Neurotransmitters, Insulin Resistance & Your Liver
Broccoli or Carrots?
Ah, the liver. What does the liver have to do with how we feel? A lot! The liver is what I like to call the “Transformation Station”. It converts, stores, and detoxifies all sorts of stuff. The liver has many roles; however its relevance to mentally wellness is that when it is not functioning optimally, it can contribute to hormone havoc, imbalance of neurotransmitters, and insulin resistance. Any or all of those imbalances can lead us to feel panic, anxious, and even depressed.
The liver thrives off of nutrients that come from our food and supplementation sources. A few foods that support the liver are beets, cucumbers, radishes, carrots, onions, garlic, broccoli, cabbage, artichoke, bitter greens (collards, kale,dandelion), apples, and lemons. Eating these on a regular basis is a great way for us to love our liver.
I have over the years used cleansing programs that target the liver. The one I have had most success and felt physically & emotionally better from has been posted in the download section and it’s called LOVING THE LIVER. The benefits I have seen are a reduction in my elevated liver enzyme levels, improved digestion & mental clarity, and a clear & vibrant complexion.
In the past my perception was that I always thought the liver was mostly responsible for detoxification. Yes it does that, but the conversion of amino acids into feel good brain neurotransmitters happens in the liver. So for us folks who experience anxiety, panic, and depression should consider supporting the liver as part of our anxiety therapy!
Anxiety Cause – “Control”
Much of what I write about here is about the physical causes of anxiety. There are so many books and self help programs that are fantastic on the emotional and mental piece, but the physical is not addressed. That is why I focus on the physical, because anxiety is NOT all in your head! But, there are definitely mental components. A simple shift in mindset can mean big results for our anxiety therapy.
One characteristic anxious people have in common is the need for CONTROL. My self included! When we try to CONTROL everything in our life and it compounds anxiety. The stress takes it’s toll on our adrenals too. The question is, are we ever in CONTROL? Really, no. We only think we are. CONTROL is only an illusion that can be shattered at any time. We think we CONTROL our careers, family, and even ourselves. But in one instant, any one of those things can be gone by means out of our CONTROL.
Panic attacks, on the other hand is rooted in the fear of loosing CONTROL. This was definitely the case for me. Especially if I was trapped in an air plane or traffic jam, I’d get anxious that I couldn’t CONTROL them. Then I’d panic because what if I just totally flipped out and was out of CONTROL, trapped in a confined space with nobody to help me. Sound familiar???
What’s the opposite of CONTROL and FEAR? LOVE and TRUST. The way I handle anxious thoughts in my mind is I remind myself that I CONTROL is just an illusion. Then I go to the space of TRUST. I TRUST the outcome will be just fine; whatever happens is whatever happens. I TRUST the pilot of the plane. I TRUST the traffic jam will let up. I TRUST the money will come in to pay my bills. I TRUST my loved ones will make the right decisions. Got it? Good!
So next time you’re freaking out, just sit back and take a deep breath. Shift your mindset. Let go of the CONTROL, then TRUST everything will be ok. It always is, isn’t it?
Adrenal Fatigue & Anxiety Symptoms
Are You Frazzled?
Why do always write about the adrenals? Anyone who follows my posts on Twitter, Facebook, or on this blog knows I am always promoting adrenal health as anxiety therapy. The adrenals are in charge of the “Fight or Flight” response in the body. When we are experiencing anxiety, panic attacks, or restlessness – our body is on alert and the adrenals are blasting out adrenaline.
As the adrenals get fatigued from chronic emotional stress, a diet devoid of nutrients, lack of sleep, and improper digestion – they cannot make the neurotransmitters epinephrine and it’s counterpart norepinephrine. That’s when all sorts of “crazy” feelings set in. The other hormone the adrenals make is cortisol. Cortisol levels cycle throughout the day and when the adrenals are fatigued, the cycle gets disjunct. We can’t sleep well, pain levels raise in the body, blood sugars are erratic, and weight is gained around the belly.
So how do we fix this? First, listen to the adrenal audios on this blog found under the FREE DOWNLOADS tab. Diet & sleep have a huge component to recovering from adrenal fatigue. Next, find a doctor who can run the right tests to determine neurotransmitter levels. I get mine tested through NeuroScience. I contacted them and had them find a local doctor that ran their tests and used nutrients to balance brain chemistry and adrenal function. Based off my test results, they make nutrient recommendations. All of my neurotransmitters were messed up – serotonin, norepinephrine, dopamine, epinephrine, and GABA. That is why I felt like a loony tune!
You can contact NeuroScience as I did. They are happy to locate a doctor in your area that will fit your needs. I don’t encourage people to read books and just start taking amino acids and nutrients without testing done first. How do you know what to take if you have no idea what’s deficient or in excess?
To learn more about the role adrenal fatigue and neurotransmitter imbalances have with anxiety, panic attacks, depression, and other mental stuff – read about them in my ebook Let’s Get Physical. My full recovery program is included too. Remember, it’s NOT all in your head!
Let’s Get Physical eBook!
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!
Help Anxiety, Try This Amazing Trout Recipe!
Proper nutrition is a huge part of your anxiety therapy. As part of this blog, some of the yummiest and anxiety liberating food recipes will be posted. Most of my healing has been through proper choices of food. Sometimes though making healthy quick, but YUMMY recipes can be challenging. Here’s one of my latest that just knocked my socks off!
Marinated Fresh Trout:
1 trout cleaned
raspberry vinegar (Vom Fass is the best!)
olive oil
fresh or dried dill
Real Salt
Oyster Mushrooms – chopped
Marinate fish in olive oil and raspberry vinegar. About a 2:1 ratio of the olive oil and vinegar. Sprinkle with dill, and lightly salt. After a few hours of marinating, pan fry in a tablespoon of coconut oil at med/high heat. Start with skin down and add all the deliciousness of the marinade! When you flip after a cooking the fish a minute or so, add the oyster mushrooms around the sides to cook in the marinade. Fish is cooked when flakey and tender, it’s very quick – just a few minutes. Serve fish with mushrooms and a fresh spring greens salad!
Why so good for you? Trout is a good source of calcium, vitamin A, potassium, phosphorus, and of course PROTEIN. Help anxiety, cook trout! Enjoy, until next time…
