Confession: Anxiety Cause Revealed
Why is it that when we know our limit on something and if we go beyond that, we’ll feel like “junk”? For example, I experience many food sensitivities – gluten, diary (whey/casein), caffeine, sugar, nightshades (tomatoes, peppers, eggplant, potato), soy, and corn. Here’s the situation: because my body prefers that I do not eat the aforementioned items I can indulge in a TINY bit of dark chocolate. Key word: TINY (two 1″ X 1″ squares). Any more than that it is the OPPOSITE of anxiety therapy! It is an anxiety cause.
However, I know when I should stop. Then, I go back for a few pieces more. “Just a few more tiny squares, I’ll be fine.” Those few pieces take me from feeling grounded to jittery, racy, and anxious. My good friend Cynthia always knows when I’ve overdone the chocolate because I get on the phone with her I won’t take a breath as I ramble at lightening speed for 45 minutes! She’ll say, “Have you been eating chocolate?”. I ask if it’s that obvious and she always gives me the honest, “Yes!”. For me, over doing it on the chocolate is equivalent to taking a handful of speed.
Yum!
Thank goodness for natural remedies that calm me down in a jiffy or I wouldn’t sleep for days.
I guess almost all of us do it. If you don’t, please do tell your secrets to self control! Chocolate is my weakness, I confess. At least now – after re-building the strength of my body – small amounts of caffeine don’t send me into full blown panic attacks. Two years ago, different story. My body was so out of balance that anything stimulating (even cayenne!) would throw me into the crazy zone. I am so sensitive to the sugar and caffeine, why do I over do it?!? Personal boundaries? Childhood trauma? Lack of self love? Or, something more complicated – I just love CHOCOLATE!
Anxiety Cause – Hormones?
Hormones as Anxiety Cause?
Well guess who visited me during my last “cycle”? Besides my monthly friend, anxiety too! A few months ago my doctor said the believed my hormones had balanced themselves all on their own. I did this by watching my diet closely along with adding nutrients like amino acids, vitamins, and adrenal herbs. So, I decided to discontinue my daily dose 100 mg of bioidentical progesterone to see if my hormones really had balanced themselves out.
It has been a few months and as the progesterone left my system, a tiny bit of anxiety has returned. Progesterone deficiency is a common anxiety cause in many women. Maybe me too? Progesterone stimulates GABA (neurotransmitter) receptor sites and gives us that calm and relaxed feeling. Low progesterone may result in anxiety because of the lack of GABA receptor stimulation.
After recent tests ruled out low serotonin, epinephrine, or any other neurotransmitter deficiency as the cause, I asked my doctor if we should do a hormone panel to check progesterone levels. She agreed that if progesterone levels dropped after I discontinued the bioidentical version, it could cause anxious feelings. I’ll know in about a week after she does a hormone panel to find out. Stay tuned!
For some of us ladies, progesterone could be part of our anxiety therapy!
Adrenal Fatigue & Flu Immunity – Swine, Bird, or Any Other
Are your adrenals happy?
So what does the flu have to do with anxiety therapy? Well, one of the key set of glands involved with anxious feelings are also critical for proper immune health. It is the ADRENALS and when you have adrenal fatigue the immune system can’t do it’s job properly. The other organs which has a critical role in mental health and immunity are the intestines. My experience has been that when the adrenal and intestines are in good health, my immunity is exceptional and my mind feels strong!
Because of my personal beliefs, I choose not to vaccinate. Instead I take a pro-active position of creating a healthy body that will fight off anything I am exposed to. Of course there are good hygiene practices like washing your hands and not putting things into your mouth!
I will share with you what I do to support my little adrenals and help protect them from adrenal fatigue. Do with this information what like, it’s up to you to choose what’s best for your body. Here’s the list of my daily adrenal protocol:
- Vitamin C – Between 1000 and 2000 mg per day (Super C)
- B Complex – Super high doses of these. For example, 8000%+ for B12 (Super B)
- Adrenal Herbal Support Complex (Endogize)
- Super Smoothie in the morning for protein and nutrition for daily adrenal support (PowerMeal, 2 tblsp coconut oil, 1 raw egg, 1 drop cinnamon essential oil, 5 drops orange essential oil, 1/2 dropper of stevia)
- Apply an adrenal support essential oil blend called En-R-Gee everyday – 3 drops on the bottom of my feet. It’s absorbed into the skin super quick!
Pretty simple, huh?
