equal!   Glycemic index indicates how fast a carbohydrate will turn into sugar in the body.   Glycemic load indicates how the carbohydrate affects the blood sugar over time.

The range for glycemic index is high (70 or more), medium (56 to 69), and low (55 and under).  The range for glycemic load is high (20), medium (11 to 19), and low (10 and under).  I like to choose carbohydrate foods that are rated low for glycemic index and load.  If on the rare occasion I want to eat something that rates high, I will just have a few bites along with a very heavy protein and/or fat meal.  A small pancake is irresistible along side of a 4 egg omelette!

A fantastic source for more information along with comprehensive tables for glycemic index and load is David Mendosa’s website.   He has been one of the top internet resources for diabetes since 1995.  His website is very comprehensive on “all things diabetes”. I thank him greatly for his glycemic index and load information.

All this information felt overwhelming to me at first. The food combining, frequency of meals, and glycemic index & load had my head spinning.  But after a while, it became second nature. I looked over the tables on David Mendosa’s website and roughly figured which foods I had to be careful of.   Pretty much everything refined, processed, and tastes good.  Just kidding!

My next blog post will be about how to manage blood sugar balance while eating out.  As you know, it was when my blood sugar was swinging high and low was when I experienced relentless anxiety and panic.   Because it’s fun to eat out, I want to share with you how I do it and maintain my sanity!  Yes, restaurant food can be anxiety therapy.

Last post I shared the general idea of how I eat to balance my blood sugars and help anxiety.

My primary issue at first was insulin resistance. My blood sugars would be high (over 200) and drop as low as 39.  As I have worked on healing the adrenal fatigue, now I only experience lows usually in the 50’s.  If you’re curious about this, you can find more information about blood sugar levels on the American Diabetes Association’s website.

I did a post a while back on Adrenal Fatigue & Hypoglycemia where I explain how they are tied in together and what I did to recover.  As my body got stronger through diet change and nutritional supplementation.  However, figuring out how to eat was very challenging with a lot of trial and error.  I’m sharing a few of my tips with the intention of sparing much frustration!

Jen Crippen’s 15 Tips:

1. Eat every 2 to 3 hours.  This helps maintain blood sugar levels.  Often just grabbing a little snack like a handful of nuts, cream cheese and celery, or last nights leftovers will do the trick. Small frequent meals are better than a few large ones.
2. When enjoying raw nut butters without salt added, I add about 1 tsp of Real Salt to a 16 oz. jar.  The flavor will then dance on the taste buds!
3. To help the adrenals first thing in the day, add a pinch of Real Salt to a glass of water or protein smoothie. The adrenals need salt which I’ve blogged about in the post Adrenal Fatigue & Low Salt Diets. If I have the almond butter as part of my breakfast.
4. Carbohydrates (carbs) include sweet potato, potato, rice, quinoa, pasta, corn, bread, root vegetables, peas, hard squash, fruits, beans, chips, etc.
5. Proteins include meats, poultry, eggs, seafood.
6. Fats include butter, coconut oil, olive oil, cream, grapeseed oil, avocado oil, bacon grease, etc.
7. Combo fat/proteins are cheese, avocados, and nuts.
8. Non-starchy (non-carb) vegetables include spinach, lettuce, celery, chard, onions, peppers, asparagus, artichokes, Brussels’s sprouts, cabbage.
9. At any meal, I never choose foods that have a higher carbohydrate rating than protein and/or fat.  Unless, it’s fiber – it doesn’t impact the blood sugar levels.  For example:  if a meal has 15 grams of carbohydrates, the protein and/or fat must be total greater than that. Say, 10 grams of protein and 10 grams of fat.  This is easiest to calculate in meals where nutritional content is on the labels.
10. Another way to gauge carb to fats and protein is by volume.  I never allow the size of the carb  portion to be larger than any that of the meat or fat. I look at my plate and eyeball it.  For example with 1/2 cup of ground beef and 1/2 cup of non-starchy vegetables I would not have more than a 1/2 cups worth of black rice.  If I want more rice, I have to eat the same volume of meat and non-starchy veggies too!
11. When I get the taste for something bubbly with a zing of taste, I will order sparkling water with a wedge of lime.  This is great when I’m out to eat. It’s also handy when weaning off of soda!
12. Coffee is one of my favorite things in the world, ever!  When I had to cut it out of my diet, I mourned.  To replace coffee I drink non-caffeinated tea,  Teeccino, or Dandy Blend.
13. With desserts, I typically have to make my own due to food allergies to dairy, wheat, corn, and soy.  Quick balanced desserts are berries with yogurt, apples with almond butter, or gluten free cherry cobbler with whipped heavy cream. For baking, I recently blogged on Recipe Substitutions to make a recipe blood sugar and food allergy friendly.
14. I make all of my meals from scratch because it is less expensive, tastes better, and then I know EXACTLY what’s in it.  Prepared foods are full of sugars and common allergens.
15. Always have snacks with you when you travel!  In my car I keep some trail mix as well as a cup with protein powder that only water needs to be added. In my purse is an apple and nuts.  When my blood sugar drops, I am not tempted to stop for fast food.

Hope these 15 tips help!  My next post will be on what the glycemic index is.  This helps me figure out how a sweet potato versus white rice affects my blood sugar.  The most critical step to recovering my sanity was minding what I ate, this is why I’m sharing my secret food tips to help anxiety!

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My last post was on blood sugar balancing, and all upcoming posts in January 2010 as well.  Cooking and eating is a passion of mine, I love it!  But it was what I put on my fork was the main reason I became so unhealthy that I became incapacitated by anxiety and panic.  Sure, I ate organic foods, but I ate the wrong foods in the wrong portions!

Eating for balanced blood sugar is healthy for anyone, not just people who have hypoglycemia or diabetes.  Blood sugar swings are very hard on the body because it takes enormous resources to maintain normal levels.   It’s hard on the liver, adrenals, and pancreas.   The damage from the days of eating too many carbs was evident when my liver enzyme levels were high and adrenal tests were all over the map. On top of that, I was 55 pounds overweight.

That brings me to New  Years resolutions. Yes, we want to get rid of anxiety and other nasty mental ickies.  Plus, what is one of the most popular of resolutions? WEIGHT LOSS!   Weight loss is a wonder side effect of eating a diet that balances blood sugar. I melted off the extra 55 pounds, got rid of anxiety & panic attacks, my brain fog lifted, and have dramatically increased energy levels.

So, if you’re thinking “Bah on blood sugar, mine is fine and I don’t need to worry about what I eat!”, then reflect on the previous paragraph.  Oh, did I tell ya that balancing blood sugar is fabulous for your heart, hormones, and immune system? Yeppers, it is.

Have a Happy 2010 and remember … have fun, be well, and visit often.

One of the often overlooked causes of anxiety, panic attacks, and mood problems is imbalanced blood sugar.  Some people may see it as diabetes (hyperglycemia – high blood sugar), hypoglycemia (low blood sugar), and/or insulin resistance.  As sugar levels swing high and low, the body blasts out adrenaline (epinephrine) and cortisol to balance blood sugar levels so the brain doesn’t starve of glucose.  How can balancing blood sugar help anxiety?

By balancing blood sugars, adrenal hormones adrenalin and cortisol levels aren’t all over the map. This also allows the adrenals to rest as well as lessen anxiety because high levels of adrenaline circulating around.  Panic attacks and anxiety is very common especially when blood sugar levels are low since it’s the adrenaline and cortisol that raise levels to safe levels.

Most of the panic attacks and anxious feelings I experienced were due to hypoglycemic (low blood sugar) episodes.  It only took six long months to figure this out!  When I hit 39 (very low number!) during my 6 hour glucose tolerance test my doc said “Yep, you have SEVERE hypoglycemia!”.  Eating correctly to balance blood sugar levels and taking supplements to fill nutritional voids was  how I stopped the relentless 24/7 panic and anxiety.

Because I get asked so often, I’m going to share how I eat for blood sugar balance.  Everybody is different, so each individual will have to experiment to see what works for them.  I also use a glucose meter to check my levels first thing in the morning, before and after a meal, in-between meals, and before bed.   My system may seem simple, but it works for me.

Jen Crippen’s Blood Sugar Balancing Strategy:

• BREAKFAST:  It is important to eat something within a 1/2 hour of waking. If not, the body runs on adrenalin to keep blood sugar levels up until a meal is consumed. This is very taxing on the adrenals.  I eat a high fat/protein meal with a tiny bit of low glycemic carbs to get me going.  For example: apple (CARB) with raw almond butter (FAT & PROTEIN; eggs (FAT & PROTEIN) with carrots (CARB), tomato (CARB); smoothie of PowerMeal (CARB & PROTEIN) with added coconut oil (FAT) and raw egg (FAT & PROTEIN)