To assist with my intestinal health I eat a very clean diet free of gluten grains, sugar, fast foods, processed grains, and prepared foods. Primarily I eat protein (meat & beans), non-starchy vegetables, nuts, low glycemic fruits (berries, cherries, apples) and eggs. The side effects of eating like this have also been a significant loss in extra weight, 55 pounds! Besides my diet, every night before bed I supplement with a super strain of probiotic (Life 5) and with each meal I use enzymes to assist in the proper break down of my food (Detoxyme & Essentialzyme). As the ‘ol saying goes, “It’s not what you eat, it’s what you ABSORB!”
If I was concerned I was going to be exposed to any of the flu strains, I would take extra precautions using items to protect my body. For years I have been blessed with not contracting any seasonal illnesses. I feel it is because I use essential oils from plants that have been proven to kill and inhibit bacteria and virus. My favorite choice is called Thieves blend. I’ve used it successfully on my horses for killing a virus that plagues their ears. Most vets say it’s untreatable, the virus was gone in a month! I’ve also used it internally for myself and family whenever a sniffle or “fighting something” feeling comes on. Funny, the “bug” never takes hold. My trick is a one, two punch. 2 Inner Defense in the morning, 2 at lunch, and 2 Life 5’s at night – it’s that simple!
I’m not a doctor, these are things that have successfully worked for me over the course of the past 8 years. Nothing stated in this article is meant to replace medical advice and is strictly for educational purposes. The products mentioned in this article are not meant to cure any medical condition. I suggest them because I have fully researched the sourcing and quality and have used them safely and successfully with my family and in practice for many years.
Don’t Mess with Chronic Stress
Crashing from Chronic Stress
Did you know that chronic stress can cause brain damage? Dr. Mark Hyman discusses in UltraMind Solution that Dr. Robert Sapolsky of Stanford University has mapped out why chronic stress damages our brain. Stress increases the hormones epinephrine, norepinephrine, and cortisol as one of the way’s the body combats the physical effects of stress.
Over the course of time we may experience impaired memory, dementia, and depression do to the effects of these hormones chronically running high. Our body was not designed to run in fight or flight all the time. I liken it to driving a car with the gas pedal to the floor all the time; pretty soon the parts wear out and the car breaks down. The same happens to our bodies. We’ll go, go, go without rest and when the body has had enough … it breaks down.
What does this mean to you? The next time you’re stressed remember that it is this is eating away at brain – literally! Take yourself on a mini-vacation for a few minutes. Go outside and get some air, eat a healthy snack, put on your favorite music, or even do a few stretches. You’ll be amazed at what this does for that icky feeling pent up in your body. Something as simple as sitting in a garden can be great anxiety therapy.
Anxiety Help – Wanna Talk to Me?
Studying!
Since the launch of this blog I have had many people contact me for consultations. I’m not a doctor, so I cannot give medical advice. However, there is much experience to share regarding how I healed myself from anxiety, panic attacks, adrenal fatigue, hypoglycemia, and food allergies. My anxiety therapy can now be your anxiety therapy!
I have decided to broaden the scope of my local practice to the internet. If you’d like to schedule a consultation with me, send over an email at Jen@NaturalAnxietyTherapy.com. I’ll then send you my schedule of fees and we’ll book a time. My schedule is very limited, I am accepting only a few clients a week.
When I work with someone I pull from the nutrition and wellness coursework I have completed, my bodywork training, and most important – my experience. If you are my client, it is my intention for you to understand why you feel the way you do, as well as how & what to do about it. “A-HA” moments for my clients are a regular event!
Clients have sought me out for issues such as:
- Adrenal Fatigue
- Weight Loss
- Hormone Health
- Food Allergies
- Chronic Inflammation
- Mental Wellness
- Blood Sugar Balance
My approach is that if you give the body what it needs and remove what’s causing problems, it will automatically heal itself. One of my teachers said in a class, “The body never makes a mistake.” We have identify WHY we are seeing symptoms such as fatigue, anxiety, panic attacks, blood sugar swings, bowel issues, foggy thinking, weight gain, and hair loss – then address those root causes.
Note that I am not a doctor, nor do I pretend to be. One of the most important components of a successful recovery program is finding a physician who has your health as their top priority. If you do not already have a doctor that can run tests that target the causes of your un-wellness, I can direct you to sources to find one. My role is to help guide you back on the path of health in partnership with your doctor.