• MID-MORNING SNACK:  Something light and protein rich like a handful of almonds (FAT & PROTEIN) with Ningxia Wolfberries (CARB) or 1 hard boiled egg
• LUNCH: Nice substantial meal with veggies, protein, and substantial fat. For example:  tuna salad (PROTEIN) with celery, tomato (CARB), natural food mayo (FAT); spring green salad with 2 hard boiled eggs (FAT & PROTEIN), green peppers, scallions, carrot (CARB), sunflower seeds (FAT & PROTEIN), oil & vinegar dressing, couple of Ningxia Wolfberries (CARB); hamburger (PROTEIN) with small spring green salad
• AFTERNOON SNACK:  Again, something light and protein rich.
• DINNER:  Dinner I always have a heavy protein (seafood, meat, poultry) along with  green vegetables (spinach, broccoli, chard, green beans) and a starchy vegetable for carbohydrates (root vegetables, sweet potato, squash).  Very rarely will I eat any grains, but when I do it’s quinoa, black rice, or teff.
• AN HOUR BEFORE BEDTIME SNACK:  This snack is very important because often my blood sugar levels would plummet overnight and give me restless sleep or nightmares.  Sometimes I will have a bit of the leftovers from dinner in a very small portion or even a PowerMeal.  I keep it very light and total volume of food is normally about a 1/2 to 3/4 cup.

As for drink, I typically have water or non-caffeinated tea (herbal). I don’t drink soda of any kind and rarely drink alcohol. Alcohol creates a blood sugar nightmare!  Also, anything with caffeine creates blood sugar havoc because of the adrenaline surge. So it’s best to avoid with blood sugar, anxiety, panic, and/or adrenal issues.

There is a lot more to my strategy on how to eat to help anxiety. Next post will be on some of my secrets such as portion size of carbs to protein and fat, getting off soda, and how to enjoy sweets without the blood sugar consequence!

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So how can someone swap out ingredients in a recipe to help lessen blood sugar impact for those of us with hypoglycemia, diabetes, and/or insulin resistance?  There are ways, trust me!  Life without goodies is no life at all, right?

First, why is it so important to eat foods with minimal impact on the blood sugar even if you’re not diabetic, hypoglycemic, or insulin resistant?  Because severe blood sugar swings contribute to adrenal fatigue, one of the major underlying causes of panic attacks, anxiety, depression, and other stuff like that.  Also, it just plain makes you fat!

1.  To reduce sugar in a recipe, I will take the amount called for and half it. Then I add in stevia to kick it up to the sweetness level I want.  1 cup of sugar = 1 teaspoon of stevia.  1 tablespoon of sugar = 1/4 teaspoon of stevia.  1 teaspoon of sugar = a pinch or 1/16 teaspoon of stevia.  A little goes a long way with this stuff!  Too much stevia will give a funky aftertaste.  For example, if a recipe calls for 1 cup of sugar.  I will use 1/2 cup of sugar and supplement with 1/2 teaspoon of stevia.

2.  Use coconut, nut, or bean flour.  When I bake, I especially use recipes that call for almond flour and coconut flour.  You cannot use a traditional recipe and swap out for these. Because they do not contain gluten and are very fibrous – special accomodations need to be made.  Because of food allergy awareness, there have been many books written on these flours that are excellent. I have a few listed in the My Favorite Stuff section.

3.  I do not use rice, soy, corn, or potato flours. One reason is I’m reactive to corn, soy, and potato. As for the rice, it’s very high glycemic. For me, it spikes and crashes my blood sugar too radically. Which stinks because it makes for good gluten-free pasta and cookies!  Boo hoo.

4.  You might be thinking, what about agave?  It’s being touted as a super sweetener that is low glycemic and perfect for people with blood sugar issues.  I used to think that too, until it gave me big problems. I was having severe swings from the 200’s down to 60’s.  Because agave is pure fructose, it is not a friend to our insulin receptors or liver.   If the key words “agave dangers” are searched on the web, much interesting mind fodder can be found.  I miss it dearly and it tastes wonderful.  The day I cut out agave I was in mourning, but all I know is when I cut out the agave and my blood sugars were much more regulated.

5.  Maple syrup and honey?  Maple syrup is relatively low on the glycemic index (low 50’s).  It can be used in recipes in place of sugar, the only problem is it’s strong and distinctive taste!  Honey is over 80 in the glycemic – it’s not too far behind sugar. Lesser amounts can be used instead of sugar because it’s sweeter. But, the best honey is raw and if  it’s heated the health giving enzymes are killed.

6.  There are other sugars that can be used also that I have experimented with. I do not know enough about them to share my experiences. Oh, except yacon syrup. It’s very glow glycemic but it tastes like minerals!  It compares to molasses. If anyone has used this, I’d love to hear from you!  Other sugars you can research are xylitol, sucanat, brown rice syrup, date sugar, chicory sugar, and palm sugar. That will keep you busy for a while!

Experiment and have fun with these suggestions.  Remember, everything in moderation.   Not only will you help anxiety, diabetes, hypoglycemia, and insulin resistance – you’ll just plain feel better when your blood sugar is balanced. Plus if you need to, you might be able to cinch in your belt a few notches!